Ford Mustang 2018: a fast and furious ’Stang

Time to put on a Steve McQueen turtleneck and get ready to press the pedal to the metal, says The Sunday Times. The Ford Mustang was relaunched three years ago, but a newer version has now arrived. It has a more powerful five-litre, V8 engine, and its official 0-62mph time of 4.8 seconds is on a par with a modern Porsche Carrera, one of McQueen’s favourite cars. That’s not all that’s different, says Autocar. The aerodynamic front splitter is now bigger, “because the one thing the Mustang always lacked was a square jaw”. It’s angrier, too – a third of early orders are for the “Fury Orange” paint job. And it’s available in right-hand drive.

Equipped with the GT’s standard active exhaust system, the note emerging from behind you is harder than before, says Evo – although if you are looking to avoid an Asbo, “a quiet mode lets you start the car in relative silence to avoid awkward interactions with your neighbours”. In “normal mode”, the throttle is still a little slovenly at low revs, but it livens up in “sport”, and this will, after all, be the default mode if you want to explore the Mustang’s best side.

The 2018 Mustang’s trump card for British buyers is its value for money, says Octane. You can get into a 410bhp, V8 fastback for just over £38,000 for the manual version. The government will sting you heavily in extra tax for the first six years of ownership, but never mind. “We think the V8’s noise alone makes it worth the hefty additional penalty.” The writing is on the wall when it comes to big petrol engines. Make hay while the sun shines.

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Price: £38,165 (manual fastback GT). Engine: 5,038cc, V8, petrol. Power: 410bhp at 7,000rpm. Torque: 390lb ft at 4,600rpm. Top speed: 155mph. 0-62mph: 4.8 seconds.