Review: Ford Mustang GT 2013

The year was 1964. Kennedy had just been assassinated, Khrushchev recently overthrown, we were at war with Vietnam, and, as of yet, there were no affordable high-performance sports cars on the market. With the baby boomers finally coming of age, Ford saw a new niche opening up and decided to unveil the world’s first production Mustang model. Forty-nine years later, the Mustang still remains an icon within the industry.

The 2013 Mustang GT is looking to be a strong contender again this year for best affordable sports car on the market. There have been, admittedly, more cosmetic improvements than mechanical, but all the changes made have substantially increased the value of the car.

For starters, the 2013 edition has been upgraded with a plethora of bells and whistles. A fun set of "Track Apps" have become available with the addition of a new color screen next to the speedometer. There is the accelerometer app, which measures g-forces active on the car during maneuvering, along with a brake app, which measures your stopping and distance. An acceleration timer lets you measure your 0-60, 0-100, 0-1/8th mile, and 0-1/4th mile times.

As far as cosmetics are concerned, the new Mustang looks as sleek as ever. There are new wheel designs, heated mirrors, LED lights in the front and back, and even a "pony projection" light, that will project an image of the Mustang logo on the ground near the car whenever it is unlocked. The tail-lights have each been split into three rectangular LED displays which have smoked outlines in the center — adding mystique to the overall ambiance of the car.

The new Mustang is considerably more powerful, and even higher performance than before. Thanks to a few new piston and ring coatings, the Mustang now operates at 420 horsepower; and Ford’s new SelectShift system, which is being implemented in the 2013 model, will allow automatic transmission users an enhanced degree of control of the driving experience via a switch on the side of the shifter.

Tried and true fans of the franchise are sure to love this newest addition to the Mustang family, and rave reviews across the board are sure to attract many new devotees as well. Fast approaching its 50-year anniversary, and still finding ways to improve with each new model, it might be said that Mustangs, like wine, get better with age.