Pony Up

That steady pounding of hoof beats you hear is the sound of horses running through Frank Bohanan's high-octane veins.

The technical advisor for the Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Assn. and magazine writer rips through gear after gear in the all-new '05 Mustang GT, sprinting the car east out of the Los Angeles smog toward the Angeles Crest Highway snaking through the San Gabriel Mountains, at a media event in Santa Monica, CA.

Bohanan, whose two heavily modified Mustangs ('65 and '87) solidify his place among thousands of 'Stang devotees, recognizes flaws — including a hint of body roll, oddly placed cupholders, a plastic-laden interior and deficient seat bolstering. But Bohanan insists the new Mustang's flaws are overshadowed by pure performance.

The 4.6L SOHC V-8, revised for '05 and pounding out a hefty 300 hp, imparts the unbridled urgency familiar in past GTs — dispatching driver and passenger in the same headlong gallop that hypnotized a nation 40 years ago, when the original version arrived.

Sporting its first completely new platform in 25 years — known as the S197 — this Mustang is a modern interpretation of mid-1960s muscle, complete with throaty exhaust tones and throwback styling cues.

No doubt, it will replicate the same era of good feelings among the Frank Bohanans that Ford Motor Co. recently inspired among truck lovers with the redesigned iconic F-150 pickup. Because Mustang volume will remain steady at 150,000 units, its sales will bring only minor relief in reversing the auto maker's market-share dive. But the car promises to generate vital dealer traffic as Ford Div. launches six new or redesigned models for '05.

In redeeming America's only remaining pony car, Ford held to the vehicle's core value — accessibility. When $50,000 price tags are common on many dealer lots, Ford's sexiest car remains positively affordable, with base pricing set at $19,410 for the V-6 and $24,995 for the GT. It also remains positively lovable and drivable.

While Ford's product-development crew, led by Phil Martens, group vice president-Product Creation, will be taken to task for its controversial decision to bolt the rear wheels onto a live axle instead of switching to an independent rear suspension, Mustang aficionados will find little to bemoan under most driving conditions.

Cost played a role in the live-axle decision, Martens admits. Still, Mustang engineers were challenged to make the rear behave as well as possible. Mission accomplished: The new solid axle utilizes a Panhard rod — which helps to quell transverse axle movement — as part of a newly designed 3-bar link (two lower control arms on either side and one on top) with redesigned spring architecture.

By improving subtle details in the rear — such as multi-cell urethane jounce bumpers in place of rubber and an expanded distance between control arms — Ford was able to virtually staple the rear end to the ground.

The result is that common Mustang rear-end snafus, such as objectionable axle hop under hard acceleration and a tendency to skip and jump out of potholes, nearly are eliminated. The TRW Automotive-supplied traction control system adds to stability.

The front end is equally impressive, benefiting from a similar decoupling strategy.

By inserting the same L-shaped lower control arms used on two critically-acclaimed European handlers — the Mondeo and Focus — Ford has installed a market-honored setup that allows today's Mustang to slide through corners with the same precision as on the straightaway.

An aluminum hood, hydraulic engine mounts and a true McPherson-strut setup further improve front-end performance by working to quell unwanted vibration.

Steering is not as taut and true as European purists might demand, but it delivers balanced behavior. Ball joints replace the old inboard link, while friction is noticeably reduced and more torsion in the steering gears adds to rigidity.

For the overall body structure, torsional rigidity is increased 31%, while bending stiffness has been upped 50% vs. the outgoing SN95-platform 'Stang. Weight distribution — 53% front /47% rear — is ideal for a modern incarnation of the pony car, says Mustang chief engineer Hau Thai-Tang.

He says the overall geometry of the vehicle, which is between 60 lbs.-140 lbs. (27 kg-64 kg) heavier than the predecessor, is key to the vehicle's newfound road compliance, thanks to a wheelbase that is 6 ins. (15 cm) wider and a vehicle length stretched by more than 4 ins. (10 cm).

Ford chose to redo the 4.6L V-8 for the GT by upping its valve-count from two to three per cylinder and switching to an aluminum block that saves 75 lbs. (34 kg).

Ford says variable cam timing was an essential element in ratcheting up the 4,606-cc (281-cu.-in) V-8 to 300 hp. Torque, rated at 320 lb.-ft. (434 Nm), is available in abundance above the 2,000-rpm mark and progressively gains as it draws closer to the 4,500-rpm peak.

The engine pulls well through all five gears, with none of the expected sputtering or lurching at low engine speeds. Whenever accelerating, drivers experience the V-8's growl. Ford employed dual exhaust to replicate the exhaust notes from GTs of the past.

Ford also swapped the previous base 3.9L pushrod V-6 with the high-volume SOHC 4L V-6 built in Cologne, Germany, (also used in the Explorer, Ranger and Mondeo).

Some 70% of buyers are expected to choose the base engine, which gets a performance bump, from 193 hp to 210 hp. Torque in the V-6 plumps from 225 lb.-ft. (305 Nm) to 240 lb.-ft. (325 Nm).

Slowing the vehicle is equally precise, thanks to bigger brakes. The GT's front discs are increased from 10.8 ins. (274 mm) to 12.4 ins. (315 mm). The base Mustang uses 11.4-in. (290-mm) front rotors. Both cars upgrade to 11.8-in (300-mm) rear discs, 12% larger than for the old Mustang.

The exterior design is a nearly flawless matriculation of various cues populating Mustang's heritage and is backed up by superb fit and finish and sturdy sheet metal and aluminum work.

The interior has a simple, straightforward layout. Plastic components are overshadowed by the use of optional faux aluminum trim panels, retro steering-wheel and shifter options and a throwback gauge cluster outlined in chrome-like plastic. The cluster has a customizable backlight system that offers an endless array of lighting options.

Ford says every measurable interior dimension trumps the space specifications of the outgoing cabin.

Then again, not many Mustang drivers rank elbowroom at the top of their must-have list.

'05 Ford Mustang GT

Vehicle type: Front-engine, rear-wheel drive, 4-passenger 2-door coupe

Engine: 4.6L (4,606 cc) SOHC V-8, aluminum block/aluminum heads

Power (SAE net): 300 hp @ 5,750 rpm

Torque: 320 lb.-ft. (434 Nm) @ 4,500 rpm

Compression ratio: 9.8:1

Bore × stroke (mm): 90.2 × 90

Transmission: 5-speed manual

Wheelbase: 107.1 ins. (272 cm)

Overall length: 188 ins. (478 cm)

Overall width: 73.9 ins. (188 cm)

Overall height: 55.4 ins. (141 cm)

Curb weight: 3,483 lbs. (1,581 kg)

Competition: Nissan 350Z; Pontiac GTO