The 2018 Ford Mustang Kills The V6, But Gets Magnetic Ride

Yes, the face of the 2018 Ford Mustang looks awfully sad. Is it sad because it no longer comes with a V6 engine option? Who can say. But there is good news: a new 10-speed automatic gearbox, new colors, and best of all, a magnetic ride suspension.

AU Editor’s Note: We’re checking with Ford what spec differences — if any — the 2018 Mustang will have for Australian buyers. We didn’t get the V6 in Australia any way, so c’est la vie. Stay tuned! — Cam

We’ve heard rumblings that Ford would dump the V6 engine option — which only accounted for about 15 percent of sales — for 2018 to only offer the 2.3-liter turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder engine, which had more power anyway, and the 5.0-liter V8. Now we know it’s the truth. Godspeed, V6 Mustang. I greet this news with a resounding “meh.”

Now then, the improvements. Three new colors, including “Orange Fury,” which you see in these photos, according to Automotive News. The face is different—it looks better than it did in yesterday’s leak, I’ll give it that—the hood is lower, and both engines can be had with Ford’s new 10-speed automatic transmission. The manual transmission has also been upgraded with a new twin-disc clutch and dual-mass flywheel.

More importantly the EcoBoost and GT Performance Packs get available MagneRide magnetorheological adaptive dampers, Road & Track reports. This adaptive suspension, once pretty much the purview of expensive supercars, puts the Mustang on par with the Chevrolet Camaro, which has packed it since 2015 (and earlier on the Camaro ZL1.) Previously that suspension was a feature on the more expensive Shelby GT350; now it’s much more democratized.

No word yet on official pricing — we will update this post if that changes — but these improvements could make this the best non-Shelby modern Mustang yet. If you can live with that face.


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