I purchased a 2017 Mustang GT. I special ordered this car because I could not find a ’17 Mustang GT with the options I wanted. I am adding this section to my web page at my brother’s suggestion. Thought it might be interesting to tell you about the ’17 Mustang GT then compare it to my ’68 Shelby. Cars have come a long way. And this gives me a place to document this car for myself. If you are a car person you might know most of what I am going to add here. If you are not, I will try to explain the value of the this Mustang and the options I put on it.

I wanted another red Mustang but a different shade. This car is Ruby Red which is a special, extra cost color.

Between 1968 and now, Ford has offered some pretty great Mustangs. But it was the S550 body of the 2015-2017 that got my attentions. It has classic lines and looks like a Mustang. But this model is the best of all those years. The target for this Mustang was to have it handle as well as the 2012 Mustang Boss. The Mustang GT with the Performance Package does just that. This is the first Mustang with factory installed independent rear suspension.

I was reading the current issue of the SAAC magazine recently. Rick Kopec interviewed Craig Conley, a long time devotee to Shelby cars. In the interview, Craig mentioned how lucky we were to have lived through and experienced the time of Shelby Mustangs and fast cars. How in those days no one would have thought twice about driving those rough riding cars without AC anywhere. It was an adventure in Craig’s words. But today he called his classic Shelby Mustang a 15 minute cars. It’s great fun to drive it for about 15 minutes then you want the comforts and climate control of your new Mustang. Yes, I can definitely relate to that.

I wanted to step up my new Mustang GT over the base model. I ordered a Mustang GT Premium with the Performance Package. I also added the 401A options package. And I wanted a six speed manual. Put those four things together and I could not find one, regardless of color, anywhere in the US.

This car is a 2017 Mustang GT Premium with Performance Pack. It has a 435 HP, 400 lbs.ft. of torque with a Coyote 5.0 under the hood. It has an all aluminum block and heads, dual over head cam (DOHC) with roller rockers, 4 valves per cylinder, port injected race car engine for the street. The S550 model has independent rear suspension, a first for the Mustang. Oh and it has these huge 6 piston Brembo disc brakes in the front. These brakes will stop this car from 60-0 in 105 feet. 100 feet is supercar territory.

A brief reaction to driving this car.

This Mustang is as awesome as it sounds. It handles extremely well. The Coyote engine is tremendous, with 400 lbs.ft of torque you can spin the tires very easily. The PP package brings a 3.73 rear end gear behind a 6 speed manual transmission, a very versatile combination. It behaves very well if you drive it like your grandmother would. But take it to the edge and it performs like a race car. Your grandmother might complain about how stiff the ride is.

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I’m going to break the features of this car into smaller pieces for easier reading. If you want to read details about the special items on this car, use the menu below: