Being the longest running muscle car in production and given its prominent Hollywood iconography, the Mustang is already a very special vehicle -so when you’re told that you’re going to be reviewing the new 2016 California Special, you can’t help but be intrigued.
To start, what makes the California Special so special? Back in the late 60s, 20% of every Mustang and Thunderbird that Ford sold in the USA was sold in the state of California. As a tribute to California’s love of the beast, Ford agreed to create a special version of the Mustang to be sold nationwide.
Around the same time Shelby was working on its own new model, a GT500 called ‘Little Red’. It showcased some distinctive external features, like a red and black color scheme, hood locks, fog lamps, and side scoops. Apparently, impressed by the look of Shelby’s new offering, shortly afterwards Ford unveiled its own red and black convertible with a bunch of trim updates – the California Special.
Fast forward almost 50 years and in March I found myself behind the wheel of the 2016 California Special – 8 years since the previous model was brought into the UAE.
Living up to its legacy, the 2016 California Special has the signature California Special Black on Red paint job, red on black cross-stitching on the inside and custom badges both inside and on the rear bumper of the car. The seats come embedded with GT-CS on the headrests and have suede inserts that actually make the seat more grippy than pure leather.
But beyond the aesthetics and the iconography, the car is just a 2016 Mustang with a convertible top and the trusty Ford V8 under the hood. I previously reviewed the 2015 Eco-Boost Mustang, which you can read about here, so I won’t dive into the interior and comfort aspects of this car as they’re the same.
So I’ll focus on one major differential – the price. Why buy the California Special at AED 203,000 when you can buy the Eco-Boost (which is almost as fast and fun) for just AED 175,000?
If it’s just about the nuts and bolts of the car, there’s no obvious answer. At AED 203,000, this car does not offer much practical value over that of the 3.2l EcoBoost variant of the new Mustangs. Neither does it offer more creature comforts nor even bragging rights in terms of speed, as this car isn’t that much faster than the EcoBoost variant. So then why get this car over the Ecoboost?
The truth is, the only reason you’d get this car is for the V8 and how it sounds. With the top on, the block sounds fantastic, while the exhaust playfully gurgles at the slightest depression of the accelerator pedal. With the top down, you’re suddenly exposed to the full orchestra of the V8, roaring in delight every time the pedal meets the floorboard.
And it’s bliss. Absolute acoustic bliss. There really aren’t many equivalent emotions you can experience when you hear the V8 let loose and you’re cemented into the suede inserts.
V8s are my favorite engine block, so I’m definitely biased. My favourite vehicle of all time, the Ferrari F40, has a V8 and it was built way back in 1987, a great year btw (my birth year). Even new age weapons, like the transmission-less Koenigsegg Regera has a V8, going to show that it’s capable of a lot. However, the V8 in the California Special is essentially the same V8 that was in the previous models and so it’s not any different. Sure the ride is better and better due to the independent rear suspension on the new Mustangs, but it’s still not that, for the lack of a better word, special.
And of course, with the top down, cruising through the streets, you still get looks, as people check you out. And whether they do it because they’ve (in my case, correctly) identified you as a poseur in a muscle car or because they’re genuinely checking the car out (it is very, very pretty), fact is, they’re still staring – the Mustang will always draw attention.
The litmus test was when I drove down Jumeirah Beach Road with the top down. For the uninitiated, that road is where people show off their super/hyper/rare cars. Driving down that road with the top down and the V8 murmuring as I drove along, I didn’t feel out of place and I definitely had people checking out the ‘stang.
So, if you love V8s and want a convertible, the Special is good. If you just want to look cool while cruising in the Mustang, get the Ecoboost.
