The 2024 Ford Mustang GT has more power and a new interior with more tech, and it’s still a ton of fun
2024 Ford Mustang GT Pros
- Even more power
- Beautiful interior
- Great engine sound
- Slick 6-speed manual
2024 Ford Mustang GT Cons
- Still feels heavy
- Some interior materials still need some work
- Vague steering
The 2024 Ford Mustang GT is a reminder, after having driven so many electrified cars this year, that there is a lot of fun to be had in a rear-wheel drive sports car with a massive V8 sitting upfront. It’s a different kind of fun, one that is getting harder and harder to find on the market, but one that will never get old.
2024 Ford Mustang GT | Charles Jolicoeur
The new-generation Ford Mustang does nothing to change the model’s reputation or personality. The GT version is just more of everything it’s always been. It’s louder, more powerful, and more fun. It puts straight-line acceleration before agility, although those who think the Mustang doesn’t have sporty handling have never driven the car. It’s still one of the best values on the market when it comes to performance, giving you even more power for a starting price of just $48,500 in Canada for the Fastback, and $60,500 for the convertible.
Louder and more powerful
The Coyote 5.0-litre V8 under the hood delivers more muscle this year. With 480 hp and 415 pound-feet of torque (or 486 hp and 418 lb.-ft. with active exhaust), it rockets you to 100 km/h in under five seconds if you can get the launch right. The revised engine gets a new dual air intake box and dual-throttle body design for improved air flow and even more power to the rear wheels. A 10-speed automatic is offered, but there’s also a relatively smooth six-speed manual with rev matching. The performance exhaust is available and is louder than before, especially at start up where it grumbles to life with a distinct, throaty kick.
To put in perspective how the Mustang does not align with the times, owners can rev the engine from outside the vehicle using a button on the key. Only the Mustang could pull off that feature…
The Mustang GT is a powerful car, and it leaps forward with all the grunt and excitement of a traditional RWD American muscle car. You struggle to keep traction on the rear wheels, and this is not a vehicle that you want to blindly launch on wet roads. You have to respect the formidable amount of power you have under your right foot. This V8 engine likes to climb in revs, and it comes alive after 4,000 rpm with maximum power available at 7,250 rpm. If you are in fourth or fifth gear, not much happens, but downshifting, whether it’s with the quick 10-speed automatic or the more refined six-speed manual that is perfectly tailored to the personality of the car, unleashes a ton of power that you need to be aware of.
I had a chance to sample both the GT fastback and convertible, driving on long highways in Southern California but also around twisty, narrow roads where the corners are sharp and unending. The first thing you notice is that you absolutely have to be in the right gear to get decent power from the engine. On the Angeles Crest Highway, the sweet spot is between 50 and 75 km/h. In that bandwidth, third gear works great and gives you ample power coming out of the corner, while fourth gear takes away a lot of the punch from the V8.
That’s just a characteristic of V8-powered Mustangs. There is a ton of power under the hood when you launch from a red light, but the car requires a downshift to get real muscle when you’re at highway speed, for example. Current Mustang GT owners, however, know this and will like how the new engine performs. And of course, the Coyote V8 has a ton of extra power hidden away that is easy to find with a few modifications.
2024 Ford Mustang EcoBoost First Drive Review: Familiar but better
Not a Ferrari 355
There’s no telling what you will see on the Angeles Crest Highway. On the same day my colleague and I were zipping around in the Mustang GT, a nero Daytona Ferrari 355 piloted by someone who obviously had a lot of experience in the canyons provided a unique opportunity to test the GT’s chassis revisions. The 355 was no match for the GT in a straight line, but it was a different story around corners. Although the Mustang GT felt tight and capable around the twisties, pushing it the way I was doing to keep up with the Italian sports car was not necessarily a pleasant experience. The vague steering that provided little feedback and needed constant adjustments was the main issue.
However, the new model does feel sharper than the previous generation. I think the type of driver that is interested in the Mustang GT will appreciate its relative agility. Going through roundabouts, for example, or around highway off ramps will be a blast in this new Mustang. You can also have a lot of fun on a track. A Porsche Boxster, BMW M2, or just about any other European sports car that you can think of will provide a better handling feel, but I don’t think buyers of a Mustang GT will care.
New tech inside
What they will love is the brand-new interior. There is a new digital instrument cluster and infotainment screen that now connect together to give the dashboard a much more upscale and modern look. The 2024 Ford Mustang is the most refined yet and the features offered, especially when it comes to customization and personalization, are impressive. The new MyMustang mode allows you to configure separate areas of the vehicle such as steering, suspension, and the exhaust sound to your preferences.
The new Mustang GT also includes multiple different screen options starting with the gauges which can even replicate the original styling of the Fox-body Mustang including the green light at night. Although nobody at Ford confirmed this, I’m sure over-the-air updates will allow other generations of the Mustang to be replicated in this fashion. It’s one of the coolest features I’ve seen on a modern car in a long time.
All of this adds to the already major appeal of a car like the 2024 Ford Mustang GT. It’s everything you want it to be, and its personality is intact. Like with the EcoBoost Mustang, it’s not perfect but it does everything its owners want it to.
