Since our last look at the 2015 Mustang here at TestDrivenTV, we’ve had a chance to see the convertible version up close and personal. And in the months since the December reveal, the cars have been seen around the country at many events.
The new design has stirred a storm of both praise and controversy among the Mustang tribes. Some love the new direction of Ford’s global design cues mixed with Mustang DNA. Others, well they feel the new car is nothing more than a Fusion coupe.
Hard core racers who see the Mustang as nothing other than a drag racing machine of course lament the new era of the independent rear suspension. It’s a subject that gets many heated and confrontational, angry even over the loss of their prized solid drive axle.
What most of them fail to realize is that the world isn’t about drag racing, and the other 99% of drivers live on public streets with pot holes, railroad tracks and tar strips….all of which will be a much better place with IRS.
All that said, very few people will be drag racing in the Mustang convertible. What is most notable about the new drop-top pony is its folding top design which disappears, stowing nice and tight into the rear flanks – nearly flush.
The high quality materials give a clean look when the top is down and a boot isn’t required to cover up unsightly rubber or steel framing. A fully powered top, it goes up and down without the need to wrestle with hand latches.
The interior of the Mustang can be better seen with the top down, a place that nobody will confuse with the Fusion’s cabin. The dual cowl design and large two dial instrument cluster are as retro as the last generation, only with better materials still.
And speaking of retro, while this new design is very much modern there are still some retro touches that tie this new pony with the classic iconic look. Headlamps feature gills which harken back to the very first Mustang and even the deep grille surround has a finish up that pays tribute to it as well.
Out back, the rear deck and tail-light panel in black clearly is new, but an interpretation of the current 2014 Mustang – which itself bears the look of the 1970 Mustang BOSS rear treatments. So while it is indeed modern, don’t say it isn’t still retro.
The 2015 Mustang convertible will of course share all of the same powertrains of the coupe which include the base 3.7 liter V6 and optional the 2.3 liter EcoBoost four and 5.0 liter V8. All of which will come with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.
The new 2015 Mustang is expected to appear in person at both the Mustang 50th Birthday Celebrations hosted by the Mustang Club of America in Las Vegas and Charlotte from April 17-20th. We will bring you a full walk-around from the shows! For more news and test drives of Fords and Mustangs see our partner channel TheMustangNews.com.
