COVER New Ford Mustang

Aggressive styling for ‘las

● 5.0-litre V8 under bonnet ● Dash features twin screens

SeanCarson

sean _ carson@autovia.co.uk

THE world is running short of sports cars, let alone those powered by pure combustion, but Ford still believes there’s a place for this type of vehicle, so has invested in an all-new Mustang, which is hotly tipped to be the last generation of the car to feature petrol power.

Revealed at last week’s Detroit Motor Show, the world’s best-selling sports coupé has an evolutionary exterior look and upgraded V8 and four-cylinder engines under the bonnet, plus a cabin with much greater in-car technology.

Available as a coupé and a convertible, the new Mustang has LED headlights (which are slimmer than on the previous car) hooded by an aggressive bonnet, dual air intakes in the front grille to improve performance, and aggressive 19-inch multispoke alloy wheels that hide Brembo brakes, included as part of a standard-fit Performance Pack. At the rear the extended deck houses sharper-looking light clusters.

Inside, Ford has done away with the previous car’s ‘double-brow’ dashboard in favour of a pair of screens. A customisable 12.4-inch digital instrument display is joined by a 13.2-inch central screen running Ford’s SYNC 4 infotainment set-up.

“We’re taking advantage of every pixel, ” says Craig Sandvig, the car’s Interaction Design Manager. “We can be creative in showing driving information and give the driver control of selecting colours, classic gauges or a screen with minimal details. ”

The result is what is described as the most digital Mustang ever, with no physical

OFFICIAL

buttons for the heating and ventilation, although there is a stereo volume knob.

Ford hasn’t outlined specific output figures for the next-generation 5.0-litre V8 that will power the more potent Mustangs, beyond saying that it is stronger than the unit it replaces. It’s believed to produce around 480bhp and 500Nm – although this has already been ramped up to 500bhp for the track-focused Dark Horse edition that’s accompanying the new model’s launch.

The new car is available with either a sixspeed manual transmission or a 10-speed automatic, with both gearboxes sending drive to the rear wheels. A rev-matching function for the six-speed manual car is standard on Mustang GT models.

There are six customisable driving modes available – Normal, Sport, Slippery, Drag, Track and an Individual setting – and the new Mustang is said to feature a more responsive chassis along with a faster steering ratio.

The car is confirmed for right-handdrive production, although there’s no word yet on UK sales or prices. PUNCHY

Although power figures have yet to be released, the Mustang will be more powerful than its predecessor

Renault EV concept pays homage to 5 Turbo

RENAULT is gearing up for next month’s Paris motor show by teasing a brutallooking concept that’s likely to celebrate the extreme 5 Turbo from the eighties.

The French brand has already confirmed that it will launch a reborn ‘Supercinq’ in 2024, using electric power. But it appears to be preparing a wider, meaner-looking creation that could be a tribute to the old 5 Turbo. The mid-engined model was developed for motorsport and first introduced back in 1980.

The 5 Turbo enjoyed its best successes on rally stages, but the concept’s wider wheelarches and huge rear wing, visible even in Renault’s shady teaser images, look more closely in tune with the Superproduction circuit-racing version of the 5 Turbo; it could be that the show car will highlight that vehicle, which made its track debut 35 years ago.

At the front we can see the typically bluff front end of the 5, this time incorporating a full-width lightbar and two pairs of fog lights further down. Renault says the car will be fully electric, so the front grille is likely to be flush and smaller in size.

The powertrain could feature the 52kWh battery that’s destined for the 5 EV road car – or it could use the 60kWh unit found in the recently unveiled Alpine A110 E-ternité concept, along with a rear-motor set-up producing 239bhp and 300Nm of torque.