Ford has announced the Mustang California Special for the European market, exclusively available in Convertible bodystyle with the V8 engine. This is the first time Europe gets the California Special which was already available in the US. The special edition is inspired by the 1968 original. Following the example of the US-spec model, it comes with the GT/CS badge in Race Red, an Ebony Black honeycomb grille, a more prominent front splitter, optional decorative vents on the side, Carbonised Grey 19-inch alloy wheels, faux filler cap, and quad tailpipes. It also gets a cool set of “color shift” California Special decals with a hidden “California Special” script on the side strips that becomes visible under strong sunlight. The color palette includes nine shades with the pictured Cyber Orange contrasting the black fabric roof.
Inside we find heated and cooled seats
with leather and grey Miko suede upholstery, red stitching, GT/CS logos, Carbon
Hex aluminum finish around the 12-inch digital instrument cluster, plus the
8-inch central touchscreen incorporating the SYNC 3 infotainment system.
Standard ADAS include the Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keeping Alert.
The EU-spec California Special is fitted
with a 5.0-liter V8 engine producing 444 hp and 529 Nm of torque which is slightly less than the 454 hp of
the US-spec model because of the stricter emission regulations. The V8 is the
only engine option for the two-door Mustang in Europe since the 2.3-liter
EcoBoost four-cylinder was discontinued last year due to slow sales. Power is
transmitted to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox or a 10-speed
automatic. The former allows a 0-100 km/h in 4.8 seconds while the
automatic will get you there faster in 4.5 seconds.
The Mustang comes standard with a
limited-slip differential, while the electronically controlled MagneRide
suspension is optional. The muscle car also gets Drive Modes (Normal, Sport,
Track, and Snow/Wet) plus a “Good Neighbour” mode for a quieter exhaust at
pre-programmed times during the day. Ford didn’t announce EU pricing for the
special edition although we suspect it will be more expensive than the Ford
Mustang GT. In order to promote the California Special’s arrival to the Old
Continent, Ford released a promo video showing a couple driving it with the
roof down under heavy rain.
