Unveiled in sunny California on January 5th, 2005 the new generation Mustang’s topless sister finaly comes to light. Well almost, the weather in California is far from sunny as torrential rains have wreaked havoc on the region in the past week causing the typical mudslides you see on TV where mansions are sliding into a pit of muck.
Back on point, the long awaited convertible version of the Mustang comes to us with a new sense of purpose given by the virtues of its stouter platform. Because the new car does not share its underpinnings with other lesser cars FoMoCo was able to design it from the get-go with a convertible in mind. Less additional strength in the form of reinforcements was needed for the convertible and thus less weight added. Initial tests show that the amout of torque required to twist the chassis 1 degree has more than doubled. First reads on test drives have revealed that much of the previous car’s cowl shake is long behind in that muddy flood.
Of note is the new “Z” folding top that when folded down offers a much more attractive look. Almost nary of need for a separate tonneau cover, the lowered top shows the outer skin instead of the headliner. For convertible veterans you wont need to worry anymore about spilling Raisinetts and soda on your headliner when partying it up at the drive-in theater. Because of the new design, the top folds down in a much more compact area, offering a better level of space in the trunk too.
The rest of the car remains identical to the 2005 Mustang that began rolling off the line last September with the only mechanical exception being a suspension that comes in 15% softer in spring and shock settings, further enhancing the feeling of body stiffness. Word has not yet been given on pricing which is rumored to be approximately $3000-3500 more than the coupe.
Production starts at the end of January and cars begin arriving at dealers in early Spring. Hopefully by then, California will be sunny again and those washed out roads will be ready to accept America’s new fun-in-the-sun machine.
|
