As for that reduced passenger buffeting from the more steeply raked windshield header and modified rear seatbacks, Jelinek says the car has ''no need for add-on devices to block the wind.''
Aside from these unique touches, Jelinek says, the 2005 Mustang convertible ''shares the coupe's look of a much more expensive car. Mustang's past is honored by the twin-pod instrument panel, and the present is addressed via modern materials and Ford's much-praised attention to interior design and details. The color-configurable instrument panel -- an industry first -- gives the driver 125 different color backgrounds to illuminate the gauges and controls.''
By engineering the coupe and the convertible models of Mustang at the same time, says Jelinek, Ford was able to increase torsional stiffness and deliver a stiff chassis that doesn't come with as much extra weight as convertible tops normally do.
For instance, says Jelinek, Ford engineers added strength into both models by designing body joints and rocker panels, which help solidify the convertible without excessive bracing.
The payoff from this is that engineers could borrow virtually all suspension geometry and tuning from the coupe. ''As a result,'' says Jelinek, ''never before have the coupe and convertible ridden and handled so much alike.''
While Ford hasn't been specific on how much heavier than the coupe the convertible is, there is enough extra avoirdupois to make it slower from 0 to 100 kmh, but not as much as it used to be. ''The Mustang convertible should shave significant time off its predecessors' straight-line performance times,'' Jelinek allows.
Like the coupe, the Mustang convertible uses a MacPherson strut front suspension and a rigid rear axle rear design that Jelinek says ''has surprised the automotive press with its composure and handling prowess.''
The secret for the new Mustang's surprise success with the media mavens is said to be a three-link setup with a Panhard rod that ''maintains precise control over the axle.''
Disc brakes are fitted at all four corners of the new convertible, Jelinek says, and the Mustang GT rotors are the biggest ever used on a regular production Mustang and the calipers the stiffest.
The four-channel anti-lock braking system comes with all-speed traction control, but Jelinek is quick to add that it can be switched off when the driver chooses to ''hang it out'' or drop the clutch for a smoky burnout.
The convertible's muscular stance is enhanced by beefy tires. Standard equipment on the GT are W-rated P235/55ZR-17 all-season performance radials mounted on 17 by 8-inch alloy wheels. The V-6 convertible comes with 16 by 7-inch wheels with T-rated P215/65R-16 all-season tires.
The standard engine is a 4.0-liter SOHC V-6 that produces 210 hp and 240 lb-ft of torque, which is pretty good for a car as heavy as the Mustang convertible.
The V-8-powered GT convertible gets the same 300-hp 4.6-liter V-8 as its coupe counterpart, which is 40 hp more than the previous GT produced.
Both models come with the Tremec five-speed manual transmission as standard equipment, notes Jelinek, but either version of this Mustang convertible can be had with a five-speed automatic transmission.
According to Jelinek, this automatic transmission has ''closely-spaced gears to keep the engine running in the 'sweet' part of its power band, and this assists acceleration as well as fuel efficiency.''
photo:Ford Motor Company
Aside from these unique touches, Jelinek says, the 2005 Mustang convertible ''shares the coupe's look of a much more expensive car. Mustang's past is honored by the twin-pod instrument panel, and the present is addressed via modern materials and Ford's much-praised attention to interior design and details. The color-configurable instrument panel -- an industry first -- gives the driver 125 different color backgrounds to illuminate the gauges and controls.''
By engineering the coupe and the convertible models of Mustang at the same time, says Jelinek, Ford was able to increase torsional stiffness and deliver a stiff chassis that doesn't come with as much extra weight as convertible tops normally do.
For instance, says Jelinek, Ford engineers added strength into both models by designing body joints and rocker panels, which help solidify the convertible without excessive bracing.
The payoff from this is that engineers could borrow virtually all suspension geometry and tuning from the coupe. ''As a result,'' says Jelinek, ''never before have the coupe and convertible ridden and handled so much alike.''
While Ford hasn't been specific on how much heavier than the coupe the convertible is, there is enough extra avoirdupois to make it slower from 0 to 100 kmh, but not as much as it used to be. ''The Mustang convertible should shave significant time off its predecessors' straight-line performance times,'' Jelinek allows.
Like the coupe, the Mustang convertible uses a MacPherson strut front suspension and a rigid rear axle rear design that Jelinek says ''has surprised the automotive press with its composure and handling prowess.''
The secret for the new Mustang's surprise success with the media mavens is said to be a three-link setup with a Panhard rod that ''maintains precise control over the axle.''
Disc brakes are fitted at all four corners of the new convertible, Jelinek says, and the Mustang GT rotors are the biggest ever used on a regular production Mustang and the calipers the stiffest.
The four-channel anti-lock braking system comes with all-speed traction control, but Jelinek is quick to add that it can be switched off when the driver chooses to ''hang it out'' or drop the clutch for a smoky burnout.
The convertible's muscular stance is enhanced by beefy tires. Standard equipment on the GT are W-rated P235/55ZR-17 all-season performance radials mounted on 17 by 8-inch alloy wheels. The V-6 convertible comes with 16 by 7-inch wheels with T-rated P215/65R-16 all-season tires.
The standard engine is a 4.0-liter SOHC V-6 that produces 210 hp and 240 lb-ft of torque, which is pretty good for a car as heavy as the Mustang convertible.
The V-8-powered GT convertible gets the same 300-hp 4.6-liter V-8 as its coupe counterpart, which is 40 hp more than the previous GT produced.
Both models come with the Tremec five-speed manual transmission as standard equipment, notes Jelinek, but either version of this Mustang convertible can be had with a five-speed automatic transmission.
According to Jelinek, this automatic transmission has ''closely-spaced gears to keep the engine running in the 'sweet' part of its power band, and this assists acceleration as well as fuel efficiency.''
photo:Ford Motor Company