Anywhere I go, I always avoid riding buses.  Perhaps it’s my experience with the local ones that cause this prejudice, or perhaps it’s because our Greyhound Bus driver looks like Edward James Olmos, but in any case I know something is going to go terribly wrong.  And terribly wrong they did.  In what was supposed to be spring break (drunken girls in bikinis always come to mind), a final blizzard storm set in.  Beside me, sharing the comfort of the thinly padded chairs, is a nerdish teenager who sported bear paw mittens.  Great.  This is one ride I’m never going to forget.  Call it reversal of fortune, karma, bad luck or a combination of all, but I guess this is God’s way of spreading the wealth; the price I paid for driving a retina-burning Mustard Yellow-Orange Ford Mustang GT a day earlier.  Maybe if I imagine myself back behind the wheel, this bus ride’s going to feel quicker.

For the not-so familiar with American car history, the Ford Mustang is the last “true” muscle car.  During Detroit’s heyday, the Mustang started the entire pony car genre and now, 40 years later, it’s the only one left.  The reasons behind the Mustang’s cult following is its bold style, rear-wheel drive performance and affordable price.  The 2007 model is no different.  Starting at just a whisker under US$19,000 for the V6 version, the Mustang is already nicely equipped with 16-inch alloys, stereo/CD player, anti-lock brakes, and so on.  Real men though would skip the entry-level models altogether and go straight for the GT, like the one I drove.  Priced at just a tad over US$24,300, the GT is the performance bargain of the line.  The piece de resistance is undoubtedly the 4.6-liter V8 with 300 horsepower.  Announcing the eight cylinder’s presence under the hood are 17-inch performance tires, dual free-flowing exhausts, deluxe leather seats, unique ‘GT’ badges and a 500-watt “Shaker” 6-disc/MP3 system.  With a list of standard features as impressive as this, there’s no wondering why the Mustang is considered the blue-collared champion of America.

I remember walking around the Mustang for the first time, admiring it from every angle.  Nothing shouts modernity better than the new design.  The long hood and short rear deck profile are design trademarks dating 40 years, but this one’s been cleaned up showing off a lot of strong angularity in its design.  There are some classic cues put in including the C-scoops in the sides, the three-element tail lamps, the galloping horse badge and the shark-like nose.  I’m not a huge fan of retro, but the sheer vulgarity of the Mustang, especially in this color, make it a winner in my book.

next page >