Ford Mustang Car Review – Can Europe Handle The Power?

Ford Mustang Car Review – Can Europe Handle The Power?

This is MenStyleFashion’s first ever car review, and what better way to kick it off than with the iconic Ford Mustang? The all-new Ford Mustang is now on sale across Europe for the first time in more than 50 years. Now I am Australian so the Mustang was a huge hit down under and perfect for those wide, long open roads. In fact, it was always the V8 motor and its sound and power that I grew up with, and that I still love. I have not driven a V8 in years and it’s the first time that I have ever driven a Mustang. The last thing I ever expected was to drive it in Europe. So for me it was a smart move for Ford to allow me to test out the GT V8 version. What better way to test out its speed and performance than in Germany, where speeding on the autobahn is officially allowed. How could Ford take the historical Ford Mustang to a new marketing level that would drive new added attention? Who is their target market? More so, would this car suit the lifestyle of Europe, let alone those narrow streets of Italy or those unruly roads of Malta?

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The History Of Mustang

I’m a huge classic car fan and to see that Ford flew the Mustang 289 over from the USA, allowed me to understand the Mustang message. The Mustang 289 was built in 1964 and was the start to this highly successful line of cars for Ford. So who is the new market that Ford is trying to capture here, who is going to buy into the new Mustang? I am guessing that it will not be only the lovers of the iconic Mustang, but it will also be a new young generation who love to drive fast cars, have a free spirit and can afford to buy such a car. Yes, the affordability of the new Mustang is what is so unique to this car. Clocking in at £33,000 is a super price to own and showcase such a cool looking car.

Ford Mustang GT V8 – The Drive

From the moment I turned on the car, as you can hear in my video, I was instantly excited to drive the car. I knew historically what to expect, but I was very curious as to how long it would take me to get used to driving the Mustang with 435 horses under the bonnet. Within minutes it was like a duck to water for me. The steering was solid and a perfect balance in handling the car at high speed, in my case 225 kmph to be exact. At that speed it still felt like the Mustang had more to give, although the speed is electronically limited at 250 kmph. The brakes took a lot of getting used to but that is expected in any new car, they felt solid in bringing the car back to normal speeds. Fifth gear seemed to be my favourite as you can hear in my video review whilst driving on the autobahn. The reason I highly recommend this is every-time I accelerated, I was hearing the sound of the V8 that got me wanting more and more. Also dropping it down to fourth then back up to fifth gear was where you felt the pull and power of this sexy engine. For me this is what the Mustang is all about, the sound, speed and getting attention from anyone who was trying to keep up, let alone catch me. Even driving on the quiet narrow country roads was exhilarating, changing gears and taking those corners like a Charlie Angels lady would. It was in the acceleration and changing up and down those gears that just got my adrenalin going. That eventually turned heads in the quiet towns of Germany. Watch the raw video review, this car is a must purchase for any of those guys and ladies wanting to own a fast affordable iconic car for the streets of Europe.

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New Ford Mustang 5.0-Litre V8. MenStyleFashion Shot by Gracie Opulanza (7)

Taking a break at Tegernsee south of Munich

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Mustang GT V8 Red For O.P.I

The following choice of colours is always a personal. More so than ever, the marketing of cars is a huge task and very competitive these days. How could lifestyle, brands and your fashion trends link to purchasing your car let alone its colour? Why has Ford chosen to work with a nail varnish company? What is the psychology of car colours and how do car manufacturing collect the data where it finally comes up with future colour trends that we the consumer will buy into? This is why I chose to drive the red Mustang.
When I first saw the cars at Munich Airport I instantly went for the V8 and the colour red. Red is the colour we all associated with fast cars and it is my favourite colour. Ironically it reminded me of my favourite nail varnish brand called O.P.I. I then found out later from colour engineer Sonia that Ford Mustang collaborated with the American brand O.P.I in deciding the exact red pigment for the Mustang. Was this a coincidence or smart and clever marketing? From a woman’s point of view, if I owned the red Mustang, well my nail varnish would certainly match the bonnet.
So linking colours with influential fashion brands is a trend that will continue to grow more and more.

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Mustang ford 2015 colours for cars shots by Gracie Opulanza (3)

The Red Mustang colour combinations

Mustang ford 2015 colours for cars shots by Gracie Opulanza (2)

Mustang ford 2015 colours for cars shots by Gracie Opulanza (4)

The Yellow Mustang colour combinations

New Ford Mustang: 5.0-Litre V8

Available Eurowide, the V8 engine is key to the vital experience of driving a Ford Mustang. The acclaimed 5.0-litre V8 with 435 horsepower is the ideal power plant for this driver’s car. The new cylinder heads, valve-train and intake manifold ensure this V8 breathes freely. 

New Ford Mustang 5.0-Litre V8. MenStyleFashion Shot by Gracie Opulanza (17) 8 New Ford Mustang 5.0-Litre V8. MenStyleFashion Shot by Gracie Opulanza (22) 8New Ford Mustang 5.0-Litre V8. MenStyleFashion Shot by Gracie Opulanza (1)

Technology and Gadgets

For me the moment I started the car I was impressed and knew why this Ford Mustang would appeal to the petrol heads. There is a certain element of edgy and Mr Cool about the car. The car includes a launch button to get you that perfect start. The dashboard has different meters showing you the G-forces that you are experiencing, which could have been taken straight out of a fighter jet. The Mustang comes with 4 selectable driving modes: normal, snow/wet, sport and track to adjust its handling and response characteristics to optimise control. When you are driving this car you want to keep your hands on the steering wheel and your eyes on the road. The whole entertainment system is activated by voice commands and so is the hands-free calling. For me it amazes me how much you get with this Mustang for the money you pay, therefore I think it will do well in Europe.

The Convertible

The next day it was my turn to try the convertible with the 2.3l Ecoboost engine with 310 horsepower capable of a top speed of 234 kmph. The convertible is also available with the V8 in both manual and automatic transmissions. I have to make one thing very clear that after driving the V8, don’t even try to compare these two engines, they are made for two very different reasons. The V8 is for power and sound and the 2.3L Ecoboost, although still powerful, is more economical and less polluting.
We drove around a beautiful lake south of Munich and this is the perfect scenic car for those wanting to state they are a lover of the Mustang and enjoy driving with the roof open. In my video you will hear the difference of both engines and also the drive ability. I would certainly own this car for fashion events or for having a fun weekend away. This convertible would be well suited for some windy scenic coastal roads, the Costa Brava in Spain comes to mind and more so the Amalfi coast of Italy. This is where you can speed your way around those sharp hair raising corners, giving those Italians a run for their money. In the next video, you will see and hear the Mustang grunt and pulling power we all love to use. This car is still very powerful and I easily cruised at 180 kmph on the autobahn. It was my most powerful hair blow drying experience I have had to date.

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Conclusion

The new Ford Mustang is certainly an American iconic car. Throughout the years, the Mustang range has featured in over 500 movies. It is a great car for the open roads and you will get a lot of fun out of this car. However, its width makes it a lot harder to drive on those narrow roads, so choose carefully where you take this car. For the money you will get a high performance car full of technology that is hard to match for other car makers.

About The Author

Gracie Opulanza

Global menswear and luxury lifestyle journalist. Co-founder and editor in chief of Men Style Fashion. GracieOpulanza.com is my personal blog.

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