August 1, 2019
THE WITNESS
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13
WHEELS
www.witness.co.za
KZN WHEELS BREAKFAST RUN ALL driving enthusiasts are welcome to bring any car or bike on a breakfast run to Hennie’s Place on August 18. Participation is free. Drivers meet at the KFC parking lot on Armitage Road. The run is hosted by KZN Wheels, the Vintage Sports Car Club (VSCC) and 100s Bikers. Participants meet at the pre-ride bring and braai from 7 pm, at the VSCC clubhouse on 120 Oribi on August 16. • Rider info: Paul Gravett at 072 715 4158 • Driver info: Syd Mills at 072 716 2012
WE HAVE A LARGE VARIETY OF ENGINES AND GEARBOXES TO CHOOSE FROM
MANY PERFORMANCE ENGINES AVAILABLE
QUALITY USED LOW MILEAGE ENGINES, GEARBOXES & PARTS
Lexus Spares 1UZ-FE - Full Gasket set - Water Pumps - Cam Belts - Flywheel - Plug Lead set - Coils - Fan Belts - Starters - Dizzy Caps - Airflow Meters - Engine Mountings - Gearbox Mountings - Cam Belt Pulleys - Alternators
Other Engine Spares - Cylinder Heards for most makes of LDV’s - Replacement Turbos for most makes of LDV’s - Bell Housing Big/ Small - Gearboxes - Diffs
ENGINES, GEARBOXES, HEADS, TURBOS, DIFFS, LEXUS SPARES We have in-house Workshop for Engine Exchange and Fitments
WE OFFER DELIVERIES INTO DURBAN AND SURROUNDING AREAS ON ALL ENGINE AND GEARBOX PURCHASES.
13 BETASTRAAL RICHARDS BAY ALTON TEL: 035 789 0464 / 035 789 0754 CELL: 084 357 1082 CRAIGH CELL: 062 633 4755 NTUTHUKO SALES@EASTCOASTENGINES.CO.ZA
Just trust the thrust ALWYN VILJOEN goes old school in the new Mustang with its 5-litre Barry White rumble I GOT into horses rather late in life — back in my mid-20s — and despite a riding style that was “all knees and elbows” according to one lady with prominent teeth, I spent many a happy weekend being the sweeper on horse safaris through a game park. You want a tough Boerperd-Arab cross for these rides, lean and fit like a marathon runner. What you don’t want is a stallion full of oats and a willingness to bite down on the bit and run for the other side of the horizon. I once had me one of those, a brute of a beast that only ran out of steam after traversing two ploughed fields and the fences that separated them. The new Mustang that Ford invited me to drive over the lovely passes between De Doorns and Montague in the Western Cape yesterday reminded me of that stallion, but not for the obvious reason. That stallion thought nothing of flying over furrows and the new Mustang similarly flew over the ruts left by grape trucks on the already bumpy R318. It’s all down to the suspension, which is where Ford, to my mind, now sets the benchmark, be it in the Ford Raptor doublecab bakkie with its rallyready shocks; or the Everest SUV with its Watts Linkage on the rear axle, or even the humble Figo, which handles curves with surprising aplomb. The new Mustang continues the good work. Despite having old school cross-axis joints and anti-roll bars it is — praise be — nothing like the abysmal pony cars from the ’80s, which were all show between lights, but no go around a corner. Those were one-trick ponies. The 2019 Mustang can do that trick and even boasts a drag race setting, but it also has settings for slippery roads and “normal” driving. You want to select the Sport setting, which turns on the new Mustang’s love for lots of twisties.
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The suspension under the 5-litre V8 Mustang can keep all the promises made by the muscled exterior. PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN Three models and two engines are available, two of which are fitted with Ford’s proven 10-speed automatic transmission while the third — the Bullitt — comes only with a six-speed “stick shift”, as the Yanks call a manual box. Now, most petrol heads want to change gears themselves, but really, you want that 10-speed auto in this pony. First, because only 50 individually numbered Bullits were brought to South Africa and are all spoken for; and second, because Ford’s 10-speed auto is just so much better at juggling the cogs than your reactions will ever be. It also adapts, scheduling shifts for different driving styles so that it stays in the right gear in most situations. For those rare moments where you want to drop a cog earlier to help brake for a corner, paddle-shifters behind the steering wheel give gearheads all the control they want. This being a family newspaper, we shall not dwell on the speeds the Mustang can do (and did). Instead, let’s dwell on how the Mustang feels on a twisty road when one tries to keep the needle pointing to, say, four o’clock. When you take the Mustang there, it does not hunker down like an F-Type, or GT-R. But neither does it get all tail happy like a 911 or S2000. It is not as nimble as Z4, a 350Z or 86. Instead, it gives an old school ride that inspires you to alternately trust in the thrust or hammer on the brakes as you take each
corner as fast as the open road allows. Old school means the front feels lighter as the speed climbs, but the automated blips the revs make as you gear down for the next apex remind that this is nostalgia with cutting edge tech. Driven thus, the Mustang feels alive and you start to understand why this icon on wheels is still America’s best selling sportscar (note, not vehicle, that spot going to Ford’s F150 bakkie). Ford’s 5,0-litre V8 engine now makes 331 kW (up from 309 kW) and 529 Nm. The more fuel-efficient 2,3-litre EcoBoost petrol engine makes 213 kW (down a bit on the 2016 model) and 441 Nm (up by 11 Nm). Despite a lower workrate in kilowatts, the revised engine delivers, thanks to an overboost function on the turbo that kicks in when you kick down, so too does on each up-shift. Most Mustang owners will run out of road long before they run out of power, be they in the 5-litre V8 or the 2,4-litre. This is when the new Active Valve Performance Exhaust technology comes in. It allows you to adjust what Ford calls the “intensity of the Mustang’s exhaust note”, in other words, where you give your ears a treat. But Ford also has a “Good Neighbour Mode” that can be programmed to limit the exhaust’s noise at set times to avoid disturbing the neighbours. Although ... if your neighbours complain about the Barry White rumble from that 5,0-litre V8, you should really
consider moving to a place with nicer people. For as Doreen Mashinini — general manager of marketing at Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA) — said, the passion for Mustang is stronger than ever, and few cars deliver such a combination of heritage, style and performance. Anyone who cannot appreciate this combo is an automotive Philistine who should hand in their driver’s licence. IT IS SAFER TOO The new Mustang comes with all the safety trimmings, from pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection to adaptive cruise control and distance alert technologies. There is even lane keeping aid. I doubt most muscle car riders will find use for this, but I made good use of some of it while sticking to speed limits on highways.
Inside, the Mustang is now all class. When the first model came out, I said it is like that partner every person should date at least once, gorgeous outside, and just a little cheap inside. The 2019 interior now fits the price tag. The leather-trimmed front seats heat up or cool down and adjust six ways. The rear seats, however, remain just for midgets. A 12-inch LCD instrument cluster changes displays to match the selected drive mode, just like in the Ford GT supercar. The dash can be programmed to display from piston head temperature to oil temperature. Ford’s SYNC3 communications and entertainment system connects on the move with voice commands, or by the passenger using pinch and swipe gestures on the central eight-inch touch screen. The system is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android AutoT. Embedded navigation is standard. The buyers can choose from three metallic paint colours — Kona Blue, Orange Fury and Velocity Blue. New 19inch alloy wheels come in several finishes, depending on model, along with 19”x9” Lustre Nickel-painted Forged Aluminium versions that are available as an option. All models have a fouryear or 120 000 km warranty and a sixyear or 90 000 km service plan with service intervals at 15 000 km. MUSTANG PRICING: 2.3 Fastback 10AT R768 000 2.3 Convertible 10AT R831 000 5.0 GT Fastback 10AT R915 800 5.0 GT Convertible 10AT R978 400 5.0 V8 Bullitt GT 6MT R995 400
Score with ‘W
heels’ Mustang fans ca n win either a: • leatherbound Ford Bullitt note book and pen, • light grey peak cap with Musta ng logo, • Ford Answer in which branded Thule pouch. 1968 movie did star? One entry th per reader. E-mai e Ford Mustang l your August 6 to alw yn.viljoen@witne answer by ss.co.za. Winners to be an nounced in the next Wheels.
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