The seventh-generation Mustang arrived in the 2024 model year. Building on recent changes that have brought this pony car into the modern era, the new Mustang also gets some big technology upgrades. And the GT model marks the last of the V8-powered muscle cars available today.
There’s a lot of appeal to the visceral rumble of an eight cylinder engine inside a small sports car. It’s the backbone of that most American of automotive: the muscle car. As trucks, sport utilities, and even sports cars drift away from the rumbling V8 that once was a hallmark, muscle cars are now also dying out as eco-conscious decisions change the landscape. The Mustang, newly redesigned for this model year, is the only remaining V8-powered muscle car on the road. All of its rivals, including the Chevrolet Camaro, the Dodge Challenger (previously Charger, and now Charger again as an EV), and many now-defunct brands and models are gone or on their final breath. Only the venerable Mustang remains.
It’s hard to imagine that back in the day, the Mustang was a secret project that almost didn’t happen. Today, it’s the last remaining Pony Car (a name which was coined for it) and the only American muscle car still using eight cylinders.
I drove the 2024 Ford Mustang in its GT format with a manual transmission. Despite it being 2024 and this being the last of a dying breed, there’s nothing going quietly in the night about this one. And Ford’s CEO, Jim Farley, has pronounced that the company plans to keep making a V8-powered Mustang “for as long as possible.” Which is the best promise we can hope for in today’s small displacement and electric atmosphere.
Changes to the new Mustang are substantial, but not heartbreaking. By style, it’s still definitely a Mustang in look and feel. Modern conventions like better front aero and improved interior comfort are definite improvements. Ford designers have to walk a fence between old school enthusiasts and potential new buyers. They did it well here, combining some modern aspects with nostalgic inclusions to get both new and old buyers alike. I think it works.
There are essentially three models for the Mustang: the EcoBoost four-cylinder turbo model, the GTs (GT and GT Premium) with a 480-horsepower, 5.0-liter V8, and the Dark Horse with the same V8, but tuned for 500 horsepower of output. The EcoBoost will likely continue to see buyers for rental fleets and mainstream “I want the look, but not the power” consumers. The GT and Dark Horse models will appeal to the rest.
In my mind, the roughly $10,000 in cost upgrade to get the Dark Horse from the GT Premium isn’t worth the 20 horses. The GT Premium model Mustang I drove had a beautiful six-speed manual transmission (a 10-speed automatic is available), the brake upgrade, the adaptive dampers, and so forth that are part of the Dark Horse.
And with the V8, you get the massage and rumble of the engine alongside the smooth shift and fast pace of this new-generation Mustang. Since swapping to an independent rear setup (finally ditching the solid axle) in the previous generation, the 2024 Mustang adds suspension tuning improvements that really aid its maneuverability. Especially at speed.
Never known as a great cornering ride or a good drifter on the tarmac, the Mustang is now both. It turns reliably at speed and can be knocked into a sideways drift much more readily than it could before. I’m not a master of either of these, but if someone like me can feel safe going over 50 miles an hour around a 90-degree turn in one lane, then someone with a lot more expertise would easily add a lot more speed to that. Not even a hint of chirp from the tires as I did it either. Beautiful design. Only the Corvette, out of the American sports cars I’ve driven recently, can rival that. And the ‘Vette is not a muscle car.
New technology in the 2024 Mustang includes a 12.4-inch digital instrument panel and a 13.2-inch infotainment touchscreen. These run on Ford’s Sync 4 system and are both highly configurable and very responsive. There’s also a 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system as an option in this new Mustang. It sounds really good, but to be frank, the symphony of the engine and pipes is far more entertaining most of the time.
Other Mustang staples remain a thing in the new 2024 model. Recaro sport seating with aggressive bolsters are still there. The rear seat is still mostly for dogs and youngsters. And getting in and out requires a cane if you’re over 50.
But the new additions are also well integrated into that old school feel. Side and rearview are mostly non-existent (people behind you are losing, so who cares?), some of the interior fitment feels a little cheap, and Ford haters will still make fun of you for having a Mustang instead of whatever their favorite is.
All in all, as the final entry into the V8 muscle car arena, I loved driving the new 2024 Ford Mustang GT. It wasn’t as cool as the Mustang Bullitt I drove a few years ago, but it’s still pretty dang awesome.
