Ford Mustang Convertible (2010)

Front rear fenders feature taut, sculptured wheel flares, like a tight skin stretched over the wheels. A classic spear character line on the doors leads to a modern indication of "hip" rear fenders. "It helps give the car aggressive, forward direction, like it's ready to jump," said Doug Gaffka, Ford Mustang chief designer.

The rear end design features aggressively angled rear corners, a sculptured decklid and prominent rear badge. A rear-view camera incorporated into the spoiler is available on some models.

A notable new tail lamp design features three LED bulbs firing sequentially from the inside for turn indication. The sequential bulbs were a distinct Ford Mustang feature in the '60s and comeback to the 2010 for the first time since then. Locating the reverse lamps vertically creates a modern version of the Ford classic three-lens taillamp.

The best of new, heritage

Cleverly combining modern technology with Ford Mustang heritage is a signature of the 2010 model, in terms of both design and engineering.

"All of the Bullitt elements are the base foundation of the GT," said Randle, noting engine and chassis improvements. "We also applied some improvements gained from Ford Mustang racing. We're learning constantly and always giving that to the customer on the base car."

The wheel-and-tire combinations are 1 inch bigger across the board, ranging from 17 to 19 inches, which helps improve handling and braking. The shocks have been retuned on all models as well.

"We adjusted the springs, stabilizer bars and shocks to better balance the ride, steering and handling for all models, which results in a more engaging driving experience," adds Mustang Vehicle Engineering manager Tom Barnes. "The 2010 Mustangs feel more controlled for steering and handling, yet retain a good ride balance."

The 2010 Ford Mustang 4.6-liter V8 benefits from innovations from the popular Ford Mustang Bullitt model. Power has increased to 315 horsepower.

"It runs on regular gasoline, but if you put in premium it has adaptive calibration that will give you even better mid-range torque," Barnes said, adding that Easy Fuel™, Ford's innovative capless fuel system, is standard on all models.

"It's an upgrade to the most-robust, most-accessorized engine in the marketplace today," Randle added. "No one has the reliability, no one has the upgraded options. This is a fantastic engine, proven on the race track, the drag strip and on the highway."

AdvanceTrac™ Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is now standard and complements Mustang's all-speed traction control and anti-lock braking system (ABS).

"It gives a driver a little more confidence that in any type of condition the car will maintain what they want it to do," Barnes said. "The 2010 Ford Mustang improves ride quality and maintains world-class steering and handling."

In addition to all of the design and driving dynamics improvements, the 2010 Ford Mustang is engineered to maintain its top government safety ratings. Standard safety equipment includes: dual stage front driver and passenger air bags; front seat-mounted side air bags; and, Ford's Personal Safety System.

Interior leads in design, materials, content and comfort

Like the exterior, the interior design is all new with world-class materials and execution.

The powerful new one-piece instrument panel design is crafted in seamless soft-touch TPO (Thermoplastic Olefin) skin fully encompassing available genuine aluminum-finish panels. Mustang's chromed-ringed gauges and dual-vane air register vents are precisely crafted and positioned.

"That's the difference between good enough and exceptional," said Gary Morales, Interior Design manager. "We wouldn't accept anything less than leadership design and world-class craftsmanship."

The instrument panel and console flow as one shape, another strong connection to Ford Mustang heritage. The seats and arm rests have softer materials with high-quality stitching.

The new center stack design adds the latest version of Ford SYNC™, with new features 911 Assist and Vehicle Health Report. Drivers also can customize their ambient and instrument lighting through the My Color™ system, which features 125 color options.

"The centerstack is quite progressive. The electronic finish panel containing the audio and climate control buttons and knobs are integrated into the finish panel," said Kim Zielinski, Mustang Instrument Panel engineer, 2010 Mustang. "I believe the customers will really like the new look."

In addition to the improvements in technology and comfort, drivers will notice a quieter ride. "It's much more vault-like," Barnes said. "But we maintained the signature Ford Mustang sound."

The upgraded instrument panel along with new sound deadeners added to select areas helped improve interior quietness, especially at high speeds or on rough roads. All the better to hear that famous Ford Mustang roar.

With a completely redone exterior that echoes the classic Mustang designs of the past, an interior featuring world-class materials, numerous technology upgrades and an improved driving experience, the 2010 Ford Mustang is poised to become the latest classic in the proud line of Ford's iconic American muscle car.

"The 2010 Mustang is drop-dead gorgeous," Randle said. "This car marks the best efforts of 45 years of passion and enthusiasm among the best designers, engineers and manufacturing experts in the business, and we can't wait for everyone to see it and start driving it."

The 2010 Ford Mustang will be built at the Auto Alliance International Plant in Flat Rock, Mich.

2010 FORD MUSTANG: MORE MUSCULAR, MODERN

More muscle. More motion. More Mustang. All of that comes standard on Ford's 2010 Mustang - which reflects a new design inside and out.

"Leaders lead, and that's what we continue to do with this American icon," said J Mays, group vice president of Design. "The 2010 is a Mustang true to its bloodline, with impeccable proportions, honest shapes and beautiful surface language. It executes the best of Ford Mustang in a dramatic and modern way."

The Ford Mustang design team, led by Chief Designer Doug Gaffka and Design Manager George Saridakis, referenced classic Mustang design cues and developed a thoroughly modern interpretation, giving more "muscle" to the iconic car. The result is a more athletic-looking Ford Mustang with continuous, flowing lines emanating from highly sculpted surfaces.

This Pony is One Sinewy Steed

Look no further than Mustang's signature pony badge for the essence of the 2010 design. The badge, which is larger and more chiseled, sits proudly in the upper grille.

"Everything we tried to do with this car's new exterior design is represented in the new pony," said Gaffka. "It tells the whole story. It's athletic, aggressive and modern."

From the V6 to the Shelby GT500, the goal was to make each model appear even more sculpted than its predecessor. The result is a lineup of iconic cars that maintain their identity in a contemporary way. Each classic design element - the grille shape, the "hockey stick,' the hop up into the rear haunch, the quarter-glass window, the three-bar tail lamp, the center-mounted gas cap - is modernized in a way that lends the new car even more presence and character.

The aggressive look is enhanced by larger grille openings flanked by slimmer headlamps, which now incorporate integrated turn indicators.

"Modern styling utilizes all of our technical know-how combined with state-of-the-art componentry," Saridakis said. "Throughout this Ford Mustang, we've introduced modern twists like integrated technology, LED tail lamps and HID head lamps, efficient packaging and better proportions."

The team further enhanced the agile design by stripping away unnecessary clutter. That included minimizing overhangs, eliminating the rear key-hole cylinder, chamfering the rear corner and simplifying the pedestal spoilers to a more compact design. The antenna, previously on the front fender, is now much shorter and relocated to the rear of the 2010 Ford Mustang. The result is a clean, sporty design that looks smart and efficient.

The front end on all models is lower and appears wider with strong wheel arches pushing up and out of the muscular fenders. Dynamic character lines emerging from above the grille sweep rearward into a more powerful, sculptural hood, further expressing Mustang's potency.

The addition of lower front splitters adds to the sporting appearance but are also functional aerodynamic elements improving Mustang's fuel economy, downforce and overall performance. An athletic, sinewy design is emphasized by distinctive character lines that grow out of the main body, "as if the sheetmetal has been shrink-wrapped like a skin suit around the muscles and skeleton of the car's understructure," Saridakis said.

Echoing Mustangs of the past, the main side-character lines - the wind splitter and iconic hockey stick - return with contemporary execution.

The 2010 Mustang's surface forms and linework, particularly the dropping fender line running into the belt-line kick-up and rear haunch, give the impression that the car squats down slightly in an aggressive stance that gives it the appearance of even more muscularity.

The team worked to develop a more optimized wrap-around rear-end look as well. The accelerated taper to the side surfaces, truncated into chamfered corners at the rear, enhance Mustang's compact appearance while the new two-piece rear fascia amplifies the car's width and stance by visually reducing the car's height.

Another inherited and distinctly identifiable Ford Mustang cue comes in the form of the tri-bar tail lamps. The three individual red chambers, each lit sequentially by a single Luxion LED, are separated by two clear vertical back-up elements, ensuring the tri-bar look is recognized in lit or unlit conditions. The sequential illumination of each chamber is a unique and important characteristic of the 2010 Mustang's identity.

"Front to back, the 2010 Ford Mustang is thoroughly modern in its interpretations of the classic Mustang look," Gaffka said. "The proportions are timeless and magnificent. It is the tightest, most premium race horse we've ever done. And it begs to be driven - hard."

2010 FORD MUSTANG DELIVERS MORE REFINED RIDE

Thanks to Ford's extensive racing and special program initiatives, customers can look forward to a nimbler, more-responsive Ford Mustang.

Extensive improvements to the next-generation Ford Mustang, readily apparent on the exterior design and interior content and material upgrades, will be felt in the ride and handling of the 2010 model. Taking a cue from the successful Mustang Bullitt and Ford Racing vehicles, many of those enhancements are carried through the full Ford Mustang lineup.

Standard on all models is a three-link rear suspension with a panhard bar.

AdvanceTrac®, new for 2010, traction control and anti-lock brakes also are standard. AdvanceTrac uses sensors to detect and measure yaw, or side-to-side skidding conditions, by monitoring the vehicle's speed, throttle position and steering wheel angle. When AdvanceTrac senses wheel slippage, it reduces engine torque and applies the brakes as needed.

AdvanceTrac can be run on or off with the V6. In the GT, AdvanceTrac, can be run in on, off or Sport mode, which allows drivers to push it more while still retaining control.

"We adjusted the springs, stabilizer bars and shocks to better balance the ride, steering and handling for all models, which results in a more engaging driving experience," said Vehicle Engineering Manager Tom Barnes. "The 2010 Mustangs feel more controlled for steering and handling, yet retain a good ride balance."

Tires are increased by an inch across the Ford Mustang line, with 17-inch tires standard on the V6 and 18-inch tires standard on the V8. A 19-inch Pirelli Summer tire is late available as an option for those seeking higher performance.

The proven chassis from the Bullitt series serves as the base for the GT. A tower-to-tower brace pioneered on the Bullitt lends additional torsional and lateral stiffness to the chassis to improve cornering for those selecting the 19-inch tire.

"You're getting the best-handling, best-balanced Mustang ever as the base GT," said Chief Nameplate Engineer Paul Randle.

Design and engineering teams spent a lot of time honing the aerodynamics of the 2010 Ford Mustang, ensuring that both the aerodynamic drag and lift balance were improved for better overall efficiency.

"We've reduced the drag coefficient, which measures the ability of the Mustang to slip through the air, by 4 percent in the V6 models and 7 percent in the GT models," said Product Design Engineer Steve Parks. "In addition, we reduced the front aerodynamic lift for the 2010 Mustang by 37 percent for V6 models and 23 percent for GT models, which significantly improves steering feedback and driver confidence at higher speeds."

As always, extensive option packages are available for the 2010 Ford Mustang.

Options include:

• GT Track Package I (manual only)
  • Performance front brake pads
  • 3.73 axle ratio
  • Recalibrated AdvanceTrac®
• GT Track Package II (manual only, late availability)
  • Performance front/rear brake pads
  • GT500 Sta-Bars and rear lower control arms
  • Retuned struts and shocks
  • 19-inch Pirelli Summer tires
  • 3.73 axle ratio with carbon plates in the differential
  • Recalibrated AdvanceTrac®, traction control and anti-lock brakes