2011 Ford Mustang GT Review

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Every time I drive a Mustang, I’m astounded to see how this soon-to-be-50-year-old model continues to win over American muscle car enthusiasts, young and not so young drivers who all seem to worship at the same altar.

In 2011, the Mustang GT still remains an American automotive icon. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com)

The success of this car is not attributable to a modern, refined design nor sophisticated technologies. Qualities that define cars like the Hyundai Genesis 3.8GT coupe, for instance.

No, the Mustang’s success comes from a generous dollop of retro flair that tugs at the nostalgic heartstrings of the buyer, into which new features are occasionally injected, but not too many at a time. Ford is evidently trying to draw things out as long as possible.

A Mustang that looks like a Mustang
Take the 2011 Mustang GT, for instance. From the outside, anyone would mistake it for any other Mustang from 2005 and up. A Martian making a brief pit stop on Earth would even take it for a 1960s Fastback.

But back in the day, the Mustang Fastback may have been a tad more “affordable.” Yes, its descendant, whose price tag verges on $40,000, is definitely targeting the well-off middle class.

But that hasn’t kept Ford from imbuing its new GT with a little originality. And while the new features are discrete, they’re undeniably important. For the price of a 2010 model, the 2011 iteration has finally made it into the 400-hp clique.

A new 5.0-litre V8 engine unleashes 412 ponies and allows this Ford to come between its two traditional rivals, the Chevrolet Camaro SS (426 hp) and the Dodge Challenger SRT8 (425 hp).

The former model, powered by a 4.6-litre, 315-hp V8, put it in the Genesis category with its 306-hp V6. But today is a new day, and the Mustang GT has reclaimed its place amid the Holy Trinity of American Pony Cars.