First drive: the new Ford Mustang - BBC Top Gear

Posted: 17 Sep 2014 10:01 AM PDT

What is it?

This is the 2015 Ford Mustang. We've always loved and admired the model from afar, but now it's coming to the UK - and many other foreign lands - for the first time as part of the official model line up. And it's not going to be some special, limited edition left-hand drive effort - it's a proper right-hand drive model optimised for our driving styles and conditions.

What engines will it have?

In the US it's available with a V6, a 5.0-litre V8 and - new for 2015 - a 2.3-litre EcoBoost four. The V6 is the base engine and won't be making the trip overseas, leaving the four and the eight as the two choices. The V8 is a carry over from 2014 and has 418 horsepower plus 524 Nm of the good stuff. The EcoBoost - a twin-scroll turbocharged in-line four banger - has 314 horsepowers and 434 of your finest torques.

So obviously you want the V8 then?

Your heart might say V8 - and if you've been waiting several decades to get a proper one in the UK, nothing else will probably do - but your head should not let you dismiss that EcoBoost fella lightly. It might have over 100bhp less than the V8 but, depending on the final spec, the car can weigh over 100kg less, too. Pretty much all of that from the front end. So there is a huge win in the steering department for the smaller-engined car.

What about the handling - they've sorted that, right?

Right. The big news is that the Mustang gets an independent rear suspension for the first time (if you don't count the SVT Cobra). But that is just the beginning of the handling story for this car. It's not going too far to say that this chassis is one of the best Ford has ever produced, anywhere in the world.

In the spec we'll get in the UK - which in the US would require optioning a performance pack - this Mustang is fabulously neutral, controlled, amazingly well damped and exactly what you want underneath you. It's a tiny bit harsh on some bigger bumps, but road noise is low, the steering is direct - especially in Sport mode, one of three switchable choices available - and it's a lot of fun to drive.

That's fun for a muscle car, not fun compared with Europe or Japan's finest?

No, that's fun without any qualification. This chassis will go up against the best from anywhere and give them a good run for the money. You can steer both models, both of which have a limited slip diff as standard, on the throttle almost as much as with the wheel - the V8 particularly - so you can indulge your inner Bullitt fantasies as much as you want. But then when you want to tidy things up and go fast, it will now do that, too. The EcoBoost-equipped car is, by quite a margin, the best handing of the two.

Give me more of an idea here. Would the EcoBoost Stang give a GT86 a run for its money?

It wouldn't just give it a run, it would smash its face in. The new Stang has a stack more grip, more power, more torque and is an altogether bigger, faster car.

What are the gearbox options - all manual?

No, there's a six-speed manual , but there's also a six-speed auto, too. Clutch action is light and smooth and the shift action is fine. The auto is a bit of a surprise - much more responsive and racy than you might expect, particularly when in Sport mode. It has the usual adaptive change patterns, but you can also stir it through the steering wheel mounted paddles. The manual is still the true driver's option, but the self-shifter runs it close.

What does it sound like?

The V8 sounds exactly like a Mustang should, roaring and grumbling its way up and down the rev range, so it hasn't been strangled to make it work around the world. The EcoBoost is not as evocative but has its own sound signature - a buzzy, swooshy note that doesn't exactly thrill but doesn't sound unpleasant either.

Tell me about the interiors - up to scratch?

Yep, all good inside. Ford has adopted an aeronautical theme to the interiors so they are all brushed aluminium, Bell & Ross watch-inspired speedo/tacho, and bright alloy toggle switches. It feels cool, contemporary and suitable. There are a number of upgrades available - Recaro seats, leather, etc - but even in the mid-spec cars they feel premium.

Connectivity is fully up to scratch, too. The revised Sync system swallows your phone's address book in seconds, the navigation takes verbal commands more easily and there's a stadium rock concert-level sound system available for those AC/DC moments. Seat space in the back is OK for smaller adults and kids. The load area, with fold down seats, is big enough to carry enough stuff for four people. It's not massively spacious, but suitable.

C'mon, it can't all be great. Surely there's something that won't work here?

Well, it is still a big car and the view over the bonnet is restricted over both wings (even though we won't be getting the bonnet scoops in the UK), so squeezing it into parking gaps is going to be an issue. Likewise threading it down a narrow back lane is going to require a lot of concentration. But the good news is that the car now has the power and precision to let you do that.

So should I buy one?

Of course you should. At the sort of prices being bandied about - under £30k for the EcoBoost and well under £35k for the V8 - there's an awful lot of very, very good competition. But Ford has done its homework and built a Mustang that not only keeps the muscle car flame burning brightly, it also adds the quality, precision and practicality that it needs to make this not just an emotional purchase, but also a rational one, too.

We might have had to wait 50 years for it to get here, but the wait has been worthwhile.

Bundy sued after <b>car</b> hits cow on I-15 | Las Vegas <b>Review</b>-Journal

Posted: 17 Sep 2014 04:42 PM PDT

On April 12, a triumphant Cliven Bundy and his supporters chased away federal authorities and set the rancher's impounded cattle free once more to roam public land in northeast Clark County.

Two days later, a car collided with one of Bundy's cows on Interstate 15, about 10 miles from his Bunkerville ranch, killing the animal and sending the vehicle careening down an embankment.

Now a Las Vegas woman injured in the crash is suing Bundy for negligence.

The lawsuit filed Sunday in Clark County District Court alleges Bundy "recklessly, carelessly and negligently allowed his cows to enter onto Interstate 15 through an area where he had no grazing or other rights."

Danielle Beck is seeking at least $20,000 for medical expenses, lost income and other damages.

"She's lucky she lived," said Bob Apple, Beck's Las Vegas lawyer. "I've been practicing since 1975, and I've never seen someone with so many broken ribs."

The crash occurred about 1:15 a.m. on April 14, less than 48 hours after the Bureau of Land Management abandoned its roundup and allowed Bundy to take back his impounded livestock following a tense standoff with the rancher's supporters, including armed militia members from across the country.

According to the Nevada Highway Patrol's accident report, Beck and her boyfriend, Matthew Zanatta, were headed north on I-15 about 75 mph when they encountered cows in both lanes of the road. Zanatta tried to stop the car, but it hit one of the cows. The animal rolled up onto the roof, and the car swerved off the road and into a culvert.

Both Beck, 34, and Zanatta, 40, were taken by ambulance to the hospital in Mesquite.

Apple said his client has recovered enough to return to her job as a schoolteacher, but she was unable to work the second job she usually takes to earn extra money during her summer break.

The accident report said authorities at the scene had to herd four other cows away from the highway through a hole in the fence along the interstate.

"The cow's owner never arrived on scene after being contacted by NHP dispatch," the report said.

Bundy had not been served with notice of the lawsuit Wednesday, but he was familiar with the accident. He said it was his cow that was hit, but he denied any responsibility.

He said it is the state's job to maintain the fence that keeps his livestock off the interstate.

"It's a state problem. It's not our problem," Bundy said. "We really feel bad when it happens. We sure don't want it to happen. But we're not liable."

A spokeswoman for the Nevada Department of Transportation said she needed to research the issue before commenting.

Apple said he did not know why there was a hole in the fence and who was responsible for fixing it, but more defendants could be added to the lawsuit.

One thing is clear: Bundy does not have the BLM's permission to graze his cattle on federal land that brackets the highway and surrounds his 160-acre property along the Virgin River.

The rancher's federal grazing permit was canceled 20 years ago after Bundy stopped paying his grazing fees in a dispute over the BLM's new range restrictions meant to protect the desert tortoise. The land since has been closed to grazing, but Bundy kept his livestock on the range, and the government kept assessing fees and penalties that now exceed $1 million.

In April, armed with a pair of federal court orders, the BLM and a crew of contract cowboys came to round up the rogue cattle. They had about 350 animals in their impound pens northwest of I-15 when the operation was abruptly canceled amid the growing threat of a shootout between Bundy supporters and federal authorities.

After being hailed as a folk hero by pundits and politicians across the country, Bundy saw his support quickly erode when he made racist remarks at a pair of his own daily news conferences near his ranch.

Conservationist Rob Mrowka from the Center for Biological Diversity in Nevada said the April crash is "yet another example of how unrestricted and unmanaged free-roaming cattle can impact public safety and welfare."

"The ripple effects of Bundy's brazen violation of the law extend far beyond the desert tortoise," Mrowka said.

Bundy said Wednesday that technically he is within his rights to make a claim of his own against Beck.

"The person whose car hit that cow is liable to me," he said.

Contact Henry Brean at hbrean@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350. Find him on Twitter: @RefriedBrean.

Car Reviews

Monday 22 September 2014

First drive: the new Ford Mustang - BBC Top Gear

First drive: the new Ford Mustang - BBC Top Gear

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