By Andrew Ganz
Wednesday, Jan 27th, 2010 @ 1:40 pm

Man, talk about bad timing. Just days after the Leftlane garage scheduled time to sample a 2010 Ford Mustang GT swathed in wow-look-at-me Grabber Blue paint, the Blue Oval crew officially announced that the 2011 ‘Stang would get a Camaro-challenging 412 horsepower, 390 lb-ft. 5.0-liter V8.
We haven’t driven the 2011, but we’ve poked around under the hood, slapped the new six-speed stick through the gears and quizzed Ford ’s engineers; the five-oh Coyote will unquestionably be one hell of a powertrain when it reaches production later this year. Sure, it doesn’t top the Camaro’s 426 horsepower or 420 lb-ft., but the 2011 Mustang weighs a comparatively lithe 3,600 lbs., giving it a power-to-weight edge.

So it was with some trepidation that we accepted the keys to our 4.6-liter 2010 Mustang GT test car. The evergreen modular V8 is nearing its 20 year anniversary, and while it got a modest pony upgrade for 2010, the reborn Camaro is clearly the spec sheet champion in the pony car class – for now.

Still, a shiny blue, refreshed-for-2010 Mustang beckoned, so we settled into the redesigned interior and made a nostalgic journey through all five forward gears. It’s kind of like going out on a date with a cute librarian tonight when Eva Longoria is coming over for dinner tomorrow.

Solid bones
While next year’s car gets a new engine and transmission, the basic Mustang refresh that debuted about a year ago as a very early 2010 model essentially carries over – and that’s no bad thing.

When this platform arrived for 2005, Ford took a decidedly retro approach. Stylistically, the then-fresh look clearly emulated the groundbreaking first generation Mustang fastbacks. For 2010, Ford updated the Mustang with a snarling front fascia and trick tail lamps designed to make us recall the 1969′s design language. The nose is tighter and visually lower, while the head lamps take on a pair of inset orange turn signals. Out back, the tail lamps are more heavily styled and the rear bumper and trunk lid jut out more. Mercifully, Ford has shrunk both the size and the availability of the rear spoiler; previous spoilers added nothing to the Mustang’s style.

A year after it first hit showrooms, the Mustang continues to draw stares. Our tester didn’t garner near the attention of the more daring Camaro, but the Grabber Blue paint scheme received plenty compliments and thumbs up (for once, that was the only extended finger we saw all week).

When the Mustang first got its current underpinnings back in 2005, the retro-styled interior was less-than-impressive. It combined rock hard plastics with mid-1990s-style Ford switchgear to create an atmosphere about as inviting as a Soviet checkpoint. The 2005 Mustang was a looker on the outside only.

For 2010, Ford kept the same basic dual cowl theme insie but added in soft touch materials and higher quality controls for the center stack. The look isn’t as imaginative as the Camaro, but it’s screwed together with nicer materials and it’s way more convenient to use. Only a tricky-to-open center console lid and some laughably cheap plastic on the tops of the door panels really let the Mustang down inside.

Unlike the Camaro, the Mustang makes a genuinely comfortable daily driver. Visibility is good for a low-slung sports coupe and the seating position is more like “shallow bowl†than the Camaro’s “deep hot tub.†Throw in the redesigned and firmly supportive front seats and the Mustang makes a perfectly acceptable daily driver for those who don’t need space for more than one copilot.

The Mod Squad
Without a doubt, the Mustang GT is down on torque and power compared to its rivals. But if you absolutely must buy a sports car with a V8 today, we won’t talk you out of this one. The 2010 Mustang is the final swan song for this powertrain – well, you can keep buying a detuned, two-valve 4.6 in the Mercury Grand Marquis, Ford’s rear-drive hot rod sedan offering.

The 4.6-liter three-valve unit in the Mustang is smooth and sonorous thanks to a trick tube that pipes intake noise into the cabin, and while it won’t provide the rush of performance found in the Camaro, the Mustang is still plenty quick. Moreover, it’s a genuine pleasure to drive thanks to the re-engineered five-speed manual transmission. Clutch takeup was predictable and sufficiently light for traffic driving, while the transmission itself was much improved over previous Mustangs. It’s not quite as “snick-snick†smooth as a more dedicated sports car, but it suits the Mustang’s more brutish character.

But it ain’t 412 horsepower and it doesn’t have six speeds.

It also won’t outrun a Camaro, but it’s way more fun to drive in the twisties. The Mustang weighs in at about 3,533 lbs, about 300 shy of that dastardly Camaro, but the difference felt even greater. With precise steering and a well-damped but firm ride, the Mustang was positively a blast to throw through the corners. It exhibited predictable but tossable handling and almost never reminded us that it uses a solid rear axle out back. On the highway, our media test car had some excessive gear whine, but that was probably attributable to 9,000 miles of hard driving by our fellow auto scribes.

Leftlane’s bottom line
Buy a Mustang GT today and we promise you’ll be happy – just don’t read our review of the 2011 model. And, for that matter, skip our review of the 2011 Mustang V6, since it offers just about as much power and torque with better fuel economy than the current GT.

We can only imagine what these new powertrains will do for the Mustang. The basic platform is darn near perfect for a modern day ponycar, and it’s one we’ll take over the Camaro for anything other than a straight-line acceleration challenge.

Our only question: Why didn’t the 2010 Mustang get the new powertrain? This isn’t the first time Ford has launched an “almost there” car only to follow it up the next year with something even better.

2010 Ford Mustang GT Premium base price, $30,995. As tested, $33,830.
Rapid Spec 401A, $395; 19-inch alloy wheels, $1,095; 3.73 rear axle, $495; Destination, $850.

Words and photos by Andrew Ganz.

Special thanks to the Cavanaugh Flight Museum for letting our Mustang mingle with their Republic F-105F Thunderchief, one of the many amazing aircraft on display. Contact them at 972-380-8800.

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