By Jason middlebrooks/ campus editor
The new Ford Mustang has met backlash from fans left and right.
The 2018 model received a mid-cycle facelift, which consists of a lowered front fascia and an overall sleeker design from 2015-2017 models. Fans have compared the new design to exotic vehicles such as Lamborghini, Porsche and Ferrari.
Although Ford said the current generation of the sports car was not designed to go global, it begs the question. Why did Ford take this step?
The selling point of the Mustang going global was to sell a piece of Americana to fans outside the U.S., but the vehicle still has to compete with its rivals outside North America. The Nissan GT-R and the BMW i8 both have a drag coefficient of 0.26 while the current-generation Mustang sits at 0.32.
Its North American rival, the Chevrolet Camaro, has better numbers at 0.29. The lowered front fascia will improve those numbers.
The new design language is also a plus. Fans felt the sleeker design took away from the Mustang’s traditional muscle car look. It’s still there. It still retains the traditional large-bodied and menacing look of a muscle car. The sleek design will attract consumers of exotic cars in the global market.
This is what the global Mustang needs; it has to sell to remain on the global market. Along with eliminating the option of a six-cylinder motor, the engine options for the 2018 model are the 2.3-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost motor and 5.0-liter V8. These options give the global consumers two clear choices: the traditional American V8 or the economic but still quick four-cylinder.
This is what fans should want: a quicker, competitive muscle car that can truly stand with the exotic brands, an affordable sports coupe that can potentially take on a super car with ease.
After all, the Mustang was marketed in 1964 as an affordable alternative to the Chevrolet Corvette.
