Ford Mustang GT (2024 - )

A single glance in the direction of the Ford Mustang and it's clear just where it originates from - it's loud, unapologetic, flashy and a total attention seeker. Any guesses?

Yes, the Mustang originates from America and is the muscle car that loves to flex its power and might at every opportunity. 

Not to be confused with the fully electrified Mustang Mach E, the 2025 Mustang is powered by a 5.0-litre V8 engine with an accompanying engine roar that perfectly matches the fire-power. 

Customers can choose between Fastback GT or Convertible GT body styles with each available with either a six-speed manual or 10-speed automatic gearbox. And for complete thrill seekers, the Fastback Dark Horse is the performance-based model of choice … at a price. 

Entry-level cars cost from £58,470 while the range-topping Mustang Dark Horse has a price-tag starting from £72,740.

We opted for the Mustang Fastback with the six-speed manual transmission, costing £55,725 (before options) for our test drive.  

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Ford launched its seventh generation Mustang in 2024 with a fresh new look at both the fastback and Convertible models. With more chiselled styling it boasts a long sculpted bonnet, powerful rear haunches, silver triple-LED rear lights with similar greetings and GT body kit that adds black door frame mouldings, a GT front grille with vertical power bars, GT badging and quad tailpipes. The imposing stance is completed with 10-inch carbonised grey alloy wheels with red brake calipers featuring a white logo that added £400 to the price. Additionally, the Grabber Blue paint shade cost an extra £1,150 but it did look absolutely stunning. 

The interior is upmarket with black sports seats upholstered in leather with vinyl bolsters. These are six-way powered so it's easy to get that perfect driving position behind the heated leather flat-bottomed steering wheel. For added comfort, the front seats can be heated or cooled too.

Behind a curved, driver-focused pane of glass, the 12.4-inch driver display screen and 13.2-inch infotainment touchscreen merge seamlessly giving the cockpit a classy appearance. And on-board tech impresses too featuring Ford's latest and fastest yet SYNC 4 software. There is sat nav, a 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, wireless smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a review camera, plus climate control settings. If it all seems to modern for a Mustang, then you can switch displays and get visuals from the late 70's models.

So, lots of kit as standard and in the main, it's all easy to operate, although some of the touchscreen icons are a bit small which can be fiddly when travelling at pace. 

Powering our Ford Mustang GT Fastback was the 5.0-litre V8 petrol engine delivering 446PS and 540Nm of torque. This results in some tasty performance figures with a 0-62mph sprint achieved in just 3.5 seconds and a top speed limited to 155 mph. 

While customers can opt for a 10-speed automatic transmission with paddles for added driver engagement, we chose the six-speed, we chose the six-speed manual version which, in our opinion, really suits this type of car where you want as much involvement as possible. 

As soon as you press the dark red engine start button you are greeted with a roar that wouldn't be out of place on the Serengeti. Shift into first and away you go with the engine rumbling and gurgling away in the background. 

The acceleration is sharp with plenty of power on tap and it's car that makes light work of overtaking or cruising at 70mph on motorways. 

On more testing country lanes, the low centre of gravity results in a confident, grounded performance with no body sway and impressive grip. It does feel wide on narrower lanes and the steering feels quite heavy, but they were my only slight gripes in a car that weighs just over 1.8 tonnes. 

There are drive modes to suit all conditions called Normal, Sport, Track, Drag Strip, Slippery Roads and Custom that alter the handling and dynamics considerably. And you will never tire of the popping and crackling as the car slows towards a set of traffic lights. 

The Mustang is deceptively agile in busier town centre traffic, but don't expect any other motorists to let you pull out, they won't! 

The thunderous soundtrack means you will be heard a couple of minutes before you arrive home, but thankfully, you can silence the noise so will at least stay on your neighbours' Christmas card list if you work unsociable hours. 

To sum up, the Mustang GT is fast, it i loud and it's aggressive in its handling, but it actually feels like you're travelling faster than you are at times - it's brilliant fun all wrapped up in one very attractive package. 

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The coupe-styled Mustang GT Fastback boasts a strong road presence with its muscular lines and strong vocals and it's larger-than-life car too stretching 4,810mm in length, 2,097mm across (including mirrors), 1,414mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2,719mm.

Up front, there's bundles of space for two adults to stretch out and the powered seats offer plenty of height adjustment so even really tall drivers won't feel cramped. 

There are two rear seats, but asking an adult to climb into them would be a challenge and an insult. The legroom is virtually non-existent but there is space for someone to sit behind the front passenger, provided they move their seat quite a way forward. The drop-top convertible model would make entering and exiting those seats much easier (provided it's not raining of course). 

The boot can swallow 381 litres of kit, which is ample for a few overnight bags or even golf clubs, and there are numerous storage compartments scattered throughout the cabin, including a lockable glovebox, a deep central cubby, door bins, a wireless charging pad, a single seat back pocket, a sunglasses compartment, front cup holders and some trays. 

Visibility-wise, the all-round vision isn't great purely because of the dynamic styling of the car. You sit low to the ground, the bonnet is very stretched and over-the-shoulder vision is poor unless you can crane your neck to 180 degrees. 

The Ford Mustang 5.0 GT line-up costs from £58,570 (OTR) for the Fastback model with six-speed manual gearbox and rises to £63,970 for the Convertible with the 10-speed auto transmission. For anyone looking for even more performance, the Mustang Dark Horse costs £70,740 with the manual gearbox, which is upgraded for this specification, and £72,740 for the auto version. 

Our test car was the entry-level model, but was anything but basic. It was generously kitted out as standard and the only optional extras were the dazzling paintwork and red painted calipers which saw the price increase by a further £1,550. 

You'll probably need to sit down for the day-to-day running costs though as the Mustang is penalised from all angles. The first-year road tax bill, or Vehicle Excise Duty to give it its proper name, is a whopping £5,490 dropping the standard £195 fee after 12 months. And as the car costs in excess of £40,000 there is an additional £425 to pay from years two to six due to a Government Expensive Car Supplement.

Additionally, you'll need to top up at the pumps quite regularly as the Mustang GT has a WLTP-tested combined fuel efficiency of just 23.5mpg. It doesn't get any better if you're offered a Mustang as a company car either with the carbon emissions figure of 274g.km putting it in the highest tax bracket.

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The Ford Mustang has been captivating audiences for almost 60 years now and the latest seventh-generation car is just as appealing and enchanting. 

It's not a car for the faint-hearted and it won't suit anyone looking for a quiet, refined performance. But it is a rare breed in a day and age where we are being directed towards greener, clean energy and electrically-powered cars. 

And while we can still drive these cars, it's a case of making the most of every opportunity. 

Yes, it's brash, in your face and very over-powering at times, but isn't that the American way right now?

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