LONG-TERM UPDATE 4 | Putting our Ford Mustang GT CS to the VBOX test

The motoring landscape has changed dramatically since the sixth-generation Ford Mustang launched back in 2014.

Specifically in the sphere of so-called performance cars, where turbocharging and hybridisation — sometimes a combination of both — have given everything from hot hatches to sports SUVs enough accelerative urge to rival or, in most cases, even surpass supercars from a decade past. Particularly if they were fitted with now borderline obsolete naturally aspirated engines. What was king of the road 10 years ago is now being obliterated by machines like the Golf R, BMW M3 CS or Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT.

Vehicular evolution can often be cruel to the old guard, which is why I was keen to see what kind of real-world performance our Ford Mustang GT California Special offers and if it is still competitive in 2023. To find out, I joined group motoring editor Denis Droppa at Tshwane’s Gerotek Test Facilities early one crisp spring morning.

Owned by Armscor, this impressive proving ground, stooped in myth and legend, is a real boon to the art of vehicle testing, with features such as a banked high-speed oval, skid pan and dynamic handling track.

That day, however, we use a long strip of concrete upon which, with the aid of sophisticated VBOX telemetry equipment, allows us to accurately measure 0-100 km/h and standing quarter-mile times: pretty much the gold standard when it comes to proving a car’s mettle. 

Droppa is up first in his BMW XM: a gargantuan SUV that despite tipping the scales at 2,785kg, is capable of going from standstill to 100km/h in 4.27 seconds. Again, this mind-bending feat is down to an advanced hybrid powertrain (twin-turbocharged 4.4l V8 engine and an electric motor) putting out a combined output of 480kW and 800Nm.

Happy with this figure — 0.03 seconds faster than the Munich carmaker’s claim — he transfers the VBOX set-up into the Mustang and shows me where on the strip I should position it for the start of my first run. Before setting off in a blaze of glory I run through a checklist to make sure I extract the most from that naturally aspirated 5.0l V8 engine.

The first thing to do is neuter the traction-control system (we don’t want any bogging down off the line), the second is to put the transmission into S for Sport and the third is to switch the drive mode to Drag Strip.

According to Ford, the latter maximises power and torque output, heightens the reaction times of the 10-speed automatic gearbox and allows for just enough wheel slip to get you off the line like a seasoned drag racer. It also initiates a launch control function: floor the throttle with your left foot on the brake and the ECU automatically holds engine revs at a set point (around 3,500rpm in the case of my test unit). As soon as you release the left pedal the Mustang surges forward in a tyre-peeling blaze of glory. Easy.

Charging down the pale concrete surface for the first time I’m amazed at how smooth and eager the Blue Oval’s Coyote V8 is to rev out when given the space to do so. Matched to a deliciously hard-edged exhaust warble, I’m also taken aback at how much power this unit seems to put to the ground — enough to initiate a noticeable scrabble of wheelspin when changing into second and third gear. Quite a feat when you consider the rear axle of the California Special is outfitted with sticky 275/40 R19 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tyres.

The 10-speed automatic transmission — what’s quickly becoming my least favourite feature of this car in everyday driving conditions — handles the abuse well, with snappy upshifts and a pleasant “kick” to accompany them. A 3.73:1 differential means you row through the cogs fairly quickly and by the time I reach the quarter-mile point, I’m already well into sixth gear. 

In sympathy for the car’s mechanicals, I limit myself to eight test runs. The slowest of the day brings about 0-100 km/h in 5.66 seconds and a standing quarter mile of 13.77 seconds. The fastest whittles the former down to 5.27 seconds and the latter to 13.42 seconds.

Ford to my knowledge doesn’t claim an official quarter-mile time, but in the sales brochure it reckons the Mustang GT CS is good for 0-100 km/h in 4.5 seconds — 0,77 faster than I was able to achieve. It’s important to note though that Ford’s figure is set at sea level whereas my testing took place roughly 1,400 metres above it; a caveat that sees the V8 lose between 14 and 18% of its efficiency, negatively affecting its performance.

So how does the Mustang GT CS compare to some of its rivals? TimesLIVE Motoring hasn’t had a chance to VBOX test its chief competitor, the R1,524,400 Toyota GR Supra AT, but a respected rival publication has and was able to manage 0-100 km/h in 4.44 seconds and a standing quarter mile of 12.62 seconds. Its turbocharged inline-six engine might make less power and torque than the motor in the Mustang, but forced induction sees it lose less power at altitude. The same goes for the R1,204,300 Audi S5 Coupe Quattro. Though its turbocharged V6 is also less potent than the Ford’s, Droppa was able to deliver it from standstill to 100km/h in 4.9 seconds when he took it to Gerotek in 2021. A quarter-mile time wasn’t recorded, but I assume it would be a whisker faster than the Ford. 

Quicker these two competitors are, but both will set you back more money. Though the California Special is no longer on sale, the regular Mustang GT is and on paper it offers identical levels of power and performance. Priced at R1,139,900, it’s R64,400 cheaper than the base-spec Audi and a whopping R384,500 less than the BMW-derived Toyota.

Maybe coughing up extra to unlock these accelerative bragging rights is important to you. If not, then the Ford, what with its characterful looks and V8 bellow, can be viewed as a relative performance coupé bargain, one that doesn't trail by much. Besides, down at the coast with a little less air in the back tyres for extra grip, it could be an even closer affair.

2023 Ford Mustang GT California Special: Update 4

ODOMETER ON DELIVERY: 10,128km

CURRENT ODOMETER: 9,956km

AVERAGE CONSUMPTION: 11.1l/100km 

PRICE AS TESTED: R1,154,900

PRAISES: Still a relatively quick whip in 2023, loving the V8 soundtrack, Drag Strip mode really does help it launch off the line.

GRIPES: Altitude does the naturally aspirated V8 no favours.