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However, not once did I feel frustrated or dejected, thanks to the large 5.0-litre V8 lump under the long hood. Instead we ended up on roads that were more pimpled than a teenagers face and encountered the finest rural traffic that UP had to throw at us. Our research had told us that we were to find and join a well paved four-lane highway somewhere on our way to Lucknow, which never came.

Not wanting any more screw ups, we decided to use the vintage Indian technique of asking locals for directions which turned out to be an even bigger mistake than the maps. Instead we were greeted with a smile and got waved on by the startled Jawans. We started early from Varanasi to avoid traffic, but Google maps had some other plans for us as it took us straight into an army base and if not for the Mustang we would have definitely got beaten up or shot at. Nasty because I wasn’t expecting it, but once use to it, it became like a healthy shot of adrenalin exiting speed breakers or tight corners. It was a freezing morning as I got into the car and the first 100 metres were enough to jolt me awake! As I exited our hotel and ‘gently’ dabbed on the throttle, I was greeted by a nasty oversteer. The Mustang just gulped gasoline happily and put down all of the horses without any hiccups or a dreaded warning light.

But out in Uttar Pradesh, with some fuel stations as big as mountaineering tents and as filthy as sulabh sauchalay, we didn’t have to care about the quality of fuel. When I first drove the Mustang on track I was a bit disappointed by the fact that it came with a detuned engine which made a massive 30 bhp less.

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The biggest surprise of the Mustang is the boot, which is quite big and took two people’s luggage and a full size spare with ease. Sure the interior quality leaves a lot to desire but this is the best cabin of any Mustang to date.

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Thanks to the absence of B-pillar and large windows, visibility even from the low driver seat is fantastic and the thick rimmed steering wheel is unusually big and it is loaded with as many as 18 buttons for music system, Bluetooth, cruise control and voice command system. But like in the SUV it’s not the most intuitive, and sometimes you have tap rather than touch for it to work.

You also get a touchscreen interface which is very similar to the one found on the new Endeavour. The twin-pod instrument cluster, three circular centre vents, toggle switches for different driving modes and the badge which says ‘Since 1964’ lets you know you are driving something with a rich history. The first impression of the Mustang’s dashboard is that of a modern take on the original pony car. Post drooling over the exterior, I opened the big wide door and stepped into the low slung driver’s seat. Unlike the old car’s boxy proportions the new Mustang looks more rounded but Ford has done a fabulous job of retaining the essence of what this pony car stands for. The boot section is fat, the three slat tail lamps look rustic and the twin tail pipes point at what’s lurking in its heart. But its design language is unmistakably Mustang-esque - the upright grille, muscular wheel arches, strong crease running across the side and the striking rectangular tail lamps made us look like celebrities everywhere we stopped.īut it’s from the rear that this car just looks menacing. Although this Ford coupe still keeps its predecessor’s hefty proportions, it now carries a lot of design cues from the modern Ford line-up like the slim headlamps. With enthusiasm I took the cover-off and the Mustang stood right in front of me in a menacing blood red colour. Even with the cover on, it was easy to tell that there something special lurking under the soft fabric. As soon as we got to our hotel in Lucknow the Mustang was parked right outside the lobby all covered up. Let’s get to heart of the matter, the Ford Mustang.

Photo mechanic 5.0