Ford Mustang as California Special again

The current generation of the Ford Mustang is now in the fall of its life, but it won’t end before Ford releases a special version of it. For the second time there will be a California Special edition. It is slightly less extreme than the version presented in 2018. Ford provides the Mustang GT Convertible with new ‘Carbonized Gray’ 19-inch alloy and special California Special badging on the body and in the interior. The GT logo that is normally on the tailgate has also been adjusted, it now reads GT/CS, where CS of course stands for California Special.

In the interior of the Mustang California Special you will find standard seats with seat heating and cooling, partly covered with suede. Red stitching and, as mentioned, California Special decals further dress things up. The instrument panel is further finished with a carbon look. Contrary to what we secretly hoped, the Mustang California Special is not stronger than the regular GT Convertible. Not that you have anything to complain about, because in the nose is a 450 hp 5.0 V8 that, thanks to the manual six-speed gearbox, still provides good ‘old-fashioned’ driving pleasure. The ten-speed automatic transmission is also available for those who prefer it. Got excited? Unfortunately, you are then dependent on imports, because the Dutch importer informs you that the Netherlands is not one of the European countries where the California Special will be available.

We can imagine that you can no longer see the wood for the trees with all the different versions of the Mustang, so time to list a number of striking special versions.

bullitt

Whoever says “Bullitt” must also say Mustang. In the famous 1968 film, a dark green Mustang with Steve McQueen at the wheel grabbed full attention with one of the most iconic chase scenes ever. It later became very popular to convert Mustangs into the Bullitt car and Ford did this themselves with the first retro Mustang and the current generation Mustang eventually too. The modern tribute to the Mustang Bullitt was also available in the Netherlands and with its 475 hp power, it adds a little extra to the regular GT.

Mach 1

Another legendary name inextricably linked to the Mustang returned last year: Mach 1. That label printed Ford on the 460 hp version of the Mustang that had to bridge the gap between the GT and the now discontinued 500 hp Shelby GT350. The Mach 1 is slightly stronger than the GT (460 hp to 450 hp) and also received a series of adjustments to make it a lot sportier on winding roads. The Mach 1 has a modified chassis with MagneRide dampers and improved power steering and anti-roll bars. The six-speed manual gearbox also has shorter gearshifts and a modified exhaust system with valves that can be opened for extra ‘noise’.

Shelby GT500

The crème de la crème of the current Mustang is the Shelby GT500. Ford did not hang the 5.0 V8 in it, but a 5.2-liter large copy, which, thanks to a compressor, produces no less than 700 hp power. This made the Shelby GT500, unveiled in 2019, the most powerful series production Ford ever in one fell swoop. Of course, a Shelby GT500 is also clearly recognizable as a tremendous powerhouse, due to its considerably more aggressive nose, thick rear spoiler and 20-inch wheels made of carbon fiber.