Thinking about picking up a new Mustang? Great, now
you’ll just need to choose which one. And Ford may have just made your decision
a little more difficult. Returning to the 2019 lineup is the California
Special, a new edition of Dearborn’s pony car that revives the look and feel of
a classic.
The name first surfaced way back in 1968 when Ford
took stylistic inspiration from the ’67 Shelby GT prototype and offered it as
an aesthetic upgrade package for the original Mustang. Now half a century
later, the California Special returns with an array of enhancements. It started
out as the Mustang GT, with the 5.0-liter V8 and six-speed manual, and adds
features like a front splitter, unique five-spoke wheels, blacked-out grille, a
fading stripe along its flank, and microsuede-trimmed seats. And of course
there are special badges both inside and out.
It joins the Bullitt Mustang in the growing lineup
that also includes the turbocharged EcoBoost model and the top-of-the-line Shelby
GT350 and GT350R. We’re expecting a new GT500 to join the family soon. And
while the Mach 1 may be destined to resurface as an electric crossover, we
could see a new Boss Mustang in the future.
Also, Ford has
introduced a handful of other enhancements to the 2019 Mustang lineup. There’s
a new Bang & Olufsen audio system, EcoBoost models can now be ordered with
the variable exhaust that debuted on the Mustang GT, and there are new colors
joining the lineup as well.
