If you’re looking for something to do with your bags of money, why not throw them at Ford? Why? A limited run of the Ford Mustang California Special has landed in SA. Only 100 vehicles are available to prospective buyers so if this is the car you’ve been waiting for, you better get to ordering.
What’s Special about this one?
Well, according to Ford, the California Special brings the “quintessential style of west coast America” to South Africa. It also embodies the “free-spirited ethos of the 1968 original”. If you’ve been longing for either of those, they’ve arrived. If you don’t care for American muscle, you might opt to throw your trust fund behind something else.
Ford was obviously impressed with how its Mustang Bullit and Mustang Mach 1 performed. Those were released some time ago, so now you have this one. The models shipping to SA will only be available in the fastback coupé body style. Expect a 5.0-litre V8 engine and 10-speed transmission. That’s enough, surely?
That’ll net you 330kW of power and 529Nm of torque meaning you can go from 0 to 100km/h in just 4.5 seconds. That naturally-aspirated V8 will give you something shouty to listen to whenever your foot slips off the clutch at an intersection. And just as well. This way, no one can hear you crying when you have to refuel.
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After onlookers have heard you coming, there’ll be no mistaking that it was you they were hearing, thanks to the large front splitter, rear GT wing, and the side air scoops behind the doors. Any doubt is erased as you drive past and they get a look at the sloped rear, vertical taillights, and quad tailpipes. Plus, the buffeting air is a definite sign of your windy passage.
So you’re saying it’s worth it?
Apart from the shouty 5.0-litre V8 engine and muscular stance, you’re also getting many of the features one would expect of a car costing more than a million. Heated and cooled front leather seats and driver assistance smarts like adaptive cruise control, pre-collision assist, and lane-keeping alert are all present. As is Ford’s Sync 3 infotainment system via the central 8in touchscreen display. That’s also compatible with Apple Car Play and Android Auto.
It’s quite a time to introduce this petrol-guzzler to the South African market. Petrol prices being where they are, and all. But if you aren’t worried about that, you probably aren’t worried about the Ford Mustang California Special’s R1.15 million price tag either. In that case, go wild. That’s the Mustang ethos or something. Isn’t it? #ThunderCougarFalconBird
