Finally. The long-awaited 2010 Ford Mustang is here, in coupe and convertible forms. Its official debut on the eve of the 2008 LA Auto Show. For now, you get tons of pictures and all the information we want.
Starting off with the looks, this new-generation of 'Stang is still recognizable as Ford famous pony car. Infact, it looks even more like a late '60s Mustang than the current one. Additional curvature in its lines, especially along the belt-line give it a pure retro look.
At the front, this Mustang holds up to it predecessor with traditional forward-canted grille and inset headlights. The turn signals have been moved into the headlights. The new hood is encounter with a "powerdome" so it makes it easier to modify with the engine. Also, the new bumpers and hood have harder edges to give this pony more muscular look. The lower front fascia are black plastic air deflectors to further enhance the airflow, directing it around the sides instead of underneath the car. All of this contributes to drag reductions of 7% on the V8-powered GT model and 4% on the base V6. Better management of the air-flow around the front of the car also reduces lift by 23%.
Moving to the side, the new look has a very "clean" side. The transition from the fenders to the wheel arches has been smoothed. The lower edge of each side window has been moved down and now intersects with the newly curved contour of the rear fender at the trailing edge of the door.
At the very back, the outer ends of the rear fascia are now angled forward, which helps to give the visual impression of the rear overhang. That also puts out an impression that the rear bumper is reduced offset. The lower part of the rear fascia includes a black with a molded-in diffuser. The darker color reduces the visual height of the rear deck. The taillights, which still feature the traditional three bar look, have been re-shaped and now feature sequential turn signals. When the turn signals are on, the three lamps light in sequence from the innermost to the outer. The rear badge has also been reshaped.
One of the biggest drawbacks with the current Mustang was the interior. It looked great, but the material were just "horrible". Now though, it's completely changed. It still remains pretty much the 'Stang famous interior look, but with shorter over-hangs. Moverover, all the new plastics feature a softer look and as Ford say, a softer touch. The new GT features current GT500's seats. And the new gauges feature a retro white background, but you can choose 125 colors for the backlight. The best thing about the interior, is the optional full-glass roof
Because this is a roaring muscle car, it surely has a V8. Sadly, all the rumors about a bigger 5.0L engines were lies. It still remains the 4.6L V8, but with added 15hp, to give an output of 315hp and 325 lb-ft of torque. The air intake has been reworked so that fresh air is drawn from behind the grille rather than from the wheel well. All that power is going via to either a 5-speed automatic or manual, on one of the beautist 19-inch wheels. There's still the remaining dreedy 4.0L V6 with 210hp. However, in 2012, we'll see the Mustang come with Ford's EcoBoost 3.5L twinturbo V6. And the 'Stang still remains the hard live rear-axle suspension
Let's not forget though, that the Mustang is still 250 kilos (470 pounds) lighter than its Chevrolet Camaro rival and even more in the larger Dodge Challenger. So for 30,000$, it gets you the the Mustang V8-powered GT, which should perform similar to the Dodge Challenger R/T. And we shouldn't also forget the up-coming GT500 which will also probably crack the Camaro SS.
One of the new technologies the 'Stang features, is an all new all-speed Electronic Stability Control. The ESC always defaults to on when you start the car. On the V6 Mustangs the driver will have the option to turn the system off. On the GT, the system can be turned off, or switched to a performance mode that allows more slip before intervening to limit the fun. Also, the new pony gets a rear camera view for parking. 
In the end, Ford has done a good job with this next-generation Mustang. But we thought they'd should have done a bit more. However, we will be testing this car in early 2009, and to see how different does it feel from the current one.
PICTURES : Coupe
PICTURES : Convertible
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