Ford Mustang Review 2024 | Top Gear

Ha, like you need ask. It’s the Ford Mustang, of which more than 10 million have been sold since it galloped onto the scene in 1964. Yep, despite the demise of the Mondeo and Fiesta – and soon the Focus – the Mustang soldiers on, now in seventh-generation guise.

And that’s a Very Good Thing indeed. Just look at it. As before it’s available as a two-door coupe or convertible, while the formula is still big engine up front and all the power sent to the back wheels. Perfect.

Has anything actually changed over the old one?

Doesn’t look like it, does it? The front end is slightly more pinched thanks to narrower headlights and there’s some lairy new bonnet vents, while at the back it gets a cleaner design with the black decklid panel gone and fresher looking three-bar tail-lights. Think of this as evolution rather than revolution.

The cabin however has had a much bigger overhaul: the dashboard design has been tidied up and it now gets a dual screen setup complete with 12.4-inch instrument panel and 13.2-inch infotainment display. Tech galore.

An even bigger talking point in the cabin is the handbrake, which may look traditional but is actually electronic. Instead of just on and off, it has some tricks up its sleeve, including a drift mode which locks the back wheels. Find an empty car park and you’ll be a TikTok hero in no time.

But Ford has been careful not to upset the old school Mustang fans, and while there are plenty of other modcons in the cabin, you can also choose retro dials. Tasteful.

Phew. Does it still have a V8?

You bet. In fact, over here it’s 5.0-litre V8 or nothing, with the 2.3-litre 4cyl turbocharged Ecoboost not available to UK buyers.

There are two versions: first up is the GT, which outputs 440bhp and 398lb ft of torque. Then there’s the Dark Horse (think of it as a slightly more track-honed Mustang), which ups the power to 447bhp, and also gets additional goodies including a Tremec gearbox, limited-slip differential, and Magneride suspension.

It remains as old school as ever too, with not a hint of hybridisation or electrification in sight. Take that, fleet emissions targets. You can pair it with a six-speed manual or 10-speed auto gearbox.

How much is it going to cost me?

You’re looking at a starting price of £55,725, rising to £67,995 for the Dark Horse.

Rivals are… few and far between. And rapidly thinning out. The Jaguar F-Type is no longer in production, nor is the Audi TT. A Porsche Cayman maybe? That’s a different breed, mind, and also soon going electric. If a two-seater’s where your head’s at, what about a Toyota Supra or Alpine A110? In the other direction you’ve got the BMW M2, AMG CLA45 and Lexus RC F to think about.

So the Mustang is truly one of a kind. Even more reason to enjoy it, then.

The fact that the Ford Mustang still exists in a world of increasingly stringent CO2 restrictions is a reason for petrolheads to celebrate, even if this new one doesn’t drastically move the game on.

You could argue that Ford should’ve invested more time (and money) improving its dynamic ability, but the Mustang’s unique place in the European sphere has allowed it to coast merrily along, completely unbothered by whatever strides anything else is making. It’s a bit like the MX-5 in that respect. But with a lot more heft.

And it’s likely you’ll be too enamoured with that V8 to care anyway: it’s as unhinged as ever, and a suitable riposte to the myriad of hybrid these and plug-in that’s that’ve made the car landscape infinitely more complex and – in many cases – a lot duller.

Meanwhile the Mustang is as bedroom poster worthy as ever and the cabin is a big step up in quality, but Ford has erred by following everything else down the garden path to mass digitisation. That’s a pity, because in keeping the loveable V8 it had won half the battle already.