The Mustang Lives!

The Ford Mustang still lives! For 2024 Ford has provided us all with a much needed refresh of the iconic muscle car, and I am happy to report that the Mustang is better than ever. For me there’s no car that epitomizes American muscle than the Ford Mustang. Yes the Chevrolet Camaro (rest in peace) and the Dodge Charger carved their own niches in the history of American muscle, and well deserved I say. Then there’s the Ford Mustang.

The Mustang is the James Dean of muscle cars. Symbolizing independence and general irresponsibility. I played a lot of racing games growing up (not much has changed by the way) and when given the choice, I never passed up an opportunity to race in the Mustang. Mostly because unlike its distant American cousins, the Mustang wasn’t just an overpowered muscle car with poor traction. The Camaro and Charger were great and all, but they always felt like they were working against me. The Mustang encouraged me to push harder and cut impossible turns, all to the tune of Fords screaming V8.

I have a distinct memory of going to the Atlanta Auto Show and actually sitting in the 2015 Bullit Mustang. I hadn’t seen the movie, but I had seen the racing clips and understood what made it so popular. I sat in the car and had a revelatory moment. I realized that this right here was the only car I wanted to own. There was just something about the way the car was designed and the way it felt when you sat in it. If you’ve never seen it, you can’t possibly understand what it was like. The Bullit Mustang wasn’t just a cheap attempt to play off the films success, it felt like its own unique vehicle, the overtures to the movie just served to accentuate the car.

The Bullit Mustang was a limited run model, so chances of a sixteen year old owning one was ludicrous. Nevertheless I still hold the Mustang high in my mind. There is still no muscle car like the Mustang in my mind. The 5.0 liter Coyote V8 sounds better than any other motor in the industry. The fighter jet inspired interior evokes speed and stunts. The sequential tail lights are just icing on the cake. Best of all, this isn’t some unattainable vehicle. While not cheap by any standard, the Mustang is still an attainable vehicle. You and I will probably see a Ferrari or Lamborghini in our garages, but a Mustang is very much in the realm of possibility.

The 2024 Mustang highlights everything that has ever made the Mustang worth talking about. There is a redesigned, aggressive hood. The fighter jet inspired interior returns. There’s even a new standard electronic brake handle included. Despite rumors to the contrary, the 5.0 liter V8 returns, making a glorious sound as it revs.

Car lovers everywhere should rejoice over this homage to American speed and muscle. Especially today. This is not a vehicle designed to be sustainable in any way, shape or form. It’s not designed to save the environment or the whales. Nor is it designed to be an economical grocery getter. The new Mustang exists for no other reason than to brighten your day.  Can’t imagine anyone getting behind the wheel without smiling. Everything muscle cars have ever longed for, every wish has has been granted by Ford. The 2024 Mustang is a distillation of everything that makes American muscle cars great.

It’s hard not to wax poetical when seeing a vehicle like this. I can’t think of anyone who builds cars like this nowadays. It’s hard to get excited about the latest economical-hybrid-lots of trunk storage sedan. Even though inevitably that’s what we’ll all end up driving, because hey, practicality always wins out right? The 2024 Mustang makes me to want to throw practicality out the window and get one anyway. I find myself making irrational arguments. ‘It has plenty of trunk room! Look I can easily fit groceries inside, I was king of Tetris after all!’ ‘No it doesn’t have 30 MPG’s, but it has so much speed that I don’t need all those MPG’s!’ See what I mean? When I sat inside the limited run Bullit Mustang I had this special feeling I thought would never return. Seeing the all new 2024 Mustang, the feeling has come back again.