2020 Ford Mustang GT PPL2 Review – Pony Car Essence, at a Price
In order to promote the Mustang Mach-E that would be unveiled later that night, Ford gave journalists who’d flown to California for the reveal the chance to drive the rest of the Mustang lineup.
From Shelby GT500s and GT350s to GTs and EcoBoosts, they were all on hand for a run up the Angeles Crest Highway.
Perhaps unintentionally, the drive was a reminder that the Mach-E probably isn’t going to fit right in. It may actually be fun to drive — certainly, as an EV, it will have plenty of torque — but we won’t know that for a while. Still, it’s hard to picture it running the mountain the same way the two-door coupe Mustangs do.
Which is to say, pretty damn well.
With all the hoopla surrounding the EV crossover Mach-E, it’s easy to forget just how good current coupe Mustangs are at their assigned task. While not flawless, current Mustangs also display fewer faults than in the past — they at least feel better put-together than the cowl-shaking pony cars of just a few years ago. And the move to an independent suspension certainly improves ride and handling.
There are still brickbats to be given. The rear seat in any Mustang remains useless except for infants or parcels, there’s still too much cheap plastic for this price point, and the interior is starting to look a tad dated.
Yet, there’s a lot that can be cured by a 5.0-liter V8 that makes 460 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque, and the six-speed manual remains a slick-shifting unit.
Take that package to the lovely Angeles Crest Highway high above Los Angeles, and you can put it to good use.
