The Right Spec: 2024 Ford Mustang

We walk into this Right Spec knowing it’ll likely cause a decent amount of discussion and perhaps some effigies to be set alight. The venerable Mustang is new for 2024, becoming the last man standing from Detroit after the Challenger and Camaro shuffle off this mortal coil.

Skipping right over the $30,920 EcoBoost fastback, we land at the feet of a $42,495 GT trim powered by a hairy chested V8 engine the way nature and Henry Ford intended. Blithering masculinity aside, your author realizes the four-banger belts out roughly 315 horsepower for this year, a healthy number and leagues ahead of the Fox-bodied cars so desired as a teenager. The near-500hp V8 is selected, in my addled brain, for its soundtrack and – let’s be honest – image it projects.

Here's where the effigies come into play. Ford’s generally excellent ten-speed automatic commands $1,595 and removes the mythical third pedal from the driver’s footwell; this makes it, in ancient times, an easy choice to dismiss. However, the auto ‘box can crack off shifts with alacrity (better and faster than 90 percent of people reading this – like it or not – including me), is a better play toy for lairy launch control, and wins the fuel economy argument. We’ll let you slug this one out in the comments.

The $4,995 GT Performance package should be considered required reading. It comes with a Torsen rear diff, extra bracing, Brembo-branded brakes, better wheels, unique suspension tuning, and its own rear wing. We don’t need to tell you what the ‘electric hand operated parking brake’ is for. Note well: those Brembos are available on their own in conjunction with a cheaper package for about half the cheddar of the Performance package. A $1,225 active valve exhaust makes my list because I’m extroverted and like to annoy the neighbors.

If your eyes can weather it, and I’m not sure mine can, the standard GT comes with the asinine interior design choice of plunking two tablets on the dashboard – one for gauges and one for infotainment. It looks like a cheap dual-monitor setup at Dunder Mifflin and irritates me greatly. The $47,015 GT Premium fixes this issue by blending the two screens together to make one massive horizonal tombstone. I’d happily pay the extra five grand just for this. Keep in mind the Performance package and Active Valve exhaust are still extra on the GT Premium.

So equipped, a GT is around 50 large while a GT Premium is roughly $55k. If you’re wondering, a Dark Horse – which comes equipped with most of those goodies plus a few extra horses – checks in at $60,865.

[Images: Ford]

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