Reviews

It’s hard to avoid feeling melancholy upon seeing the 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse. Forget for a moment that we’re at Charlotte Motor Speedway and about to drive the Roval; the looming extinction of the V-8 pony car hangs like a black cloud on this hot, humid day. Hey, at least the end is just beginning. The Dark Horse looks appropriately ominous painted in darker hues, like Vapor Blue Metallic, which reduces the contrast with the black elements on the hood and in the area engulfing the headlights and grille that looks like goth lipstick. As with the 2024 Mustang EcoBoost and GT, the exterior styling and the new interior with its dual-screen dash represent the most significant changes to the car, now in its seventh generation. Your reception to both is likely tied to your age and reverence for the iconic nameplate. More on the Mustang Dark HorseWe’ll push that debate aside along with the melancholy because, as we mentioned, we’re at Charlotte Motor Speedway and about to drive the Roval. From Mach 1 to Dark HorseConsider the Dark Horse an evolution of the spectacular outgoing Ford Mustang Mach 1. And that car, the quickest in our Lightning Lap LL2 category (for cars under $65,000), isn’t a bad place to start. Aside from the exterior and interior, the changes to the chassis and powertrain are comparatively minimal but welcome. Pop the hood and the “5.0” badge sits prominently atop the double-overhead-cam 32-valve V-8 with its new dual-throttle-body intakes that snake down to enlarged openings in the bumper. Along with improvements also seen on the GT, the Dark Horse engine gains forged connecting rods from the GT500. In conjunction with strengthened camshafts and unique engine tuning, the engine makes 500 horsepower, neatly matching that of the 2007 GT500, which used a supercharged 5.4-liter V-8. Driving the Mustang Dark HorseEvery single pony feels present and accounted for. Their furious sound echoes proudly off the Roval walls as they propel this nearly 4000-pound coupe easily into triple-digit speeds. Of the standard active exhaust’s four modes, Normal, Sport, and Track start at Very Loud and progress to Even Louder. We sheepishly admit to putting it into Quiet mode on the road drive to minimize droning. A six-speed manual is standard, and it’s the transmission you should get—consider this your duty as a red-blooded American when it’s offered in a rear-drive car with a V-8. As with the previous-generation Stang, a transmission divide exists between the GT and the track-oriented trim levels. Whereas the GT retains its Getrag MT-82, the Dark Horse uses the Tremec TR-3160 from the Mach 1 and the dearly departed Shelby GT350. Nevertheless, both transmissions feature automatic rev-matching (that you can disable) and permit no-lift shifting, where you keep the gas pedal pinned during a quick upshift. If you’d rather abdicate a degree of driving enjoyment, the 10-speed automatic ($1595) will certainly produce quicker acceleration and lap times. During our drive, the shift logic in Track mode was smart enough to keep the car in the correct gear for most corners, and it made satisfyingly quick gear changes at 7500 rpm (the manual has an annoying soft limiter 250 rpm earlier than the indicated redline). If so far this sounds similar to the Mach 1, that’s because it is. A smattering of changes includes larger anti-roll bars, different chassis tuning, and the other upgrades made across the Mustang line, like speeding up the steering ratio and improving the system’s overall rigidity. While 19-inch Pirelli P Zero PZ4s measuring 255/40 front and 275-40 rear are the standard fitment, the biggest impact comes from the new Pirelli Trofeo RS tires, available optionally as part of the Handling package ($4995) and sized 305/30 up front and 315/30 at the rear. You may recall the Trofeo R tire for famously being optional on the McLaren Senna and standard on the Camaro Z/28. The RS is an evolution of that design, focusing on delivering extreme traction but with longer life. For example, while the R’s treadwear rating was 60, the RS’s is 180. The Michelin Pilot Sport 4S and Cup 2 on the former Mach 1 were quite magical. We’re curious how the new Pirelli will subjectively compare. So equipped, the sheer traction means the Dark Horse delivers confidence quickly and easily. Within a lap or two, we’re able to keep the gas pinned through the banking while accelerating above 100 mph. The development team also credits the tires for improvements in on-road refinement, primarily a significant reduction in the tramlining that was so prevalent on the GT350 and Mach 1. Nearing 135 mph at the big braking zone leading into the infield, the Brembo six-piston front calipers bite hard on 15.4-inch rotors (the four-piston rear calipers clamping 14.0-inch rotors help too), delivering tremendous stopping force that, in conjunction with the standard magnetorheological dampers, keeps the Dark Horse stable and controlled. Twice in this spot, though, the auto rev-matching didn’t activate during the three-two downshift. The cars we drove were pre-production, and no one else at the event voiced a similar complaint. Nevertheless, this failure in the trust fall that comes with learning a new track added some hesitancy. Similarly, while tire grip is ever-present, the steering lacks crucial communication when turning in or adjusting midcorner. While the wheel is direct and accurate to the direction it’s pointed, it tells you little about the front tires’ behavior. You notice their limits and sense the road texture by listening to them (assuming you aren’t being deafened by the exhaust) or by feeling it through the seat. The Torsen limited-slip rear differential transmits power to the ground effortlessly, and the Dark Horse’s limits are generous when you do stumble through them. In Track mode, Ford’s AdvanceTrac stability-control system allows for small, encouraging amounts of slip that you can maintain and correct. It’s a nice tool to lean on for novices or track first-timers, especially on the Roval, which favors walls in lieu of runoff. Complaints are minor. First, neither the base nor the optional Recaro seats ($1650) provide sufficient lateral support for skinnier drivers, meaning you’ll want to invest in a kneepad or risk bruising your knee from bracing it against the unforgivingly rigid door armrest. Second, those without mechanical empathy might find the manual’s no-lift-shifting feature a touch slow. Ford reps say this is intentional, so as not to upset the rear when you have a small amount of steering in. We’d prefer to control the shift ourselves midcorner and shift as quickly as possible on the straights. And there’s this: In the Track mode gauge-cluster configuration, the bar-style tachometer goes to 9000 rpm, even though you’re shifting around 7000 rpm, leaving some two inches of useless red bar staring back at you. Mustang Dark Horse pricingThe Dark Horse starts at $60,865 (including destination), or roughly where a Mach 1 loaded with its Handling package, Recaro seats, and a few other options ended up. And very much like that car, the Dark Horse performs on track while delivering pleasing on-road manners. While the opaque comms from the front end mean it lacks the poise and sharpness of the also-not-long-for-this-world Chevy Camaro and its 1LE variants, whatever dynamic shortcomings exist don’t really matter. The Mach 1 was already quicker at Lightning Lap, and the improved Dark Horse is—and this bit is crucial—actually on sale. While the end may be coming for V-8 pony cars, the Mustang Dark Horse is here now. Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
2024 Ford Mustang Dark HorseVehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE
Base: $60,865
ENGINE
DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port and direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 307 in3, 5038 cm3Power: 500 hp @ 7250 rpmTorque: 418 lb-ft @ 4900 rpm
TRANSMISSIONS
6-speed manual, 10-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 107.0 inLength: 189.7 inWidth: 75.5 inHeight: 55.2 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 55/30 ft3Trunk Volume: 13 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 4000–4050 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 3.8–4.3 sec100 mph: 8.3–8.7 sec1/4-Mile: 11.9–12.3 secTop Speed: 165 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 16–17/14–15/22–23 mpgDeputy Editor, VideoFrom selling them to testing them, Carlos Lago has spent his entire adult life consumed by cars. He currently drives the creative behind Car and Driver video. More

Henrik Fisker is a jack of all trades. After a career as a designer at BMW (credits include the Z8) and Aston Martin (the DB9), the young entrepreneur landed his first flop with Fisker Coachbuild, which earned a dubious reputation for disimproving a small batch of BMW 6-series and Mercedes SL models. Not much later, things got a lot worse when the Karma, a pretty yet overhyped and underdeveloped full-size plug-in-hybrid sedan, hit the wall. As a result, Fisker Automotive filed for bankruptcy in 2013. Nearly three years later, the reborn Fisker Inc. rose from the ashes. Fresh money from various investors funded this restart, which after some to-ing and fro-ing focused on the all-electric Ocean crossover first shown at the 2021 L.A. Auto Show. Only 20 months later, deliveries just started with the limited-edition One priced at $71,437.More on the Fisker OceanFisker is a truly gifted car designer, and the Ocean once again shows his talent. Well proportioned and intelligently engineered, the new neo-SUV marries European functionality and Californian lifestyle in a clean, compact wrapper. When the plan to use Volkswagen’s MEB platform faltered, the Austrian design-build firm Magna Steyr (which had done the Jaguar I-Pace) was put in charge of R&D and production. Despite a slow ramp-up, the company still expects to complete 50,000 units this year and 70,000 in 2024. “With the Ocean, we are offering stuff nobody else has,” claims the ever-optimistic Danish-born CEO. He identifies unique selling propositions as “the longest range in its segment, a rotating in-dash screen that can be fixed in the vertical or horizontal position, a power liftgate with a roll-down window, 50 kilos [110 pounds] of recycled materials, bidirectional charging, and the California mode that opens all the windows and the sunroof at the touch of a single button.”Driving the Fisker OceanLike most modern EVs, the Ocean targets young digital buyers who prefer touching, zooming, and swiping to flicking a switch or turning a key. There isn’t even a start button—simply pull the column-mounted lever into drive or reverse, and off you go. But before setting sail, don’t forget to adjust the steering wheel via two controllers built into the spokes, dial in the preferred regenerative braking action (low, medium, or high), and choose from three drive modes labeled Earth, Fun, and Hyper. Hyper unlocks a boost feature, which is limited to 500 full-throttle acceleration stints. From a standing start, the 564-hp top-of-the-line version can allegedly beam itself to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, even with energy-saving special-compound 22-inch Bridgestone Potenza tires that are not exactly world champions in terms of grip.We drove the all-wheel-drive Ocean One equipped with a 106.0-kWh battery, which has a nickel-manganese-cobalt chemistry and promises an EPA range of 360 miles with the 20-inch wheels. If two days of spirited motoring on Austrian two-lane roads are anything to go by, this claim is reasonably realistic. The 800-volt system offered by Hyundai and Kia would have been nice to have, but the Fisker must do with 400 volts and a maximum intake rate of 200 kilowatts, which stretches the 10 to 80 percent recharge time to a leisurely 34.5 minutes. The battery pack is protected by a 10-year/100,000-mile warranty. Together the two e-motors produce 564 horsepower and 543 pound-feet of twist action, with the torque split evenly between the axles. Variable torque vectoring, a.k.a. Smart Traction, is still in development. (We’re told Magna needs a little more time on Arctic ice to fine-tune the stability-control and traction-control electronics and adapt them to their mechanical sparring partners.) Also not yet available is the advanced driver-assist system update that uses radar and ultrasound sensors in combination with digital cameras for improved object recognition and quicker responses.True to its name, the Ocean can be anything from a smooth swell to a veritable whitecapped storm. We did not spend much time in Earth mode, which promises to take you to the moon and back on a single charge but has a tranquilizer effect on the drivetrain and is clearly more interested in regenerating energy than spending it. Fun mode is exactly that because it speeds up the throttle response, lets the car’s considerable mass and momentum do their thing on a longer leash, and dishes up the full-course menu of power and torque. On wet pavement, Hyper is almost too much of a good thing. The accelerator reacts to driver inputs like a hungry Doberman greeting the mail carrier, the steering bites with instant vigor, and the electronic accident-prevention squad unleashes stability control rather late and in an uncouth manner. Depending on the type of surface and the urge of the torque feed, the transition from energy-saving front-wheel drive to traction-focused all-wheel drive varies from imperceptible to brutal.Fisker Ocean InteriorThe Ocean welcomes passengers with first-class seats, plenty of legroom and headroom, and good all-around visibility. Trimmed in a tasteful mix of synthetic materials, the cockpit is plain but not austere. The small digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel is flanked by a large upright monitor. There is no head-up display or glovebox, but there is a so-called taco tray and a drawer under the driver’s seat. The main in-cabin novelty is the rotating center screen that changes its format from portrait to landscape. The content can be mixed and matched to the user’s liking, but you typically look at a large navigation map topped by a pictogram of the car in traffic. Right below it sits a floating island of buttons offering direct access to temperature control, fan speed, audio volume, and window defrosting.Well equipped, roomy, practical, quiet, and stylish, the Fisker is an entertaining multipurpose tool. It rides well if not with quite the same depth and malleability as a Volkswagen ID.4; it ticks all the essential performance boxes, including for top speed (128 mph); and the consumption-versus-range equation also looks promising, at least on paper. The steering is, however, a little light and not quite as quick as expected, and the wide turning circle needs to tighten its belt one notch. The brakes have no trouble reeling in more than two tons of EV again and again, and they respond with welcome eagerness, but a more progressive deceleration would be welcome. Smart Traction and the dynamic torque vectoring that comes with it should improve the somewhat edgy handling and boost confidence at the limit. We’d also like to see adaptive dampers to squash the exaggerated body motions over bumpy pavement.Fisker Ocean PricingPricing starts at $39,937 for the 275-hp Ocean Sport, which isn’t the fanciest item in the valet corral but has everything one needs except perhaps a second motor, more oomph, and all-wheel drive. The $52,437 Ultra offers exactly that along with the big battery, a nicer sound system, and the Open Sky sunroof. If you want all the goodies, the Extreme is the model to go for. At just over $70K before options, this version is priced uncomfortably close to more seasoned premium EVs, such as the $75,595 Audi Q8 e-tron, the $76,050 Mercedes EQE SUV, the $67,550 Genesis Electrified GV70, and the Tesla Model Y Performance, which is a steal at $58,630. In terms of perceived quality, the Fisker looks and feels more like the Tesla than the legacy-brand competitors, but as a cool anti-establishment family cruiser with a strong lifestyle twist, the Ocean is bound to make waves.Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
2023 Fisker Ocean OneVehicle Type: front- and rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base: $71,437
POWERTRAIN
Front Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC Rear Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC Combined Power: 564 hpCombined Torque: 543 lb-ftBattery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 106.0 kWhOnboard Charger: 11.0 kWPeak DC Fast-Charge Rate: 200 kWTransmissions, F/R: direct-drive
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 115.0 inLength: 188.0 inWidth: 83.5 inHeight: 64.1 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 55/50 ft3Cargo Volume, behind F/R: 32/17 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 5400 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 3.7 sec100 mph: 9.2 sec1/4-Mile: 12.1 secTop Speed: 128 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 90–100/95–105/85–95 MPGeRange: 320–360 miContributing EditorAlthough I was born the only son of an ornithologist and a postal clerk, it was clear from the beginning that birdwatching and stamp collecting were not my thing. Had I known that God wanted me to grow to 6’8”, I also would have ruled out anything to do with cars, which are to blame for a couple of slipped discs, a torn ligament, and that stupid stooped posture behind the wheel. While working as a keeper in the Aberdeen Zoo, smuggling cheap cigarettes from Yugoslavia to Germany, and an embarrassing interlude with an amateur drama group also failed to yield fulfillment, driving and writing about cars became a much better option. And it still is now, many years later, as I approach my 70th birthday. I love every aspect of my job except long-haul travel on lousy airlines, and I hope it shows. More

From the November 1997 issue of Car and Driver.We were waiting in the paddock of the test track at Porsche’s Weissach development center when we heard the unmistakable, strident cry of the engine—even before we’d caught a glimpse of the car. The flat-six cadence, the raspy exhaust, the cam-chain whine, and the intake rush were being generated, unmistakably, by a 911 with the hammer down. As the car rounded the corner, we recog­nized the familiar profile, the characteristic side-window outline, and the muscular curves of the body that randomly reflected the bright sun of southern Germany. When the car rolled closer, however, we noticed that the fender bulges were not quite as pumped as we’d remembered. Nor was the windshield as upright. And the characteristic old-fashioned rain gutters and the air extractor above the rear window were nowhere to be found. More Archive 911 Carrera Reviews and Buying AdviceSuch changes could not be possible without a complete redesign of the basic 911 body shell that has remained largely unchanged since the car’s debut at the 1963 Frankfurt auto show, back when John Kennedy was President. Sure enough, the car that now pulled off the track was the first com­prehensive redesign of the car that has come to embody the heart and soul of Porsche. Known internally as the 996, this new 911 will arrive in the U.S. next spring as a ’98 model. Other than the Carrera moniker, it car­ries over little from its illustrious predecessor. In fact, it is much more closely related to the new Boxster, sharing that model’s headlights, doors, hood, and front fenders.Parked next to a current 911, internally dubbed the 993, other changes become evident. The muscu­larity of the older car’s bulging fenders has been reduced because the 996 is much wider across the doors. The entire tail end of the car is higher than before, for improved aerodynamics and packaging. The vent window panes are gone. The door handles are semi-flush. The roofline flows more smoothly from the windshield. Still, the 996 remains unmistakably a 911.Inside the familiar shape there’s a more spacious package, thanks to the wider body. The wheelbase is 3.1 inches longer, mostly ahead of the front seats. As a result, the front wheel wells don’t push the front occupants’ feet toward the center of the car as much, and the pedals are better aligned with the steering wheel, which is now attached to a tele­scoping column. With room for a proper dead pedal, the driving position is better than in any previous 911. Visibility remains excellent in all directions. Leg room, head room, and shoulder room have also been increased to accommodate the expanding dimensions of latter-20th-cen­tury humans, or so says Porsche styling chief Harm Lagaay. He’s also very proud that there’s a little more room in those rear seats. Although they’re still not suitable for adults, the age of the average child that can fit in them is up from 10 to, oh, 11. More important is the addition of a small luggage area under the rear window that becomes truly useful when the rear seats are folded. Despite a 3.6-inch-longer front overhang, however, trunk volume has grown only fractionally, even though the capacity of the front-mounted fuel tank has shrunk from 19.4 to 16.9 gallons. Oddly enough, despite the general increase in size, the new 911 has also lost its glove box to a new passenger-airbag loca­tion and knee bolster. That, however, is the last creature-comfort-related criticism we have about the 996. The seats are straight from the Boxster and very supportive. The mid-engined model also donated its modern, fully automatic climate-control system. Height-adjustable anchors enhance seatbelt comfort. The power windows glide up and down at a single touch. Side airbags have been installed.Those who know the 911 as one of the most visceral, charismatic sports cars on the planet might be concerned that our emphasis thus far on space, comfort, and crash protection sug­gests these were Porsche’s top priorities in the design of the 996. We are pleased to report that such suspicions are unfounded.Despite its increased size, the 996 is about 110 pounds lighter than its predecessor. This combines with a power increase from 282 to 296 hp and a reduction in the coef­ficient of drag from 0.33 to 0.30 to yield better performance. Porsche claims a top speed of 174 mph for the new car and a 0-to-60 time of 4.9 seconds, which would make it 0.2 second quicker than the 993. That’s a conservative claim, as we have tested 993s that hit 60 in 4.6 seconds. The additional power comes from a bored-and-stroked ver­sion of the four-cam, 24-valve, water-cooled flat-six engine that made its debut last year in the Boxster. Its displacement has increased from 2480 to 3387 cc. The valves and the ports are upsized accordingly, and as with the Boxster, the timing of the intake camshafts is regulated by the VarioCam system. In addition, the 911 gets a different intake manifold with a crossover pipe connecting the left and right plenum chambers. A valve in this crossover is closed between 2700 and 5100 rpm and open in the rest of the rev range to enhance breathing. As a result, the big engine’s 296 hp at 6800 rpm works out to eight percent more power per liter than the Boxster version’s 201 hp at 6000 rpm. The 996 weighs within a few pounds of the Boxster, so this highly invigorated powerplant feels very potent. Unlike the Boxster, which feels a bit soft at low rpm, the 996 is gutsy from just off idle all the way to its 7200-rpm redline. A new, stronger gearbox, with six gears rather than the Boxster’s five, makes the most of this power. Although we had no opportunity to test the 996, we ran it up to an indicated 161 mph on a crowded autobahn. Wind noise was remarkably low, and the car was hardly tapped out.At that speed and below, the new model is impressively stable. In addition to its low drag coefficient, the new body has little aerodynamic lift, with slightly more in front than in back to promote high-speed understeer. As before, a movable rear spoiler helps achieve this sta­bility, and it emerges at 75 mph now rather than at 55 because the water-cooled engine no longer needs the spoiler to enhance cooling. (If a police officer cites the deployed spoiler as evidence that a 996 driver was speeding, he or she can claim that the spoiler was deployed manually with the switch on the dash.) Underneath, the 996’s front suspension is very similar to the strut arrangement on the Boxster—it uses gas shocks, coil springs, two-piece lower control arms, and an anti-roll bar. In the rear, how­ever, the 996 is fitted with a multilink setup that is different from both the 993’s and Boxster’s strut designs. At both ends, most of the suspension pieces are fabricated from aluminum to save weight. This suspension yields the most benign handling we’ve ever experienced on any 911 variant, and it has an uncanny combi­nation of responsiveness and stability. The nose of the car responds immediately and directly to the slightest steering inputs; it is also the nose that slides first as you increase the pace. Meanwhile, the tail stays resolutely in place—it refused to break loose even when we applied full power in second gear while exiting a tight switch­back in the rain. Mind you, this experiment took place at a cornering speed that would have occu­pants of the car hanging from their seat­belts or plastered against a door. Standard equipment on the new model are large, sticky 17-inch tires that feel very grippy. Their traction is fully exploited by larger versions of the Boxster’s aluminum one­-piece calipers that squeeze large-diameter cross-drilled brake rotors. As on previous 911 variants, these brakes feel powerful, consistent, and immensely reassuring. Ride comfort seems much the same as in the current 993 models, even though the 996 no longer uses a rubber-isolated rear subframe. The suspension communicates comprehensive information about the road’s surface, shape, and texture while somehow managing to round the sharp edges of severe bumps and holes. For now, there is only a rear-drive Car­rera coupe. But cabriolet prototypes are already running around, and Carrera 4s, Targas, and Turbos can’t be far behind. Pricing hasn’t been announced, but we expect no major increases over the $67,000 sticker of a current Carrera, thanks to the economies realized by sharing so many components with the Boxster. That said, Porsche’s engineers and designers have done a miraculous job of preserving the traditional 911 image and character. With its enhanced comfort, the new 996 is more everyday usable than its predecessors. And it’s even faster. Car and DriverArrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
1998 Porsche 911 CarreraVehicle Type: rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2+2-passenger, 2-door coupe
ESTIMATED BASE PRICE$68,000
ENGINEDOHC 24-valve flat-6, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injectionDisplacement: 207 in3, 3387 cm3Power: 296 hp @ 6800 rpmTorque: 258 lb-ft @ 4600 rpm 
TRANSMISSION6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 92.5 inLength: 174.4 inWidth: 69.5 inHeight: 51.4 inPassenger Volume, F: 48 ft3Trunk Volume: 5 ft3Curb Weight: 2900-3000 lb
MANUFACTURER’S PERFORMANCE RATINGS
62 mph, manual/automatic: 5.2/6.0 sec124 mph, manual/automatic: 18.3/20.4 secTop Speed (drag limited), manual/automatic: 174/171 mph
PROJECTED FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)City, manual/automatic: 19/19 mpgHighway, manual/automatic: 28/26 mpg Contributing EditorCsaba Csere joined Car and Driver in 1980 and never really left. After serving as Technical Editor and Director, he was Editor-in-Chief from 1993 until his retirement from active duty in 2008. He continues to dabble in automotive journalism and LeMons racing, as well as ministering to his 1965 Jaguar E-type, 2017 Porsche 911, and trio of motorcycles—when not skiing or hiking near his home in Colorado.  More

From the July 1994 issue of Car and Driver.Visitors to the Toofar North will tell you that Michigan’s long winters limit us to two seasons—August and Road Closed. But there is an ersatz spring, meaning the first warmth registered by exposed human flesh and thus sufficient for dropping a convertible’s top, presum­ing the car has a heater hot enough to burst knackwurst. The new Volkswagen Cabrio possesses such a heater (mind the toes). Thus we hot­footed it down to southeast Ohio, where byways romp through the greening hills, because nothing makes the tootsies warmer and a driver cooler than wheeling a new ragtop. More VWs From the ArchiveFor the surgically precise roofectomy on the Golf, Volkswagen has called again on the services of Karmann Coachworks in Osnabrock, Germany. Its latest pop-top arrives 39 years after the famed Beetle Convertible and 16 years after VW’s blocky Rabbit Convertible. The Rabbit version was the one known everywhere but here as the Golf Cabriolet, and its towering bustle gave it the look of a hopalong bunny hutch, maybe explaining its Amer­ican name. The Rabbit and its lookalike successor, eventually called the Cabriolet here, too, produced enough offspring to overrun sunny avenues from West Palm Beach to Waikiki.The old Golf was not notably willowy, but Volkswagen says the new one is 20-percent more rigid. Its integral “basket-handle” roll bar increases rollover protection and torsional rigidity. Stiffness has also been added to the floor, dash, nose, and tail, improving handling and safety and cutting cabin noise. After pounding at length over lumpy back roads, we heard a buzz in the dash, a hint of resonances more easily drummed loose in early Rabbits and Golfs. HIGHS: Beefy unity of styling, polished drivetrain, top that disappears as quickly as a burrito. The roll bar anchors three-point belts for the driver and front passenger (the rear seat also offers three-pointers); dual airbags are fitted as well. Volkswagen’s safety features have produced a convert­ible whose side-impact protection already meets 1997 U.S. safety standards. But the passenger bag eliminates the glovebox and there’s no console for tucking away, say, the Hope Diamond. There is, however, a standard central­-locking system with alarm. We never set off the alarm system, which qualifies it as foolproof.VW says the cabin’s size—enlarged 11 percent—makes the Cabriolet “a true four­-passenger vehicle” (accurate if all four are average in size), adding that it provides more legroom and shoulder space, plus more headroom for front-seaters, than BMW’s coveted 3-series softtop. Out back, the new bodywork has been hol­lowed out for a one-third increase in trunk space. That’s good news considering what an eensy cubbyhole was squeezed into the old Cabrio. The current trunk’s usable eight cubic feet is much more accessible thanks to a bigger lid. Dropping the top takes less time than eating a burrito (scientifically roadside tested), even without consulting a manual. Although not power-operated, this is one of the easiest-lowering tops we’ve experi­enced. Inside, above each front side win­dow, is a safety tab that releases a pull­down lever, which can also function as a grab-handle when the top is up. These flip down easily to unlatch the roof. If you’ve cycled a lever-action rifle a thousand times to smooth its action, you’ll find these effortless, and the top drops slick as a greased pig on Teflon (piglets, don’t try this at home). Pull the top back and fold it down into its storage well. Take the van­ity booty from the trunk and put the cover over the top. To remove bulges, tuck the cover’s tail behind the rear seatback (which can also be folded to allow long luggage). Two small retaining clips with finger-ring releases, like baby NASCAR hood pins, keep the cover from flapping in the breeze. LOWS: Minimal power increase, peekaboo gauges, lone dash buzz.Very slick, as expected of Karmann’s fussless tops. This one’s six layers, all hand-fitted, are meant to provide “superior insulation from extreme heat and cold,” and they should. The glass rear window, unlike plastic backlights, provides a clear view and good defrosting. Best of all, Kar­mann listened when VW said to make this Cabrio’s top so it wouldn’t tower so much like the afterdeck of the USS Constitution over the car’s dinghy dimensions, à la the previous Cabriolet.Now the Cabrio’s silhouette is lower, wedgier yet rounder, less vertically rec­tangular. Its stance is broader. Yet even with the top up, you’ll find headroom enough for Montana 12-gallon hats (though the buckaroos won’t be pining for the VW, there being too little room for long guns in the back window). The Golf’s power windows can all be run fully down for open airiness, or up to create, along with the windshield, a flying cubbyhole against the elements. As mobile havens go, the VW is hand­somely designed and beautifully put together. Good looks mark the dash lay­out and controls—except that the driving position has maybe been laid out for short, wide folks (sorry, persons both vertically and horizontally challenged). The pedals are close, the wheel is somewhat far away, though not off in the north-40 as in pre-­airbag Volkswagen Passats. However you set the tilt wheel or seat adjustments (fore, aft, tilt, height, backrest angle), you may not find a really prime fit. If you set the seat for control, you may need to dip your head to see, beyond the wheel, the tops of the speedometer and tach—reported hid­den from as much as 40 mph to 100, and 2250 rpm to 5400. And while we all want a cabrio to “bring in the elements,” low sun regularly blazes in past the VW’s tiny visors. (Also, where are our quad visors?) VW’s premium AM/FM/cassette stereo is much better than the company’s once-tinny offerings. It includes CD-ready controls for an optional remote changer.What we heard too much with top up and stereo off was tire noise from bad roads—no whine but a lot of roar and thump. The suspension is still semi-inde­pendent but kitted out with bigger wheels and tires, 6.0-inch rims in Goodyear Eagle GA M+S 195/60HR-14s. They dislike truck ruts, jostling as if to say our roads should be as good as German ones. Handling that feels fine when cruising through farmlands feels squishy and reveals bump-steer when pressed harder through lumpier country. VW may also be using softish suspension to spare the con­vertible structure in the long run, and the Eagle GAs help the ride. (German car companies tend to poo-poo aggressive tires for America’s cruiser-class drivers.) Even so, the Cabrio deftly carves around the skidpad at 0.81 g, and firm and linear anti-lock brakes easily burn off speed. Lowly rear drums partner the front discs but help stop the Cabrio handily from 70 mph in 182 feet, and without fade.Major improvements in the clutch, shifter, and five-speed transaxle (elec­tronically controlled four-speed automatic optional) have turned the Golf’s power delivery from balky to silky, especially its appetite for heel-and-toe downshifts. The Golf’s 115-horsepower 2.0-liter engine is a substantially revised design, too, but these days, its single overhead cam makes it something of an “underaspirer.” Yet with just two valves for each of its four cylinders, its torque and smoothness in everyday driving make it feel almost as slick as a six. Credit its long stroke and oodles of engineering in its intake system. It makes 25 hp more than the old 1.8-liter four-cylinder and, despite 400 pounds added to the new Cabrio, cuts the 0-to-60 time from 11.6 seconds to 10.3. If that doesn’t make today’s Cabrio a barn-burner, its easy running suggests it’s up to more than warming the spirits and toasting a few toes. Its feel improves mag­ically when you put the top down: the wind carries away worries, and your mood soars. VERDICT: A slicker looker­—needs a sucker punch.With alloys and A/C for less than 22 grand on the drive-home meter, this is one cab that’s easy to take. With a bit more muscle, it would be hard to catch. Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
1994 Volkswagen CabrioVehicle Type: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 2+2-passenger, 2-door convertible
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $20,365/$21,800Options: air conditioning, $850; alloy wheels, $585
ENGINESOHC inline-4, iron block and aluminum head, port fuel injectionDisplacement: 121 in3, 1984 cm3Power: 115 hp @ 5400 rpmTorque: 122 lb-ft @ 3200 rpm 
TRANSMISSION5-speed manual
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilinkBrakes, F/R: 10.1-in vented disc/7.9-in drumTires: Goodyear Eagle GA M+S195/60HR-14
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 97.4 inLength: 160.5 inWidth: 66.7 inHeight: 55.1 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 51/30 ft3Trunk Volume: 8 ft3Curb Weight: 2790 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 10.3 sec1/4-Mile: 17.6 sec @ 77 mph100 mph: 42.0 secRolling Start, 5–60 mph: 10.9 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 11.3 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 14.9 secTop Speed (drag ltd): 109 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 182 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.81 g 
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 26 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMYCity/Highway: 23/30 mpg 
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED More

From the September 2023 issue of Car and Driver.As plug-ins proliferate, we’re going to continue to see more SUVs like the Ford Escape PHEV. Launched in 2020, the Escape PHEV competes in a growing segment that includes the plug-in versions of the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Mitsubishi Outlander, and Toyota RAV4. For 2023, the Escape receives a makeover, but it lacks the performance, richer interior, and all-wheel drive offered by rivals. HIGHS: Sharper styling, big new touchscreen, solid electric range.Ford previously offered the plug-in powertrain across several trims. Now the PHEV is a stand-alone model, and it’s pricey. The Escape PHEV’s $41,995 base price is higher than that of every competitor except the RAV4, and our test car’s $1595 panoramic sunroof and $4530 Premium package helped push the total to $48,320. A new nose borrows heavily from the Ford Edge. Inside, there’s a new 13.2-inch touchscreen. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are wireless, and there are fewer physical buttons, with climate controls integrated into the bottom of the screen. Despite the high base price, most goodies require getting the Premium package, which includes a head-up display, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, and quilted leather. Yet no matter how you option it, lots of ugly hard plastic remains.More on the Escape and Best HybridsThe hybrid powertrain again connects a 2.5-liter inline-four to two electric motors through a planetary gearset that allows for continuously variable ratios. Combined output is 210 horsepower, down 11 ponies from 2022. When the Escape is operating as an EV around town, the traction motor provides smooth and adequate acceleration. But the SUV feels lethargic when merging onto highways or executing passes. This Escape hits 60 mph in a leisurely 7.7 seconds, more than a second behind the Outlander and well off the RAV4’s 5.4-second run.LOWS: No all-wheel drive, steep pricing, rivals are quicker.The Escape does make the most of its lithium-ion battery, which is smaller than competitors’. The 10.7-kWh pack offers an EPA-estimated electric driving range of 37 miles, putting the Escape between the RAV4 (42 miles) and the Sportage (34 miles). The Escape was similarly midpack in our 75-mph highway range test, returning 30 miles against the RAV4’s 32 miles and the Outlander’s 24. The relatively stiff suspension could do more to filter the bumps yet doesn’t translate to athletic handling or much grip, returning just 0.78 g on the skidpad. Sport mode turns the light steering rubbery, and the interplay of regenerative and friction brakes leads to a touchy brake pedal. However, the Escape’s 176-foot stop from 70 mph is 19 feet shorter than the RAV4 Prime’s lengthy result. VERDICT: New tricks make this a good PHEV in a class of great ones.The minor makeover doesn’t address enough of the plug-in Escape’s shortcomings, and so it struggles to make a mark in the PHEV class. Not only is the plug-in Escape the slowest of the group, but it also is missing an all-wheel-drive option and could use a more luxuriously appointed interior. Or, a big price cut.Marc Urbano|Car and DriverMarc Urbano|Car and DriverArrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
2023 Ford Escape PHEVVehicle Type: front-engine, front-motor, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $41,995/$48,320Options: Premium package (10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, six power-adjustable passenger’s seat, 360-degree camera, Bang & Olufsen 10-speaker sound system, front rain-sensing wipers, wireless charging pad), $4530; panoramic sunroof, $1595, floor mats, $200 
POWERTRAINDOHC 16-valve 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle inline-4, 163 hp, 145 lb-ft + 2 AC motors, 90 and 129 hp, 48 and 176 lb-ft (combined output: 210 hp, 10.7-kWh lithium-ion battery pack; 3.5-kW onboard charger)Transmission: continuously variable automatic 
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilinkBrakes, F/R: 13.0-in vented disc/11.9-in discTires: Michelin Primacy A/S225/60R-18 100H M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 106.7 inLength: 180.1 inWidth: 74.1 inHeight: 66.1 inCurb Weight: 4038 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 7.7 sec1/4-Mile: 16.0 sec @ 91 mph100 mph: 19.2 secResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.4 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 7.7 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.3 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 4.4 secTop Speed (gov ltd): 122 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 176 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.78 g  
C/D FUEL ECONOMY75-mph Highway Driving, EV/Hybrid Mode: 84 MPGe/40 mpg75-mph Highway Range, EV/Hybrid mode: 30/440 mi 
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 40/42/37 mpgCombined Gasoline + Electricity: 101 MPGeEV Range: 37 mi 
C/D TESTING EXPLAINEDAssociate News EditorCaleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan. More

Located in the North Atlantic between Iceland and Norway, the Faroe Islands are like a different world. The mountainous landforms are covered in grasslands where sheep act as organic lawn mowers, and cascading coastal waterfalls and quaint thatched-roof houses make first-timers feel as if they’ve been transported into a Lord of the Rings film. The brand of the four rings brought us here to drive prototypes of the 2025 Q6 e-tron Quattro and its sportier SQ6 sibling, models that promise to take Audi EVs into their own new world.Next-Level EVsThe two SUVs are essentially electric alternatives to the gas-powered Q5 and SQ5. The Q6s have similar dimensions but shorter front and rear overhangs and a longer wheelbase. More coupelike Sportback variants will be offered too. The new EVs do more than just bridge the gap between the Q4 e-tron and the Q8 e-tron, however. They’re the first Audis built on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture. Co-developed with Porsche, PPE will also underpin the Macan EV, and the platform’s arrival starts an important new phase in the Volkswagen Group’s electric future.More on the Q6 e-tron SUVSpecifically developed for EV models, PPE features an 800-volt architecture and uses next-generation motors. The battery, with an estimated capacity of about 93.0 kWh, has 12 modules packed with 180 prismatic-type lithium-ion cells that provide better energy density than pouch-type cells. The peak charging rate is 270 kilowatts. Audi estimates that charging from 10 to 80 percent will take under 30 minutes; it’s also targeting a 155-mile refill in 10 minutes. The regular Q6 e-tron, the longest-range version, should be good for 372 miles of range on the European WLTP test cycle, or about 315 miles using EPA methodology.The Q6 and SQ6 e-trons also debut new electric motors that are unrelated to previous versions. Designed to be modular, more efficient, and quieter, the motors feature hairpin windings and direct oil cooling for the rotor and stator, resulting in a higher power density while reducing the need for rare-earth elements. More compact and efficient than its predecessors, the asynchronous induction front motor is said to provide greater performance at less cost. The permanent-magnet synchronous rear motor is new and improved and weighs about 260 pounds. It’s also the primary drive unit, with the front motor taking a more passive role until duty calls or the driver activates specific modes.Driving in the FaroesDespite the Faroes’ strong Middle-earth vibes, the region has an impressive infrastructure featuring more than 300 miles of well-maintained roads and a network of undersea tunnels, including the world’s first underwater roundabout. During two days of driving, our route took us through that landmark and around the southern parts of the three largest islands.Like California’s Pacific Coast Highway, the roads outlining the Faroe Islands offer breathtaking views. They’re also quite narrow, with some sections shrinking to a single lane that forced oncoming traffic to yield to our convoy, which was cloaked in eye-popping colorful wraps. These traffic-jam-like moments gave us the opportunity to tinker with the Q6s’ regenerative braking system, which finally offers one-pedal driving (two less forceful regenerative settings can be toggled with the steering-wheel paddles). Audi EVs previously lacked one-pedal capability, because the automaker believed most drivers couldn’t use it smoothly. Evidently, Audi now has more confidence in us (or its system’s tuning).The dual-motor all-wheel-drive Q6 e-tron we drove has 375 horsepower, while the SQ6 offers 482 ponies; a Boost mode temporarily bumps peak output to 395 and 509 horses, respectively. Torque figures are not yet available. With the islands’ speed limits capped at 50 mph, we had few opportunities to explore higher speeds, but in our hands, the higher-performance SQ6 definitely has better body control and more spirited acceleration than the regular Q6. Audi estimates the Q6 will scoot to 62 mph in less than six seconds, with the SQ6 needing under 4.5 ticks.With the Q6 and SQ6 e-trons still in their pre-production stage, Audi asked us not to discuss the interior design, but we can report that the inside is like a rolling sarcophagus—as in extremely quiet. Sure, some wind noise is audible, but road noise is almost nonexistent. Switching to Dynamic mode breaks the silence with synthetic sounds that grow louder with stronger accelerator inputs. The artificial noise can be shut off for those who are annoyed by that type of thing. We don’t think anyone will complain about either Q6’s ride quality, though, because both are consistently calm and controlled. The prototypes have an air-spring suspension and 21-inch wheels with higher-profile sidewalls. Of course, we’ll reserve final judgment for when we can drive the production versions on the not-so-smooth roads back home. The steering has variable effort, but we’d like it to be more communicative, especially on the SQ6.Light ShowProduction on the Audi Q6 and SQ6 e-tron, likely as 2025 models, won’t start until next year. When they reach the streets, they’ll introduce Audi’s latest lighting technology. The split-headlight design includes customizable daytime running lights, and the second-generation OLED taillights have animations warning following drivers of oncoming hazards. Audi says it plans to promote adoption of this tech by other automakers in the coming years to help improve safety through vehicle-to-everything communication.Unfortunately, any U.S.-bound model will offer light animations only while the vehicle is stopped, per current federal regulations. The Q6 and SQ6 e-tron still offer a choice of multiple lighting signatures selectable through the infotainment system or Audi’s phone app. Additional designs for daytime running lights and stationary lighting animations are optional and cost extra. Along with automatic high-beams and the Matrix lighting package, they can be factory equipped or purchased on demand afterward. The gas-powered Q5 line is currently Audi’s bestseller, meaning the new Q6 and SQ6 e-trons are poised to introduce the PPE platform to the masses. With all new Audis introduced after 2025 set to be EVs, Audi is entering a whole different world. Senior EditorEric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si. More

Chris Walter grinned. “We are looking,” he said, “to capture a new Mustang buyer.”Walter, middle-aged and fit, is the Mustang’s exterior design chief. He looks like a cross between Chris Martin of Coldplay and the retired British Formula 1 driver Jenson Button, and he was speaking to a group of journalists at the 2024 Ford Mustang’s media launch in California. Generally chipper and friendly, he is hard to dislike, and his team does nice work.More on the 2024 MustangListening to him speak in the Pasadena heat, we wondered about the GT’s new screen. Perhaps you have seen it: a rectangular piece of glass consuming roughly half of the dash, plopped between vents like a hat on a hat. Since the mid-1960s, when the model was new, Mustang interiors have traditionally been designed with a bit of restraint. Old Mustangs had dashboards that resembled a good pocketknife, simple and purposeful with bits of tidy icing. Same for the outgoing S550-generation Mustang, which served from model years 2015 to 2023. What’s happening?Good things, it turns out. Plus an acre of pixels. But mostly good things.Ford makes just one car these days, and this is it. Everything else in the lineup is a truck or an SUV. The new Mustang, dubbed S650, is the model’s seventh generation, essentially that 2015–23 platform plus moderate cosmetic and mechanical updates. The GT badge, traditionally the Mustang’s happiest balance of speed and price, gets a fourth-generation version of Ford’s Coyote 5.0-liter V-8.2024 Mustang GT Mechanical UpdatesFor many people, the Mustang is the reason for the horse-car season. That naturally aspirated 32-valve 5.0-liter under the hood for 2024 is a light refresh of last year’s engine, nudged here and there to reduce friction, increase efficiency, and bump output. Where the old GT engine had one throttle body, this one gets two; the oil pan, exhaust cams, and left-side exhaust manifold are also new. The result is 480 horsepower at 7150 rpm and 415 lb-ft of torque at 4900 rpm. Those numbers are up from 450 horses at 7000 rpm and 410 lb-ft at 4600. There’s also a feisty bark-burble on startup. Choose the optional active-valve exhaust ($1225), which was fitted to our car, and output rises to 486 horsepower at 7250 rpm and 418 lb-ft at 4900. As with the outgoing GT, redline is 7500 rpm regardless of muffler choice. The standard six-speed manual and optional 10-speed automatic also carry over.Underneath lies mild massaging. The electronically assisted power-steering ratio has been quickened slightly, from 16.0:1 to 15.5:1, and its control software has been reworked in the interest of improved feel. The body has been stiffened in critical places. The brakes are now electronically boosted, replacing the old vacuum setup. 2024 Mustang GT Interior and Exterior DesignInside, the classic dual-brow dash is gone. That long rectangular display is really two displays under one piece of glass: a 12.4-inch screen for the instrument cluster and a 13.2-inch touchscreen for most cockpit functions and features, from climate to stereo to launch control. It gathers finger gunge quickly but offers a mostly intuitive interface.The new styling, naturally, resembles but does not lockstep mirror the old. Ford says that externally, the three variants in the Mustang line—the four-cylinder EcoBoost, the GT, and the coming track-focused Dark Horse—share little more than headlamps. The panels are basically smoothed and clarified S550 pieces, dotted with tasteful hints of older Mustangs: the newly emphasized hips, the hood extractor vents and more aggressive grille openings on the GT and Dark Horse, the notch-shaped “bent” panel between the taillights. The last part is a neat touch, shadow-bound in all but direct light, helping the car look longer and lower. The new grille opening and underbody panels help reduce drag. The sum package looks nice in pictures and better in person, and the more you look at the fishlike nose, the less fishy it seems. Which may sound like damning with faint praise, but is really just proof that the human brain can adapt to anything and will take any oppor-tuna-ty to anthropomorphize the face of a new automobile. (Forgive us; your author is a sleep-deprived father of young children and by law must make a certain number of bad puns every year.)Driving the 2024 Mustang GTWe met the car in the form of a Performance-pack, manual-gearbox GT, Vapor Blue Metallic, a whopping $60,755 as equipped. Critical options included Pirelli P Zero PZ4s, MagneRide active dampers ($1750), a 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system with a trunk-mounted subwoofer (part of the $2900 Premium package, this adequate system far better than the base offering, if a bit flabby in the mids and bass), and the GT Performance pack (for $4995, it includes more aggressive suspension, a 3.73 Torsen limited-slip differential, wider wheels and tires, and the list goes on). Brembo brakes, part of the Performance pack, have a nice feel and are easily modulated right up to ABS engagement.The previous GT was gobs of fun to commute in or hammer on, and this machine is slightly sharper. Without driving the two cars back to back, we’d say that steering feel and feedback seem slightly improved. As with the 2024 EcoBoost Mustang we tried earlier, the electronic brake booster seemed to make walking-pace braking a bit grabby and digital, but the brakes are otherwise a charm. MagneRide works wonders regardless of chassis mode, as magnetorheological dampers are wont to do, sopping up pavement heaves and expansion-joint smacks while helping produce good grip and agility. (With those modes, avoid Normal or Track on a back road; compared with Sport, both trade body motion for pace and response, albeit in opposite ways.) As with all generations of Coyote, the engine sounds deep and burbly down low, nice but not great for a V-8 of this size and character, rising to a less pleasant, hammering rasp at the top of the tach.If you cannot have fun in a car like this, you may not know what fun is. Few differentials are as nice and progressive on the road as a Torsen. Torque is stout in the midrange, tapering noticeably above 6500, falling off even more noticeably above 7000, most useful and satisfying in the middle of the tach. Sixty mph is available in second gear, and third is a joy on a back road, if often illegal. On that last point, we say who cares, it’s a new Mustang, it’s part of the American fabric, you only live once, Car and Driver does not encourage or endorse lawbreaking, but really, if you are alive and breathing, sometimes the rules are best left for colonoscopies and filing your taxes.A brief aside on that gearbox: The manual transmission is a version of the Getrag six-speed offered in various Mustang models for more than a decade. When new, it is a pleasure to shift, with a cleanly defined pattern and chunky action. Mustang heads will tell you this transmission has long been maligned for its fragility and lack of cooling, and that there is an ongoing class-action suit over some of those problems. Five will get you ten, and this is at least tangentially tied to why the coming Dark Horse will be fitted with the relatively durable Tremec TR-3160 six-speed manual. Do we wish a Tremec were fitted to the basic GT? Yes. Does Ford’s choice here seem odd, especially given how many V-8 Mustangs of yore wore wonderful, solid Tremecs and that V-8 Camaros have done the same for years? Of course. Did our low-mile test car make a bit of bearing-like noise if you leaned on the shifter slightly during an upshift to second? Sure. But at least there is the Dark Horse, which means someone somewhere is listening. If you buy a new manual GT—and anyone with a pulse should consider it—we would only suggest that you shift with fingers instead of fist, and that you pretend the gearbox innards are built dense but soft, like a Burger King Croissan’wich.A minor note, in all. What we have here is a V-8-powered, rear-drive, attractive new Mustang in the classic style, nicely updated. It is a big and good giggle to drive in any fashion, from tame commute to kill them tires dead. It’s still a bargain for what you get, it feels more special than the spec sheet would imply, and, wonder of wonders, it can still be had with a clutch pedal.This is a driver’s car, simple and sane, the kind we have long loved. It may not be all-new or perfect, but, like so many Mustangs before, it wants you there, needs you there, and demands you pay attention while simultaneously refusing to be a pain in the ass. These days, as ever, that’s a gift. Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
2024 Ford Mustang GTVehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe or convertible
PRICE
Base: Fastback, $43,090; Premium Fastback, $47,610; Premium Convertible, $53,110
ENGINE
DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port and direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 307 in3, 5038 cm3Power: 480 or 486 hp @ 7150 or 7250 rpmTorque: 415 or 418 lb-ft @ 4900 rpm
TRANSMISSIONS
6-speed manual, 10-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 107.0 inLength: 189.4 inWidth: 75.4 inHeight: 54.8–55.0 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 55/27–30 ft3Trunk Volume: 10–13 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 3900–4100 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 3.8–4.3 sec100 mph: 8.3–8.7 sec1/4-Mile: 11.9–12.3 secTop Speed: 145–155 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 17–18/14–15/22–24 mpgFreelanceSam Smith is a freelance journalist and former executive editor at Road & Track. His writing has appeared in Esquire and the New York Times, and he once drove a Japanese Dajiban around a track at speed while being purposely deafened by a recording of Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.” He lives in Tennessee with his family, a small collection of misfit vehicles, and a spaniel who is scared of squirrels. More

Stare down the optional selfie camera atop the dash of the 2024 Mercedes-Benz E-class, and it’s clear that the automobile has entered a new age, not that more evidence was needed. Even for iconic nameplates, the ever-greater inclusion of technology for work, play, safety, and convenience has become an essential part of the picture. Yet while Mercedes has shown a departure from the past with its EQ-branded EVs, fans of traditional luxury sedans will find solace in the restraint of the E-class’s latest redesign. Evolved as it may be, this new car is pleasantly familiar. More on Mercedes E-classWhen it goes on sale early next year, the mid-size E will be easy enough to mistake for an S-class, its envelope having grown marginally larger than before while adopting more of its grander sibling’s flowing elegance. It’s a quintessential and attractive Benz from all angles. Reinforcing that notion to less observant eyes, LED elements in the taillights illuminate in the shape of the three-pointed Mercedes star. Technology as LuxuryThough the new E-class’s cabin veers toward tech-infused minimalism, traditional luxury trappings are present in abundance, and comfort levels are exceedingly high. The retention of a conventional three-box shape makes for welcome headroom in back, and rear legroom remains generous if not quite cross-your-legs friendly. Trunk capacity has swelled to an S-class-beating 19 cubic feet. The E ventures into the future by way of its expansive Superscreen digital interface, which neatly integrates a 12.3-inch instrument cluster with available 3-D graphics, a 14.4-inch touchscreen, and an optional 12.3-inch passenger display. It’s similar to the pillar-to-pillar Hyperscreen system found in some EQ models, though here it lacks haptic feedback for touch inputs, and the gauge display stands separately rather than integrated under a single piece of glass. Secondary hard buttons and switches are limited. The car’s environs can soothe like a day spa—or stimulate like a discotheque—via copious ambient lighting that throbs to the beats from the standard Burmester audio system’s 21 speakers. AI programming learns a user’s behavior and manages customizable “routines,” while up to five interior cameras, including the selfie unit, enable an array of functions. Zoom videoconferencing and access to TikTok, for example, are possible from behind the wheel when the car is stationary, and passengers can stream video and play Angry Birds without distracting the driver. It’s a lot of pixels and computer code to take in. But this is the first version of the MBUX operating system that Mercedes has produced entirely in house, and the more we interacted with it, the more intuitive it proved to be. Augmented-reality navigation and easy access to core features from the center home screen are a boon when you’re plying stressful, unfamiliar roads. The roster of standard and optional active safety systems is more encompassing than ever, with the highlight being the addition of automatic lane changes during hands-free cruising on the highway. Refined FoundationU.S. models initially will come in two familiar flavors, E350 4Matic and E450 4Matic, both of which feature all-wheel drive, a buttery nine-speed automatic transmission, and a 48-volt hybrid system that can contribute up to 22 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque yet does not increase the peak power outputs. We have yet to drive the E350, with its 255-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four, but the E450’s turbo 3.0-liter inline-six remains a lovely tool for the E-class’s mission, as it’s wonderfully smooth and impressively quiet at speed. Its 375 horses (a 13-hp increase from before) and 369 pound-feet help the car devour miles with ease. Though slightly larger and about 170 pounds heavier than the outgoing E450, the new E proved pleasantly competent when driven with vim. A sports sedan it is not, but its optional air springs and rear-axle steering (with up to 4.5 degrees of wheel movement) noticeably enhance its agility in tight turns, as well as endow it with disciplined body control and a creamy ride, even on big 21-inch wheels (20s are standard). Given the E’s focus on refinement, activating its Sport mode and uncorking the active exhaust seems inappropriately uncouth, but we estimate the E450 should reach 60 mph in the low-four-second range at full chat. We don’t expect its EPA fuel-economy estimate to stray far from the previous model’s 26-mpg combined rating. Mercedes has yet to release pricing, but increases over the outgoing 4Matic sedans’ entry points—$60,400 for the E350, $66,700 for the E450—should be modest. With a lineage stretching back more than 75 years, the E-class remains one of the brand’s core products and serves a range of roles around the world, from taxicab to luxury cocoon. Though the latest E embraces progress for the digital age, Mercedes is wise not to rush its evolution. Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
2024 Mercedes-Benz E450 4MaticVehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE (C/D EST)
Base: $67,000
ENGINE
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve inline-6, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 183 in3, 2999 cm3Power: 375 hp @ 5800 rpmTorque: 369 lb-ft @ 1800 rpm
TRANSMISSION
9-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 116.6 inLength: 194.8 inWidth: 74.0 inHeight: 58.3 inTrunk Volume: 19 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 4500 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 4.3 sec100 mph: 11.0 sec1/4-Mile: 12.9 secTop Speed: 130 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 26/23/31 mpgTechnical EditorMike Sutton is an editor, writer, test driver, and general car nerd who has contributed to Car and Driver’s reverent and irreverent passion for the automobile since 2008. A native Michigander from suburban Detroit, he enjoys the outdoors and complaining about the weather, has an affection for off-road vehicles, and believes in federal protection for naturally aspirated engines. More