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2007 Ford Mustang GT Premium Coupe Road Test

This is a vehicle that needs no introduction. It is the Ford Mustang, and the

The world might be pining for the Challenger and the Camaro, but the Mustang GT is the muscle car of now. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

quintessential V8-powered GT model at that. The Mustang has been a legend since before I was born, and with its latest incarnation, its legend has only grown. Despite much critical lashing for fox-bodied 'Stangs through the 80s and 90s, the Mustang never failed, never lost its core audience, its faithful, and now that it is a darling of the media and the public again, it's selling in record numbers that are making GM and Chrysler scratch their heads and wonder, “Why didn't we think of that?”

It's a simple formula that Ford has never forgotten: great looks, cheap as dirt to get into and a big stonkin' V8 option on a live rear axle. Now that they've given it some thought (though likely passing on the live rear axle), we'll be seeing the Chevy Camaro and Dodge Challenger revive the All-American Pony Wars, but Ford has a head start of a few hundred thousand in sales and years of uninterrupted development going for them. Then again, they've also got the Mustang legend on their side. Right now. And it goes the way you would expect something bearing the name Mustang would go. Rowdy and buck wild ...

In-grille fog lamps, a rather square jaw and a pair of racing stripes are pure musclecar. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

Whoa, boy ... I'm getting ahead of myself. It's traditional in our trade to at least make a passing comment on its looks before delving into the driving dynamics evaluation of a review, so here goes. I don't think I'm going to change anyone's opinion of the Mustang's new duds just by pointing out my favorite design features, but the big black grille and the hood's leading edge creeping out over the top of it never fail to bring a wicked grin to my face. This generation of Mustang bears a lot of throwback styling cues like the grille, the hood, the profile and the back end, but it all comes together with a kind of futuristic Judge Dredd slickness, especially if you get it up to Shelby GT500 trim.

Between classic glossy colors and metallics and a variety of racing stripe colors, you can find Mustangs in just about any color combo you can dream up, with three interior color schemes that can be further customized with upgrade packages. I happened to be driving one in a metallic gray with blue racing stripes, a stealthy yet eye-catching combo. The interior was in all black, the comfy leather seats with horizontal ribbing feeling properly nostalgic while offering sufficient support, plus miles and miles worth of comfort. Toss it around a bit, though, and you won't soon mistake them for racing seats as bolstering is minimal and they are a bit slippery. Gauges are large, simple and clear, with the option of adjusting them to a variety of different colored illumination as part of the Interior Upgrade Package, plus the leather-wrapped dashboard which is a step up from the standard hard plastic unit.

The retro theme continues in the interior with classic steering wheel spokes and a flat topped dash that's wrapped in leather. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

The interior is not going to win any materials quality or assembly contests, but the look nails the combination of retro simplicity and nostalgic touches that gives it enough flair to be embraced and loved for its character and appeal, even enough to overlook its cheap plastics. Every seat is comfortable, too, the two back seats providing respectable adult accommodations, while the trunk offers American sedan–like stowage. Well, it would if not for the massive dual 500-watt subwoofers taking up about a third of its luggage space. That kicker package comes as part of the Shaker 1000 stereo upgrade, which will make your 'Stang and all its occupants bounce with the bass, not to mention the other 8 speakers arrayed throughout the cabin to provide crisp and loud audio.

Much of the time, the only music you'll want to listen to is the baritone of the V8 and the exhaust gases fighting to get out through the mandrel-bent dual pipes that feature a crossover tube and stainless steel tips poking out from under the rear bumper. On the road, I opened it up every chance I had, as I could never get enough of the stuttering, belching

Not a real gas cap like in the old days... (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

hiccoughs of the engine mixed with the wicked scraping rasp and rumble of the exhaust – an exhaust note that Ford's acoustic engineers worked very hard to perfect as their “aural DNA” for this Mustang V8.

The source of the GT's siren song is Ford's old-school 4.6L V8, relying on displacement to pump out 300 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque, seemingly from zero rpms. Road and Track pinned it at 4.9 seconds from 0 to 60 mph, and I believe them as it has no problems getting off the blocks. Power comes on with a lot of low-end torque, meaning plenty of kick right out of the gate, and a five-speed manual meant I could lay down ribbons of rubber at will. Not that I did, of course, because I'm a responsible adult ... really.

However, the pedals were widely spaced and required a lot of pedal travel, so it's not a great setup for tight corner work and lots of heel-toe downshifting, but I'm pretty sure that the majority of guys and girls that want to race their Mustangs will be worried more about the quarter mile than lap times. Because of this audience, it's not necessarily a weakness,

What's a Mustang without its 4.6-liter V8 engine? (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

but in contrast with that surge of low-end torque, the engine kinda' gives up after 5,000 rpm. That's just the nature of this beast, and you have to enjoy getting all of your love from it between 2,000 to 5,000 rpm ... trust me, there's still plenty of love to go around, but peak torque is at 4,500 rpm.

Within those limitations, if driven right the Mustang can return performances that far outclass its price. While the live rear axle has a habit of hopping and skipping around corners with rough pavement, the kind you'd find in most any city, smooth roads or tracks mean you can control your speed into the corner and power out of it with the help of the limited slip differential that comes standard with the GT. Then again, you can also smoothly step out the back and power oversteer through the corner if your aim is style points. The steering is firmly weighted but lacking in feel, so skill in handling this car will come through familiarity rather than instant communication. And compared to many other sports cars on the market today, the 235/55ZR17 rubber on 17-inch rims seemed decidedly high profile, with plenty of give in the corners as a byproduct of the compliant ride.

While its legend grew on the beaches of California and the drag strips all

Customize your Mustang straight from the factory: 18-inch chrome wheels, aluminum fuel filler cap and stripes can all be ordered from your dealer. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

across the continent, the Mustang's racing heritage has also played a large part in the development of the modern Mustang. Ford's participation in the Grand Am Cup Series (with a manufacturers title in their first year) has helped establish new credentials on that age-old formula of a big V8, rear-wheel drive and live rear axle. The Grand Am FR500C race car is based on the underpinnings of the Mustang GT (with over 80 percent of chassis components shared between the two), which shows that the Grand Am series is more of a stock car series than NASCAR.

Of course, my week with the Mustang wasn't about racing; it was more about cruising and reveling in the throaty burble of a classic V8 in a classic pony. I got compliments at stoplights and responded with a thank you by way of a right foot prod. It's not a car of sophisticated refinement, to get you peacefully and mindlessly to your office and back, but it's more than comfortable enough to be a daily driver, and the raw power and odd shimmy or buck after you tangle with a bump going around a corner remind you of its uncivilized roots and make you love it all the more. I could wax poetic about its history and its iconoclastic rise, its expression of the American psyche and spirit, or try to explain why its success has endured so well and spanned generations, but that's not what it meant to me. Sometimes, you have to look past the legend and see the car. To that end, it's a car that offers a whole lot of fun for not a lot of money.

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