What is it that makes a car truly great? For our Thursday series, we attempt to answer this question by highlighting a car that has one or more elements that we feel belong in the realm of greatness. Today that car is the 2015 Ford Mustang Convertible, which is of course not quite in our showrooms yet, but soon will be.
The Mustang has a history and cachet in the U.S. that makes it one of the most famous American cars. Even though born well after Henry Ford and his Model T, it has a certain timelessness that makes it seem present throughout the 20th century. In truth, it debuted in 1964 right in the midst of the space race between Russia and the United States.
In that surreal moment when Americans were being introduced to concepts like space travel, rocket ships, visiting the moon and some new technology called computers, it seemed right to Ford to bring out a hulking piece of American steel and muscle that ordinary people could see and appreciate.
Our newest iteration of the Mustang is already being celebrated for marked improvements to the component that defines a convertible: its top. The redesigned cloth now has a smoother appearance thanks to an extra bow and layer of padding, and the mechanism ditches the hydraulics of yesteryear for an entirely electric motor. The electric is quieter, faster and slimmer than its predecessor, which means you can get out and about in the sun that much quicker. It also means you get a larger trunk with 11.4 cubic feet of space instead of 9.6.
One of the biggest challenges with convertibles is making a structure rigid enough to withstand the stresses that vehicles encounter without the integrity of roof beams and, you know, a roof. New high-strength steel helps solves this problem by making the sides and bottom much stiffer without an increase in overall weight. A newly emancipated rear suspension will help ensure that that rigidity doesn’t translate into an uncomfortably bumpy ride for passengers.
Overall, these are great steps to making the Mustang an enduringly relevant and well-performing modern convertible. What are you looking forward to most about the new Mustang?