2024 Ford Mustang 5.0 GT Premium

THE 2024 Ford Mustang has finally arrived in the Philippines, bringing to the table a familiar formula but improving to a point where it is entering a new dimension among muscle cars. It's incrementally better than the model it replaces, but at the same time, it introduces a whole new level of personality that even owners of the previous Mustang wouldn't expect.

The design of the current S650 2024 Ford Mustang doesn't break any ground. It is, after all, built on the same — albeit heavily improved — platform of the previous (S550) Mustang. The familiar styling will give you an indication of what to expect. It's been incrementally massaged to have a more modern appearance with just the right amount of aggression and sleekness. It's elegant enough to fit in a hotel lobby yet has enough brute to make passersby give it a second look.

But while the exterior is an incremental improvement, the interior is a much different place than before. Tech plays a huge role in this interior, and that's to appeal to the younger generation of buyers. Kudos to Ford for giving the graphics a sharp and well-rendered look. And I do mean rendered because these were rendered with the Unreal Engine and developed by Epic Games. Underneath those fancy graphics, however, is Ford's SYNC4 operating system, which works well for the most part, except for the lack of physical controls.

That's right. In the pursuit of modernizing the Mustang's interior, the war against physical controls continues, and the climate control knobs have waved the white flag. It's indeed not the best solution out there from a user interface perspective, though at least the climate control settings are always present. In the case of this 5.0 GT Premium, you also get Recaro bucket seats that hold you well in place, as well as keep you comfortable even on long drives. The comfort aspect is also augmented by the B&O sound system, though I had no proper time to test the sound quality.

What I was able to test is the sound of its V8, which will definitely beat the aural tone of the B&O sound system. That V8, a familiar 5.0-liter Coyote unit, has been massaged this time around to produce 493 horsepower and 567 Newton-meters of torque. Without the aid of forced induction, the V8 is as raw as it could get. It's ferocious, theatrical, and unlike anything else for under P4 million. And next to the Type R and Nissan Z it's priced alongside, I think I know which vehicle I'd pick instead solely because of sheer theater.

A true corner carver

That's because, from a handling perspective, the 2024 Ford Mustang doesn't anymore drive like a muscle car. Actually, the previous S550 Mustang handled corners pretty well, and this new S650 generation builds upon that engineering philosophy. Throw away any notion that a muscle car is only good in a straight line, but not in corners. The Mustang has become a true corner carver in 2024.

The electric power steering (EPS) rack, for instance, has less noise-vibration-harshness canceling materials to make it more rigid. Combined with the quicker steering ratio, the front end bites like a true sports car now with actual precision as you turn the wheel. I do wish for more road feel because as it is, it doesn't have the level of communication and information that I would get in, for example, a Porsche EPS (Porsche has set the bar extremely high for EPS, though) or even the similarly-priced Civic Type R FL5's extremely direct and hydraulic-like EPS. That said, never have I ever had the confidence to hustle a Mustang and hammer it as much as I did at Clark International Speedway at Pampanga.

Ditto the chassis tuning, which, despite being a carryover from the S550, is much more rigid and therefore feels like one solid brick. It is not upset by any imperfections on the track. The Mustang continues to use a MacPherson strut up front and a multi-link rear suspension, whereas the similarly-priced Z has double wishbones all around. Despite the difference in setup, there's a similarity in both cars. While the Z has quicker reflexes at lower speeds (an autocross, for example) due to its smaller size and thus, lighter weight, the two cars pretty much even out when they're driven at high speeds.

That's where you have the MagneRide dampers to thank. The reactive suspension system as opposed to a complex electronically adaptive one does a good job of making the ride soft when impacts are felt in the first millisecond, only for the system to stiffen up again to reduce any unnecessary bobbing or rocking motions, thus contributing to that stable and settled ride quality. At the same time, the MagneRide dampers, especially in Track Mode, set up the suspension in a way that limits body roll even more. But when in Normal mode, the suspension is so soft and pliant for everyday use.

Where the Mustang starts to pull ahead based on my experience together with the Z is in the braking department. Ford has somehow developed brakes that are so capable and confident in bringing this heavy vehicle to reasonable speeds before you hit a corner. The pedal feel is firm and easy to modulate despite being hammered lap after lap on the track by numerous media folks. Finally, even pulling out of corners is easy thanks to the electronic systems and the limited-slip differential working together to prevent you from spinning out when mashing the throttle too early.

So where does this leave us? For under P4 million, my default choice for an enthusiast car was always something from Japan. But now in 2024, it's the first time I'd consider the Mustang. As someone who likes a vehicle that offers precise handling but fused with an experience that's evocative and highly emotional, I'd be limited to the Nissan Z or the Civic Type R. Now though, the Mustang finally offers both theater and precise handling.

I still think there's more precision to be engineered in the Mustang to truly make it one of the finest handling sports cars on the market, and that's probably what the Mustang Dark Horse is meant to fulfill (Ford Philippines, when?). But as it is, the handling gap between the Mustang and Japan's sports cars has never been this narrow. Yes, you can now enjoy a Mustang not just for its 5.0-liter Coyote V8, but also because it's now closer than ever to becoming a truly precise sports car.