2006 Mustang Convertible Road and Track Test

An Out of the Park Home Run!

Some things just dont need a lot of deep, introspective thought to be figured out. Take the new Mustang Convertible, for instance. Do you need a degree in marketing to figure out whether or not its going to be a number one hit? Hardly!

The sexy new drop-top is priced lower than some compact cars, seats four comfortably, includes a powerful V6 in base trim and a rumbling V8 when the GT badge replaces the pony on the faux gas cap at the rear of the car, plus most importantly, it looks fabulous!

I had the opportunity to test a few examples out for myself during a road and track event in la belle province, Quebec, Canada, on a warm spring day recently, and despite roads that appeared to have previously suffered through a cruise missile offensive it responded with grace and composure.

The first car at my disposal was a nicely upgraded V6 model, sporting a conservative coat of gray metallic paint and a rather spicy hot-red leather interior. Not only did the sporty Mustang convertible never once threatened me with a twitchy rear end when pushing the handling envelope, but its ride absorbed bumps that would unsettle some other drop-tops.

Actually, despite bearing a great deal of its weight on a live rear axle, a pretty sophisticated three-link version with a Panhard rod, mind you, but still not an independent setup, the car is wonderfully stable at high speed, only getting ruffled when a particularly large bump on the road would raise its ugly head. Part of the reason for its agility is the independent front suspension setup and power actuated rack-and-pinion steering system, but more so the new Mustangs tight body structure is its greatest boon, unusual in relatively long-wheelbase convertibles. You can spend $60,000 more for a fully optioned version of Fords premium brand convertible, the Jaguar XKR for instance, and not get as tight a structure, and therefore not get a car that delivers such a confidence inspiring handling package.

The supercharged Jaguar will be quicker, however, at least when comparing it to the base Mustang convertible. Still, at 210-horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque my testers 4.0-liter SOHC V6 offered plenty of fun in the sun driving enjoyment. Actually, the burble emanating from the twin exhaust pipes sounded very V8-like - my compliments to the fine tuners.

Another reason the V6-equipped Mustang convertible sped away so quickly from stop signs has to do with its five-speed automatic transmission, benefiting performance and fuel economy due to shorter shift intervals, and greater opportunity for the engine to remain revving in its sweet spot - or more specifically, where it makes the most power and torque in its rev range. I wouldnt go so far to say that the Mustangs five-speed automatic is the smoothest and most refined five-speed automatic on the market, and it is glaringly missing any sort of manual-mode operation, but it goes a long way to making the car more competitive with Asian and European sports models which offer five-, six- and now even seven-speed automatic transmissions - the latter only among high-priced premium brands.

Of course, if you want to exact even more performance from the 4.0-liter V6, dont opt for a transmission upgrade at all. The Mustangs five-speed manual is a nicely sorted gearbox, ideal for spirited driving. This would be my choice, but my guess is that Im in the minority here. Even Alex Tagliani, famed Champ Car and Indy 500 race driver who was on hand at the event in support of his engine supplier, Ford if it needs to be mentioned, was vehemently debating the subject with his lovely wife Bronte during dinner. Ironically, she wants the manual and he didnt want to deal with shifting gears when traveling home from a hard days work at the race track. Who could blame him after the countless “shifts” he puts in during a day at the office?

Alex was on hand for the track portion of the Mustang event, of which only
300-horsepower V8-powered GTs were used, giving tips on the benefits of vertical suspension travel when jumping the circuits many curbs, how to best line up the car for a perfectly executed turn, or better yet, offering his services for a hair-raising fast lap or three. Always willing, hardly able, I took his advice as well as those fast laps, and thoroughly enjoyed hanging on while he hung the tail out to make short work of a number of hairpin corners. To be concise, he made that Mustang turn on its tail in ways that defy the laws of physics.

In the hands of someone with such rare talent the Mustangs capabilities as a track car became all too apparent. But what might be more important to everyday drivers would be how it performed at extremely high speed with a comparative hack like me behind the wheel. Very well, thank you. Actually, I found little difference between the coupe and convertible when tackling corners, other than the discomfort of a helmet which I was forced to wear in the convertible and not when piloting the coupe, and the buffeting of wind which, although hardly noticeable at regular highway speeds, was a little overwhelming at 130+ mph.

Why most convertible models feel less agile than their coupe counterparts has to do with the fact that the majority were
designed as coupes first, and then reworked later to incorporate a folding top. No one even questioned whether the Mustang would receive a convertible top or not, however, which allowed Fords engineers to factor in the extra-strength components at the cars drawing-board stages. This saved money in the long run, of course, and results in a much better convertible than otherwise would have been built. The process also eliminates weight, with the convertible tipping the scales by only a marginal amount over the coupe.

So, now that weve examined the drop-tops road-holding and power delivery, what about its overall refinement and attention to detail? First of all, with a base price of $23,890, making it one of the least expensive four-seat convertibles in themarket, lets not be too picky about its less than ideal plastics quality. Yes, if I were actually turning over my hard earned cash, or even harder earned credit for a new Mustang, the hard plastic dash and console would leave me wanting for more, but I know of many more Mustang fans, upgraded from their long-in-tooth Fox-based Stangs, who are head-over-heals in love with Ford for doing such a fine job with the new models interior. So in other words, Im a snob and I should just go back to my BMW. OK, fair call. Even with my higher-than-thou attitude I have to commend Ford on the cabins superb fit and finish. All panels butt up against each other with nary a trace of airspace, and there were no squeaks, rattles or buzzes to annoy.

The same tight fit was evident when the windows were raised and the top fixed into place, a process that takes about fifteen seconds - thirteen to drop if the windows are already lowered. Thats quick, by the way, thanks to a sophisticated Z-fold mechanism that integrates a flush-mounted cover without the need to get out and snap anything on. Theres an optional cover available, mind you, but I cant see the need for buying something extra to rob trunk space, before complicating the top dropping process.

The “floating” five-bow folding top seals up tightly, due in part to short-drop side glass. This feature drops a side window slightly when opening the door, and then when closing pops it back up snuggly, sealing out wind and exterior noise. While nothing particularly new, BMW was the first I can remember incorporating such a feature, it is impressive Ford has managed to integrate it into a car that starts at about half of what the German convertible costs.

And having purchased a brand new $45-plus thousand BMW 3-Series convertible, complete with aluminum hardtop (and that was back in 1996… the equivalent model costs close to $60K now), the Mustangs $20,000 to $30,000-something price tag looks mighty tempting. The GT, by the way, starts at $29,390, and over and above the 300-horsepower 4.6-liter V8 with 320 lb-ft of torque, includes fog lights, the most notable exterior feature being that theyre integrated into the grille, plus a body-color rear spoiler, upgraded Shaker 500 audio system with an in-dash 6-CD/MP3 changer, ABS brakes, that come with traction control, P235/55R17 performance tires on unique 17-inch alloy wheels, and more.

Power windows, locks, mirrors, a six-way power driver seat with power lumbar support, CD player, four-wheel disc brakes, and much more, comes standard on the base convertible. Yeah, its hardly bottom barrel equipment for a $23,890 convertible.

For me, the most important improvement needed to enhance either the V6- or V8-powered Mustang Convertible would be to add the Interior Upgrade and Interior Sport Appearance packages, which do wonders for dressing up the cabin. They include the addition of satin aluminum on the dash, center stack and door panel accents, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with satin aluminum spokes, satin aluminum scuff plates on the door sills featuring an embossed Mustang logo on each, a leather wrapped shift knob, chrome rings around cluster gauges and air vents, color shiftable cluster lighting, message center, an oil pressure gauge and voltmeter, all for only $450 and $195 for the Interior Upgrade and Interior Sport Appearance packages respectively. You can bet most dealers are ordering all of their cars with this package. You can also opt for the Interior Color Package, for that spicy-red look I mentioned previously.

Load up the GT even further, with the Shaker 1000 audio system, leather seats and door trim, side airbags, and another dozen or so options, and the price will reach $34,665, still inexpensive when comparing it to any V8-powered convertible rival.

From a styling perspective the new convertible doesnt deviate much from the coupe, which is a good thing. While not immediately noticeable, the Convertible features a different windshield rake than the coupe, incorporating a flatter slope which optimizes airflow over driver and passengers, which according to Ford eliminates the necessity of a supplemental wind blocker - normally positioned in the rear seating area. I have to say that wind wasnt a problem at all while driving on the regular roads, only becoming a nuisance when on the track, as I previously mentioned.

And while on the track it gave me comfort to know that Ford had upgraded the Convertibles unibody for safety reasons, reinforced with the automakers Personal Safety System (PSS). The addition of standard 4-wheel vented disc brakes made for controllable stops on the road and track, exactly as they did in coupe trim. I was surprised, actually, that the brakes stood up as well as they did considering the punishing journalists were putting them through, all day at the track. The only car to experience any problems was a modified Saleen S281, which was moving along at a much faster pace than the regular GTs due to a 440-horsepower supercharged engine upgrade - Ill do a special report on this car later.

At the end of a long, hot day, I couldnt help but appreciate what Ford has managed to accomplish. The new car is not only one of the best looking soft-tops on the market, but one of the best to drive as well, even in base six-cylinder guise. And at this price, the only four-seat ragtop that comes cheaper is the Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible. What about two-seat roadsters? The new Pontiac Solstice will be quite a bit less expensive, but Mazdas MX-5 Miata is only nominally lower in price, meaning some import buyers will no doubt be swayed by the bigger Americans value proposition, and cool as Steve McQueen image enhancement capabilities. I know I am.

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