If you've already checked out our Mustang coverage and visited the car's website — the2010mustang.com — and still can't get enough of the updated muscle car, then tune into "Knight Rider" on NBC tonight, as Ford is saying the new Mustang will make an appearance. All I know is that after seeing the mangling the Shelby GT500KR has endured to become KITT — have you seen those tubes protruding from its hood? — I long for the original Trans Am.
Ford's been trying to build buzz about the 2010 Mustang by distributing teaser shots of the muscle car, but we got to see it in person on the eve of the Los Angeles auto show last night. If you've already seen some full shots of the car, you might be thinking to yourself: "That's the new Mustang? It looks a lot like the current one." Indeed it does, but the 2010 version, which hits dealerships in spring 2009 with a starting price of $21,845, receives numerous tweaks inside and out.
Interestingly, the changes to the 2010 Mustang's exterior make it lose some of its retro feel, giving it a more modern look. The grille on the new car looks scrunched compared to the old one — kind of like someone sat on the hood — and the bumper has been restyled, too. The restyling is even more noticeable around back, where the new LED taillights have a more interesting design than the rectangular ones on the current car.
Ford has done it again. Like the latest reimagining of the Ford Focus, the company has kept almost everything mechanical about the 2009 Mustang intact and created a new, stylized exterior and an improved interior. It’s a smart business move, and the looks are still striking. However, we don’t expect the 2010 version to drive a whole lot differently than the 2009.
That’s because Ford says it has taken the improvements it made to last year’s Bullit special edition — with its tweaked exhaust, suspension and other bits — and made it the basis for the 2010 Mustang. Ford says it has also added more sound-deadening for a quieter ride and moved the radio antenna to the rear so it creates less wind noise. We’re happier to see the addition of standard stability control and seat-mounted side airbags.
Inside, the Mustang’s interior gets improved materials and a new center stack of controls. The style, however, remains thoroughly retro, like the previous model. Still, Ford made a major leap with the Focus’ interior, and that should translate here as well.
Overall, the exterior is different enough to stand out, but it sure doesn’t overwhelm us, like the new designs Chevy and Dodge gave us with the new Camaro and Challenger, respectively. Many more photos below.
In the three-way muscle-car battle royale, the Ford Mustang has continuously reigned since its update in 2005. How long it will hold that mantle (especially with a new Camaro on the way next year) will depend on Ford's 2010 redesign. With this update looming, Cars.com decided it was time to get in one last review of the current Mustang, especially since the last one was in 2005. Did the Mustang remain a step ahead of the Dodge Challenger and Chevy Camaro? Cars.com reviewer Mike Hanley put the famous pony to the test. Read his full review below.
2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Forget all your misconceptions about diesel cars, the Jetta TDI is a diesel that’s as clean as a gas engine, Joe Wiesenfelder says.
2009 Hyundai Elantra: If you want a car with cargo room but an SUV is just too big for you, Bill Jackson says you should consider the Elantra Touring, a hatchback with good ride quality.
2009 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG: Based on the entry-level C-Class, the C63 has an aggressive-looking exterior that’s backed by a 6.2-liter V-8 engine, Mike Hanley says.
2009 Ford Mustang: Mike takes a look at the last year of the current Mustang. It has an optional glass roof on some trims and offers modern styling cues that mix well with this Ford’s retro look.
View and share all of Cars.com’s videos via YouTube.
Last month, we brought you some images Ford released to tease its Mustang faithful. Today, the company released a more revealing picture of the new muscle car’s dashboard. Compared to the current Mustang, the 2010 sports a new steering wheel, redesigned gauges and center vents. The top of the dashboard seems almost identical in shape, but below the center vents there’s a noticeable new shape, presumably to make room for a new center stack of controls. Check out the current dash and this new one side by side, below.
What do we learn from the images below? Not much. But the new wheels look nice.
If you can’t wait the 96 days and 12 hours or so until the official unveiling of the 2010 Ford Mustang, check out Ford’s new site dedicated to the countdown. I guess this doesn’t really help shorten the wait; actually the big countdown clock kind of makes me more nervous than excited.
Regardless, check out the site and sign up for updates if you want to guarantee that any information will be passed on to you. Or you can just count on our RSS feed since we’re pretty dialed into these kinds of things.
You can also sign up for a contest to win a 2010 Mustang on the site. OK, so there is a reason to check it out.
Talk about a contradiction in terms.
Imagine hammering down on the pedal of your Ford Mustang and roaring from 0-60 in 3.9 seconds like you're Steve McQueen on steroids … all with a silent, environmentally-friendly electric engine emitting zero rude, unruly carbon emissions.
That's the idea behind the Tjaarda EVX Mustang and the HST Shelby Cobra EVX, both zero-emissions vehicles based on their gasoline-powered muscle car counterparts. It's important to note that both of these are custom cars (the Mustang runs at $80,000 and the Cobra will cost you $120,000), so don't get too excited. Still, an 8-hour charge to a lithium-ion battery pack that will cost you roughly three cents per mile seems like a decent price.
I have only one concern: Isn't a car that can accelerate from 0-60 in under four seconds without making a peep—I don't know—fairly freaking dangerous?
HST International All-Electric Mustang and Shelby Cobra (Motor Authority via Jalopnik)
If you watched the recent made-for-TV remake of “Knight Rider” and came through it still awake and intrigued by the campy concept of a driverless car, you can rejoice. NBC has given the green light for a full-fledged series. Despite the wooden acting, Val Kilmer’s boring monotone, the ridiculous plot, and the holes in said plot you could drive a semi-truck through, the ratings for the movie were quite good.
The writers’ strike and subsequent dearth of original TV might have led to those ratings. And, yes, this story was first reported yesterday. It is not an April Fool’s joke.
Knight Rider given green light (TV.com)
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