2024 Mustang GT, Speedy And Just The Right Amount Of Loud

Apart from the debut year for the Mustang II in 1974, at least one V8 engine has been part of the Mustang powertrain lineup for the other 58 of its 59 year history. That’s something that probably won’t change until at least late this decade. For the mostly, but not entirely new 2024 Mustang GT, we again have a 5.0-liter V8, the fourth major iteration of the Coyote that debuted in 2010. This latest edition features some of the most extensive changes we’ve seen yet and we got to try it out in California.

Unlike the Fox-body Mustang GTs of the late-1980s and early-1990s, the Mustang GTs of recent decades have had less stark visual differences from their less-powerful siblings. We already discussed the design changes made in going from the previous S550 generation to the new S650 in our first drive review of the turbocharged four-cylinder Mustang EcoBooost. Whether or not you approve of the new sheet metal will as always be a matter of personal taste. For me, it’s not my favorite Mustang, but at least you can still see out of it, unlike a Camaro.

Speaking of what you can see from the driver’s seat, I’ve yet to fall in love with the massive curved slab of glass that stretches from the left side of the dashboard across the center. If I want to drive a video game Mustang, I have a Playstation in my living room. Until I see sales results, I remain unconvinced that adding bigger screens with fancy animations powered by Unreal engine is going to attract millennials and gen-Z to the internal combustion Mustang.

We had the opportunity to drive a couple of different iterations of the 2024 Mustang GT, starting with a Grabber Blue convertible with a six-speed manual transmission in the morning. Yes, you read that right, a manual gearbox. About 30% of GT buyers opt for the three pedal pony car (with a higher percentage expected in the first year or so but trailing off). That gearbox is the same Getrag MT-82 used on the previous generation car.

The Coyote V8 retains its aluminum block and head architecture with dual overhead camshafts and four valves-per-cylinder. It also still has the dual port and direct injected fuel system to provide better drivability and cleaner emissisons across all conditions. The most fundamental change is to the intake system which now has dual electronic throttle bodies and dual air inlets in each front corner of the engine bay.

Standard power output is now 480-hp, 30-hp more than the old GT and 10-hp more than the outgoing Mach 1. Torque is down slightly at a still ample 415 lb-ft. Adding the performance package with its active valve exhaust system increases those numbers to 486-hp and 418 lb-ft. Peak power for each variant comes at 7,150 and 7,250 rpm respectively. For comparison, the 225-hp 5.0-liter V8 in the 1991 5.0 LX I bought when I graduated from college in 1990 came at 4,400 rpm and redlined at 6,000 rpm although it really started running out of breath at about 5,000 rpm where the Coyote is just getting warmed up and hitting its torque peak.

Heading out from Pasadena into the Angeles National Forest, we really got to stretch the Mustang GT’s legs a bit. Unlike the San Gabriel Canyon roads where we drove the EcoBoost, these roads had a bit more space between the curves. Like the EcoBoost convertible, the GT felt really solid with almost no noticeable chassis flex or cowl shake.

Despite the relatively high speed for peak torque, this Coyote remains very tractable across most of its rev range. In third gear, it was easy to hustle up and down the road from 40 mph on up to redline, with no need to shift. This allows for concentration on the curves. The convertible without the performance package (which is available) rolls on Continental all-season performance tires which don’t have the ultimate grip of the P-Zeros, but prove to be a very able tool for most drivers.

This combination communicates really well both audibly and by feel. Going deep into a corner, you can easily hear when the tires begin to slip and they are very progressive, never suddenly letting go. Gently backing off the throttle, puts a bit more weight on the front tires, helping them to turn in and stay on the line around the curve. The stiffer steering system also helps with transmitting information about what is going on at the road surface to your hands. This is a car with very high limits that isn’t inclined to bite back as long as you don’t do anything stupid.

The brakes are carried over from the prior generation and even without the performance pack, they are quite ample which is good for a car that weighs nearly 4,000 lbs. Given the size and weight of modern Mustangs, they make very good grand touring cruisers and surprisingly good sports cars. Driving down the road through the Angeles forest at a brisk pace, the standard brakes on the GT convertible never exhibited any signs of fading.

Later I took a GT fastback with the performance package and Recaro seats on another route out toward Malibu and some of the canyon roads in that area. Sadly, I never really got to exercise the Mustang properly on that loop thanks to LA area traffic which clogged things up even Mulholland and Topanga Canyon. The same Pirelli P-Zeros from the performance pack were on the EcoBoost I drove a day earlier and they exhibited plenty of grip as did six-piston Brembo brakes.

The active exhaust system does add noticeably to the visceral appeal of any V8 Mustang. The Recaro seats are exceptionally supportive as demonstrated on the autocross the previous day and if you plan to do autocrossing or track days, they are highly recommended. It does take a bit more effort to extricate yourself and the sport seats have limited adjustability, just fore-aft and seatback angle. If you don’t plan to exercise the Mustang as the engineers intended, the standard seats offer plenty of support and more comfort.

It’s no secret that Mustangs like all other cars have gotten more expensive. But as with the EcoBoost, the price in inflation adjusted terms has only increased modestly over the past three decades .When I bought my first 5.0LX in 1990, a GT convertible cost about $22,000 which equates to about $51,000 today. That old car didn’t have any ADAS, no ABS, traction or stability control, only one airbag and an AM/FM/cassette audio system. It also had less than half the power of a 2024 GT, inferior handling and brakes. The convertible I drove priced out to $58,000 and the fastback with the performance package came to $57,600. Given the difference in performance, features, refinement and generally superiority of the modern Mustangs, that extra $7,000 seems worthwhile. More judicious selection of options can get you into a GT with the performance package for under $50,000 making this modern iteration effectively cheaper in real terms than the Fox-body.