{"id":19986,"date":"2017-01-22T22:48:20","date_gmt":"2017-01-23T02:48:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=19986"},"modified":"2017-01-22T22:48:20","modified_gmt":"2017-01-23T02:48:20","slug":"ford-premieres-refreshed-2018-mustang","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2017\/01\/ford-premieres-refreshed-2018-mustang","title":{"rendered":"Ford premieres refreshed 2018 Mustang"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"636202548115271497-2017-0117-ctj-me-mustang-color052.jpg\"<\/p>\n<\/div>

Correction: The 2018 Ford Mustang is dropping the V-6 engine as an option for the first time since 1994. An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the time frame.<\/em><\/p>\n

Detroit –<\/em>\u00a0In a three-city simulcast anchored by Dwayne \u201cThe Rock\u201d Johnson, Ford introduced\u00a0<\/strong>an updated 2018 Mustang on Tuesday that gains performance and more advanced technology \u2013 but loses the option for a V-6 engine.<\/p>\n

The pony car gets standard LED lights and new front and rear fascias, accentuating its aggressive looks with a lower, vented hood. Inside, the Mustang adds a gorgeous 12-inch digital instrument display that can be customized to the driver\u2019s preference.<\/p>\n

A mid-cycle refresh, the \u201918 model makes no changes to the Mustang\u2019s chassis that was all-new for the 2015 model year.<\/p>\n

The Mustang was unveiled on Ford\u2019s stand in the middle of public days at the Detroit Auto Show \u2013 and in New York City\u2019s Hudson Mercantile and the Original Farmers Market in Los Angeles. The three press conferences simulcast a pre-recorded video featuring Johnson who surprised Purple Heart recipient Marlene Rodriguez with a 2018 Mustang and tickets to the premiere of his new \u201cBaywatch\u201d movie. Rodriguez, an Iraq War veteran and Johnson fan, was visibly overwhelmed.<\/p>\n

Like the 2018 Ford F-150 pickup unveiled during the media preview at the North American International Auto Show last week, the Mustang\u2019s engine lineup will now be mated to a quick-shifting, 10-speed automatic transmission. A 6-speed manual with twin-disc clutch is also available. F<\/strong>or the first time since the 1994 model year, the coupe will not be offered with a V-6 engine option.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think a few people will miss the V-6,\u201d says Mustang Engineering Manager Tom Barnes. \u201cBut the Ecoboost made the car quicker with better fuel economy, so there weren\u2019t many advantages left in the V-6.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 310-horsepower, turbocharged Ecoboost 2.3-liter inline-4 \u2014 introduced in 2015 \u2014 now makes up 40 percent of Mustang\u2019s global sales and will replace the outgoing 3.7-liter V-6 as the base engine. Ford says the V-6 has been the choice of 15-20 percent of customers. To help wean V-6 fans, the turbo-4\u2019s sound will be electronically enhanced. The muscle car\u2019s signature 5.0-liter V-8 will also be offered, its prehistoric growl enhanced by an active exhaust option.<\/p>\n

Ford took the wraps off its refreshed Mustang with the help of Dwayne \u201cThe Rock\u201d Johnson.<\/p>\n

Mustang invented the pony car segment in 1965 and underwent major design and drivetrain upgrades to celebrate its 50th anniversary three years ago. The 2015 edition got an independent rear suspension, turbocharged engine option and underwent extreme plastic surgery to bring it in line with the Ford family\u2019s car design theme.<\/p>\n

The new pony flew out of showrooms, outselling its muscle-car rivals \u2014 Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger \u2014 by wide margins the last two years. With the 2018 car, Ford hopes to sustain the momentum.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople loved the new car, but they wanted it louder. So we amped it up,\u201d says Barnes. \u201cThey would say we want it to be more modern, more connected. So that\u2019s where we did the digital cluster. We\u2019re in the muscle-car segment but our customers are still changing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 2018 model also gets digital novelties like auto high beams, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity, and pre-collision assist. While the base Mustang still features the traditional 4.2-inch analog instrument gauge, the available 12-inch digital cluster (shared with the Lincoln Continental) can be configured in NORMAL, SPORT or TRACK modes.<\/p>\n

The high-tech cluster is part of a flurry of appearance upgrades that include smokier chrome finishes in the cockpit, new carbon-fiber trims, 10 new wheel choices and three new skin colors.<\/p>\n

\u201cDesign is the No. 1 reason our customers purchase Mustang,\u201d says exterior designer Melvin Betancourt.<\/p>\n

But the oily bits get plenty of attention, too. The 10-speed transmission, co-developed with GM and capable of Porsche 911-like 300-millisecond shifts, will enhance performance as well as fuel economy.<\/p>\n

Mating it to the 435-horse V-8 required updated half shafts in the rear. The big V-8 also pairs port fuel injection with direct injection for better efficiency. And the beast can ride on optional magnetic shocks for a smoother gallop.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe always aim for a daily driver with the right balance,\u201d says Barnes. \u201cThe looks have got to be great, the sounds have got to be great, the go has got to be great. It has to attainable, but it\u2019s not one-dimensional.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mustang now carries the Ford flag to 146 countries with 40 percent of its buyers millennials. Ford says the turbo-4 has helped reach a new, younger generation of buyers \u2014 but the muscle-car attraction is the same as previous years.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve done a lot of market research in China, Austria and Europe. In essence, we see the common themes everywhere,\u201d says Barnes. \u201cOur customers want to have an emotional reaction when they are driving. A lot of people like the Ecoboost \u2014 it\u2019s a fast car but it\u2019s not a gas pig. They can have their cake and eat it, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

With sultry styling and drivetrain capabilities found in BMW and Audi coupes priced thousands of dollars higher, Ford has positioned the Mustang as an international athlete.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new Mustang is one of the iconic sports car in America, and now the world,\u201d says Joe Hinrichs, Ford president of the Americas. The 2018 will go on sale this fall.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Correction: The 2018 Ford Mustang is dropping the V-6 engine as an option for the first time since 1994. An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the time frame. Detroit –\u00a0In a three-city simulcast anchored by Dwayne \u201cThe Rock\u201d Johnson, Ford introduced\u00a0an updated 2018 Mustang on Tuesday that gains performance and more advanced technology […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19986"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19986"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19986\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19987,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19986\/revisions\/19987"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19986"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19986"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19986"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}