2005 Ford Mustang - Initial Facts

Press Release

• All-new Mustang with state-of-the-art chassis, bold styling and new powertrains
• Advanced MacPherson struts and a three-link live axle with Panhard rod that delivers dynamic handling to performance-minded drivers
• Wheelbase extended 6-inches for better stance, balance and overall interior package
• Head room, leg room, hip room dramatically improved
• Industry's first available color-configurable instrument cluster allows drivers to personalize their backlight color on the speedometer and other dashboard gauges in one of 125 colors

Since its dramatic 1964 introduction, Ford Mustang has been the icon of American performance with its bold style, brawny engine and rear-wheel-drive excitement.

The legend continues in the 2005 model with an all-new platform and clean-sheet design that makes it faster, safer, more agile and better looking than ever.

It is built in Flat Rock, Mich.

Design

The new Mustang is pure American muscle. The signature long hood and short rear deck capitalize on 40 years of history, as do classic design cues that have defined Mustangs since the 1960s: C-scoops in the sides, three-element taillamps and a galloping horse badge in the center of the grille. The Mustang's menacing shark-like nose imparts an attitude not seen since the 1967 model, while jeweled, round headlamps in trapezoidal housings are part of its striking new modern architecture.

The 2005 Mustang has an aggressive rake that puts the car in motion even when it's standing still. The wheels were pushed to the corners of the body, better anchoring it visually and physically to the road. The 6-inch wheelbase gain over the 2004 model makes it look bigger than life.

Interior

That 6-inch wheelbase gain also maximizes the comfort level for Mustang occupants. Taller drivers will feel more at home with more headroom and shoulder room. Rear passengers also enjoy more legroom and shoulder room in their sculpted bucket seats.

The industry-first, color-configurable instrument panel offers the ultimate in personalization. Mustang owners can mix and match lighting at the touch of a button to create more than 125 different color backgrounds to suit their personality, mood, outfit or whim. The colors, set against a striking backdrop of aluminum panels spanning the dashboard and dual chrome-ringed gauges, add a look of technical precision.

These modern touches mix with Mustang history and heritage. Chrome-ringed air vents are aligned vertically across the dash, precisely in line with the gauges, and the steering wheel has three spokes with a center hub marked by the horse and tricolor bars logo, echoing the design of the 1967 Mustang.

More standard features than ever before include one-touch up/down power windows, power mirrors, keyless entry and power locks, a heated rear window and interval wipers.

Powertrains

Muscular new engines infuse Mustang with tire-smoking performance. The 4.6-liter all-aluminum V-8 has three-valve heads and cranks out 300 horsepower. Because it has an aluminum block, it weighs 75 pounds less than a comparable cast-iron design while delivering 40 more horsepower than the 2004 engine. That's more than 50 percent more power than the small-block 289-cubic-inch V-8 found in the classic 1964 model.

The standard engine is a 60-degree 4.0-liter SOHC V-6. It replaces the 3.8-liter 90-degree pushrod engine in the 2004 model. The 210-horsepower, 240 pound-feet engine - gains of 23 horsepower and 15 pound-feet - is inherently smoother and more compact, providing more power and torque.

Ride and handling

For the first time, Mustang is available with a five-speed automatic, which provides a unique combination of off-the-line jump and good highway fuel economy.

Five-speed manual transmissions are standard. The V-8 powered GT is equipped with a rugged Tremec 3650 gearbox, while V-6 cars get a Tremec T-5 manual.

The chassis is new from the ground up, with MacPherson-strut front suspension using reverse "L" lower control arms, which deliver both comfort and control.

For 2005, Mustang's rear suspension has new three-link architecture with a lightweight, tubular Panhard rod that provides precise control of the rear axle. This technology stabilizes the rear axle as the wheels move, particularly during hard cornering.

The standard four-wheel disc brakes have the biggest rotors and stiffest calipers ever fitted to a mainstream Mustang. Twin-piston aluminum calipers clamp down on 12.4-inch ventilated front brake discs on GT models - an increase of more than 15 percent in rotor size. The V-6 Mustangs get 11.4-inch ventilated rotors that also are 30 mm thick.

In the rear, the brake rotors are 11.8 inches in diameter - more than 12 percent larger than on the 2004 model. Rear rotors are vented on the GT and solid on the V-6.

An optional four-channel anti-lock braking system is available for a greater degree of brake control. It uses electronic sensors to constantly monitor road conditions and feed the information to a dedicated control computer capable of determining, within milliseconds, whether the vehicle is on dry pavement or negotiating a slippery surface. When traction control isn't desired - like when a smoky burnout at the drag strip is in order - drivers can deactivate the system with a simple button on the instrument panel.

Safety and Security

With power comes responsibility. The 2005 Mustang helps occupants stay safe.

Ford's Personal Safety Systemâ„¢, a comprehensive safety technology package, is standard. The system provides increased protection in frontal crashes by analyzing crash factors and determining the proper response within milliseconds. It uses dual-stage driver and front-passenger air bags - capable of deploying at full or partial power - safety belt pretensioners and energy management retractors.

Standard occupant classification sensing builds on the strength of the Personal Safety Systemâ„¢ to tailor deployment of the front-passenger air bag. If the passenger seat sensor detects no weight - or very little weight, like a briefcase - the passenger air bag is automatically switched off. If more weight is on the seat, like a small child, the air bag remains deactivated and an instrument panel light alerts the driver. If an adult is in the passenger seat, the air bag automatically switches on.

An optional active anti-theft package offers customers a new level of security. It includes a sensing module to guard against tow-away thefts, an interior motion sensor to detect "smash-and-grab" break-ins, a separate alarm sounder - instead of vehicle horn - to thwart thieves trying to disable the horn and a high-capacity, 60-ampere-hour battery that sounds the alarm longer.

Major Equipment and Options

V-6 Deluxe: Four-wheel power disc brakes, 4.0-liter SOHC V-6 engine, five-speed manual transmission, remote keyless entry, rear window defroster, stainless steel single exhaust, dual power side mirrors, 16-inch painted cast aluminum wheels, air conditioning, AM/FM stereo with single CD player, center console, front floor mats, door map pockets, cloth front bucket seats with 50/50 split rear bench (coupe), tilt steering wheel with speed control, power windows and door locks, front air bags and LATCH system child seat mounts in rear outboard seats.

V-6 Premium adds: 16-inch bright machined aluminum wheels with chrome spinner, Shaker 500 audio system with six-disc CD changer and MP3 capability, six-way power adjustable driver seat and leather seating surfaces.

GT Deluxe adds: 4.6-liter 3-valve V-8 engine, ABS with traction control, stainless steel dual exhaust, front fog lamps in grille, complex reflector halogen headlamps with integral turn signals, rear spoiler, performance tires with 17-inch painted cast aluminum wheels, AM/FM stereo with single CD, cloth sport bucket seats and leather-wrapped tilt steering wheel.

GT Premium adds: Shaker 500 Audio system with six-disc CD player and Aberdeen leather-trimmed embossed sport bucket seats.

Options include side-seat mounted air bags, interior upgrade package with satin aluminum trim and MyColor custom instrument panel, interior color accent package with black interior and red seats and door inserts, five-speed automatic transmission, wheel locks, 17-inch bright machined cast aluminum wheels (GT only), Active-Theft System, front seat-mounted side air bags.

Safety

"The foundation for the new Mustang is a high-strength-steel body shell that's completely new. With the new structure, we have built the ultimate Mustang. It's safe and secure, and it has outstanding driving dynamics that help drivers avoid accidents in the first place." - Keith Knudsen, Mustang Package Supervisor

DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 3 - With its all-new structure, suspension and braking systems, the dynamic 2005 Ford Mustang helps drivers in the first phase of safety: accident avoidance. Responsive, precise handling, coupled with high levels of overall grip and the strongest brakes ever fitted to a regular production Mustang, help give the driver the controllability that can turn an impending collision into just a close shave.

Four-wheel antilock brakes and all-speed traction control (standard on GT and optional on V-6) provide additional assistance during emergency maneuvers.

Mustang Protection: A Strong Safety Shell

If a crash is unavoidable, a strong structure and a suite of standard and optional safety equipment help protect occupants from injury.

The dramatic leaps in body stiffness that contribute to the 2005 Mustang's driving performance have parallel benefits in accident protection. The body structure is 31 percent stiffer in torsion, meaning that a twisting force of 15,500 foot-pounds can deform the body by only one degree.

Engineering a body with such high stiffness creates a passenger "safety cage" that helps protect the cabin from deformation and intrusion.

The front structure is designed to absorb energy in a controlled manner and dissipate it before it can reach the passenger compartment. The 2005 Mustang's front rails have an octagonal shape to spread forces evenly at the firewall and progressively deform for increased protection in demanding, offset frontal crashes.

Mustang Confidence: Ford Personal Safety Systemâ„¢

Topping the list of Mustang's safety equipment is Ford's Personal Safety Systemâ„¢, one of the industry's most comprehensive safety technology suites. The system is designed to provide increased protection in many types of frontal crashes by analyzing impact factors and determining proper air bag response in milliseconds.

It uses dual-stage driver and front-passenger air bags capable of deploying at full or partial power. In less severe frontal crashes, air bags inflate with less force - or not at all - helping reduce the risk of injury caused by inflation of the air bag.

But seat belts remain the best line of crash defense for vehicle occupants. Mustang's Personal Safety System employs pretensioners to tighten front seat belts in the first milliseconds of a crash; energy management retractors gradually slacken the belt, if necessary, to reduce forces across the occupant's chest during the impact.

Standard Occupant Classification Sensing

Standard occupant classification sensing builds on the strength of the Personal Safety System to tailor deployment of the front-passenger air bag. If the passenger-seat sensor detects no weight or very little weight, like a newspaper or a jacket, the passenger air bag is automatically switched off.

If more weight is on the seat, like a small child, the air bag remains deactivated and an instrument panel light alerts the driver with the message "PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF." Of course, the safest place for children remains the rear seat, properly restrained. If an adult is seated properly in the passenger seat, the air bag automatically is switched on, ready to inflate within milliseconds, if needed. Among the dozens of standard safety and security features Mustang offers are:

• Beltminderâ„¢

  The most effective way to help save lives on roadways is one of the simplest safety technologies on the market - the safety belt. Ford's BeltMinder system gives occupants a gentle chiming reminder to fasten their seat belts. A Ford innovation introduced in 1999, BeltMinder already is proving to increase safety-belt use.

• SecuriLockâ„¢ Passive Anti-Theft System

  Passive anti-theft systems like SecuriLock help protect against drive-away theft through the use of an electronically coded ignition key. The system is designed to help prevent the engine from being started unless a coded key programmed to the vehicle is used. A miniature transponder with an integrated circuit and antenna is imbedded in the ignition key. A wireless radio-frequency transmission transfers an electronic code between the transponder in the key and the vehicle. If the codes match, a signal passes through the wiring system to the electronic engine control, allowing the vehicle to start.

• Battery Saver

  Battery Saver helps prevent accidental battery drainage from Mustang's interior lights. The battery saver feature automatically turns off interior lights in a parked vehicle after a few minutes, like when a door is left ajar. If interior lights are left on while the ignition is in the Off position, a relay is deactivated in 10 to 40 minutes cutting power to the interior lights.

• Fail-Safe Cooling

  A fail-safe cooling system lets Mustang be driven under limited power for short distances if engine coolant is lost, eliminating the cost and inconvenience of towing. If the coolant level sensor reads below a critical level, the engine computer module switches the engine to an emergency limp-home mode, in which only half the cylinders get fuel. With only half the cylinders firing, the engine operates at lower power and generates much less heat. The cylinders alternate between even- and odd-firing pistons in this mode. The engine can move the vehicle at moderate speeds (up to about 50 mph).

Keeping Mustang Where It Belongs

Mustang has an optional, active anti-theft package aimed at combating high performance-car insurance premiums. The package includes:

• Separate Alarm Sounder

  Mustang employs a separate, remotely located alarm sounder in conjunction with the traffic horn, making it harder for thieves to disable the system and make off with the car or its contents.

• Anti-Tow Sensor

  An inclination-sensing module records the vehicle's angle of inclination when the anti-theft system is armed. If the sensor detects a change in vehicle inclination, it sends a signal to the alarm system, which triggers a the separate alarm sounder and traffic horn and flashes the car's lights to guard against tow-away thefts.

• Ultrasonic Interior Motion Sensor

  To detect "smash-and-grab" break-ins, an ultrasonic interior-motion sensor is designed to detect motion inside the vehicle cabin. If an intrusion is detected, the alarm sounder and traffic horn are activated and the exterior lights flash to frighten would-be thieves.

• Perimeter Anti-Theft Protection

  Perimeter anti-theft sensors also detect the opening of the hood, doors or trunk when the anti-theft system is armed. If the vehicle is parked and the window rolled down, for example, the alarm is sounded if a would-be-thief tries to open the door to gain access to the car.

• lobal Window Open & Close

  Another feature included with the active anti-theft system allows global opening and closing of the vehicle windows. This feature allows the windows to be opened using the remote transmitter or opened & closed by turning the key in the driver door key cylinder, making it easier to properly secure the vehicle.

• High-Capacity Battery

  A 60-ampere-hour battery is capable of sounding the alarm longer. This more powerful battery lends an extra measure of authority to the active anti-theft system and helps prevent battery run-down from use of Mustang's powerful audio system while the engine is off.