THE fact I am an inner-city dwelling cyclist with a beard is sufficient evidence I am not the biggest “car guy”.
Before I left Townsville for the hustle and bustle of Sydney, I swapped my vehicle for pedal power and didn’t look back.
But with a shiny Ford Mustang convertible before my eyes, my inner-man convinced me it would be a good idea to reconsider.
The exterior of the vehicle is sexy — I know because a lovely female stranger told me while I was pulling out of a car park and I had to agree.
For me, it was the tiny details of the design that impressed the most.
Things like the beastly front grill and the fact the lights at the back and front had been sleekly divided into three rows.
When I unlocked the door and sat inside, I realised the technology in cars has come a long way from the vehicles I drove.
It’s not that I haven’t driven for decades, it’s more to do with the fact I have never driven a car made after 2007.
So for me, this was like steeping into a time machine and blasting into the future.
The Mustang had me feeling like I was sitting inside a fighter jet.
On the illuminated dashboard were toggle switches and an ignition button, while the identical front bucket seats give for a real cockpit vibe.
Toggle switches and an ignition button. This is not like the cars I am used to.
The aviation theme extends to the speedometer, which is labelled as “ground speed” and another nice touch is the fact RPM has been written as “revolutions per minute”.
While not integrated with the forthcoming voice activation system SYNC 3 — expected roll out with Ford’s cars later this year — the vehicle came standard with the second-generation edition of the hi-tech dashboard infotainment system.
Powered by Microsoft technology, the Sync screen is broken up into four areas and can easily be switched between media and navigation.
The load times are impressive, with only minor lag following some commands.
In terms of audio, the Sync 2 system allows AM/FM radio, digital radio, audio and USB input or Bluetooth connectivity.
For someone who was happy to upgrade his tape deck to a CD player, this was big news.
Voice commands can also be used to control the system, as long as you remember the specifics.
The navigation system is very accurate with distance and time estimates and also offers traffic warnings when congestion is expected.
So much better lugging around a heavy street directory.
While SYNC 2 has copped criticism for being confusing, as someone stepping out of the dark ages of motoring, I found it easy enough to navigate and can’t wait to see what Ford has in store next.
The vehicle also has a reversing camera, which is a whole new world of driving for me.
While I can ultimately see the benefits, I found it a little daunting to use — especially when under pressure from oncoming traffic.
A look inside the hi-tech Ford Mustang.
The keyless entry is also badass and doesn’t even require you to push a button.
Sensing the dongle, the car automatically unlocks when you touch the handle — great unless you are not used to feature and check to see if the door is locked and keep wondering why the car door is opening.
In terms of what’s beneath the bonnet, the Mustang has a punchy little motor but could be considered underpowered for such a revered sport car.
The 2.4 litre inline 4-cylinder turbocharged engine produces 231 kilowatts at 5500rpm, with 434 nm of torque available between 2500-4500rpm.
This biggest change to the current gen Mustang comes underneath the car with an independent rear suspension and modified front suspension.
This has been designed to make the vehicle more stable, but purists might feel the vehicle has been over-engineered.
While Paddle shift auto gearboxes make for easy driving, fans of the original sports car will miss the feeling of the old fashioned stick shift.
In my thoughts, what you have is a totally new kind of “sexy” mustang.
It’s no longer the stripped down, rough and ready excitement machine it was — now it’s a more refined, new-age sexy, which brings a hi-tech approach to making the driver feel as comfortable as possible while driving around an icon of American motoring.
As for me, I have a new appreciation for motoring after learning just how connected modern vehicles are.
Even though I was only lucky enough to drive a Mustang, I am aware most modern cars now have this technlolgy as standard and I am impressed.
I will now be closely following the future of technology in the industry and holding out for driverless cars to hit the roads around 2020.
And for those impressed by the car after reading this, the good news is Ford has announced 2000 extra Mustangs are heading to Australian shores.
Continue the conversation on Twitter @mattydunn11
The Mustang was supplied to Matthew Dunn by Ford Australia.
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