North Texas is one of the fastest growing areas in the United States. Centered around the Dallas/Fort-Worth Metroplex, the region sits on two ends of the geographic spectrum. Anchored by the urban sprawl of growing cities, but still retains some of backwoods, country full of nothing but cow farms and tumbleweeds to the north, the area has two sides of the scale. The Mustang can conquer both.
On a scorching summer afternoon with temperatures grazing the 110 mark, we hitched a ride with Liam and his 2015 Ford Mustang. The first year of the sixth generation Mustang, aptly dubbed the S550, we got a glimpse into what Ford envisioned its flagship pony car would turn out to be. Dig deep into the pages of the Mustang’s past and you will find a novel full of rich performance history. From the Shelbys to the outsourced Saleens, the Mustang sits front and center in car history. The S550 maintains it presence as such while simultaneously competing in the United States’ razor thin margin pony car footrace. Constantly pitted up against the Chevrolet Camaro and the Dodge Charger Hellcat, it’s set in one the world’s closest sports car segments. Everyone seems to have their own ideas on who comes out on top, Liam was gracious enough to try and help us to try and chase the ever-elusive question.
We were going to attack the challenge Mission Impossible style. Our mission should we choose to accept it (we did) was to go nowhere fast. All I had to hear was the word fast and I was in. We met in Plano, one of Dallas’ biggest suburbs. Flanking Plano are a slew of freeways: US-75, TX-121, and the Dallas North Tollway. We took our pick. As we made our way to TX-121 we got to hear the very first hint that my hairs were going to stand up throughout this entire trip. Rumbling behind me was Liam’s muffler delete which let all 435 horsepower sing a song that not even the world’s finest chorus was going to be able to replicate. Those 435 ponies come from the iconic 5.0 L V8 which Ford calls the Coyote. The Coyote powerplant also sends 400 ft-lbs of torque to the rear wheels- all of which we felt as we entered the freeway. Roaring onto the frontage road we set sights for McKinney and once we were on the highway we experienced each single gear of the Mustang’s 6-speed manual transmission. First and second feel like they were yanked straight out of a rocket ship. Proven by the Mustang’s 3.77:1 gearing ratio, we shot to 60 mph in just under 4.4 seconds.
Highway 121 for the stretch from Plano to McKinney is known as the Sam Rayburn Tollway, a mostly straight shot going northeast where it joins US-75 in McKinney. This long stretch of road wasn’t enough to verify the top speed of the electronically limited 160 mph which we tried to achieve in 5th gear however we got plenty of feel for highway driving at a supersonic rate. The first thing that jumps out at you is the drone from the exhaust. While the stock exhaust filters out sound very well, the absence of the mufflers was well and loudly pronounced. At 75 mph we recorded 109 dB coming into the cabin… earplugs strongly recommended.
As we cruised along the straight, we came to an abrupt conclusion… the Mustang is quick to get on its horse and go (no pun intended) from anywhere in the powerband. Punch it from 3,000 RPMs or idle, it’ll scoot out of any situation as solidified by the major grins on our faces when we figured that one out. Powering our excitement was the aforementioned 5.0 L V8 Coyote engine. A dual overhead cam design sets the Mustang apart from the other two musketeers, the Camaro and the Challenger. The Mustang’s motor is the smallest of the three, compared to the Camaro’s LT1 with 6.2 L and the Challenger’s 392 HEMI V8 which features a 6.2 L power factory as well. However, the lack of displacement doesn’t hinder the Mustang’s desire to run free in the quarter-mile, with a time of 11.97 seconds at 117.25 MPH.
As McKinney neared, we hit the backroads where we got to see the Mustang’s cornering abilities. We put it through its paces making U-turns, hitting curves at nearly Mach 1 (again, no pun intended), and trying to see exactly what the feisty horse really has in her. We saw every single yellow diamond road sign denoting a turn possible. Then Country Club Road pops out into our view. An even more curvy road?
“Well, since we’re here right?”
We shook our heads in quick agreement, there was no time to waste, the light was green. We needed to move, fast. Luckily we were in the perfect car. As the Coyote V8 roared down the country path, we rowed through all 6 gears to get a feel for the famous (or probably more infamous) MT-82 transmission. The gears felt notchy and firm, it made me feel like I was truly in charge of handling such a wild beast. The Mustang tried to show off its enormous 400 ft-lbs of torque with its tire yelped with a few shifts. Downshifts let the DOHC motor go to work with its crackles and pops as well as the high pitched screaming at high RPMs. Ah to sing such a beautiful song. The curvy roads also let us get settled into the optional Mustang Performance Pack on the 2015 models which came with Recaro racing bucket seats. We were watching the curves of the roads turn into straights while being hugged by suede and leather. Best seat in the house if you ask me.
While the road gets narrower and narrower, and becomes a little less… civilized- we’re faced with an choice which we decided on quite innately. Absolutely destroy every single shred of the car with gravel roads that your insurance company would hang up the phone and drop you before you even muttered the words, “raced Mustang on dirt road”… or do a 180 degree turn that Forza players couldn’t even imagine and haul this monster to the nearest Whataburger. I’ll take a #13 with a Dr. Pepper Shake please.
We tore butt down 121 again, this time getting a sense for how crazy the induction noises from the intake were. Woosh. The entire car for about 5 minutes was silent as we turned on our listening ears for the ever so harmonic tune of the Coyote gulping down as much air as it could.
As a sunny afternoon slowly turned into evening Dallas smog, turning the sky an amber hue, it was almost time to part ways with the car. Liam gets to drive this beast every day, something we wish we could say the same about. We drove one last time through heavy Frisco and Plano traffic where we could bask in the rumble of all 8 cylinders one more time. The Mustang has been and always will be a staple of the car world. Just as it was in 1966, it still is today, one of the most important vehicles to be built. The debate between the American 3 pony cars will probably continue as long as there are wheels on the road, but there certainly is no denying we’d catch a ride with Liam and his Mustang anytime.
