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2024 Ford Mustang Up Close: If This Is the Last One, It’s Surely the Best One

adminOctober 20, 2022

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2024 Ford Mustang Up Close: If This Is the Last One, It’s Surely the Best One The rumor mills are running around with the demise of V-8 muscle cars. Only the Dodge Challenger has been confirmed; The future is not entirely clear, but the current Camaro is believed to be the last Camaro; And a lot of people say this seventh-generation Ford Mustang is probably the last gas-powered Mustang we’ll see, with the next car adopting an all-EV strategy like Dodge with everything that follows the Challenger.

If that’s really the case, Ford has done an amazing job creating a very special finale to their fossil fuel feats, updating and refining the iconic muscle car for another one in 20th century-style gasoline form. From design to technology, it looks like the 2024 Mustang revealed during the 2022 North American International Auto Show in Detroit will keep the traditionalists happy as they begin building the bridge for its future.

2024 Ford Mustang Up Close: If This Is the Last One, It’s Surely the Best One

traditional leather

The styling updates are evolutionary rather than revolutionary, and that’s a good thing — the Mustang’s iconic shape, first truly forged when Ford created a cool vintage-style design for the fifth-generation model in 2005, has progressed well. It’s straddled the line between nostalgia and modernity for nearly 20 years now, and the new model’s exterior lines don’t deviate much from that proven style.

The front end looks lower and fiercer, with a thick Neanderthal brow across the front looking aggressive and low drooping, and the sleek, flanked wingspans giving a sculpted, muscular appearance to the body itself. It still has that muscular hip, which now looks wider from the rear, thanks to the taillights that are integrated more closely into the metallic sheets of the trunk lid. It’s an impressive update, and it looks good — this is the part that will satisfy traditionalists who want people to see them in something instantly recognizable without looking for a badge.

2024 Ford Mustang Up Close: If This Is the Last One, It’s Surely the Best One

The all-new cabin abandons anything like a traditional Mustang and instead embraces the technical aesthetic of the Mustang Mach-E electric SUV. This is where Ford is trying to attract younger buyers, building a bridge to what is likely to be eighthJill Mustang. Gone are the dual dashboards of the Mustang that were a staple of the 1st, 4th, 5th and 6th generation models; In its place is a massive, completely modern piece of glass that covers two large screens, one a 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster, and the other a 13.2-inch touchscreen in the center console. It’s stunningly clear and crisp, and features graphics inspired by the latest video games. Changing the settings on a Mustang is like configuring a race car in the latest racing chip, right down to the animations on the screens themselves.

Traditionalists won’t like this, especially the fact that radio and climate controls are now all based on a touch screen – something that doesn’t satisfy many consumers, especially older buyers. But Ford is hunting down new generation Z and millennial buyers with the 2024 Mustang, and says those buyers are great with it. To throw in the old guys, though, Ford has included old-fashioned gauges in its list of possible options. Make a bunch of choices, and suddenly your latest and greatest seventh-generation Mustang has the green and white gauges of your car. ThirdGin Fox Body Mustang. I have to say, it’s great to see them.

There is no new floor under the cover

The mechanics of the 2024 Mustang are as expected: a “base” four-cylinder model and the GT’s supercharged V-8 engine. Yes, both have been sniffed for more power, but the investment in the latest Mustang has clearly gone largely into the tech, screens and interior, not the greasy parts underneath. That’s OK—both the four-cylinder EcoBoost and Coyote V-8 are great engines, and you’ll regret passing them on if your next kW Mustang goes over the cubic inches.

Overall, Ford’s refresh of the Mustang is a good update and a solid mix of preparation for the future while still celebrating the car’s long and great heritage. She should keep her fans happy, maybe draw a few new fans and pave the way for everything that comes next in the model’s bloodline.

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