New Mustang to cost the same as a Falcon, will have four-cylinder or V8 power -- and a burnout button on the V8 models.
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The new Ford Mustang will cost the same as a Falcon when it goes on sale next year -- and there are already 13,000 Australians queuing to buy the American icon.
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A top secret dealer bulletin obtained by News Corp Australia says the Mustang will cost between $50,000 and $70,000 in Australia, making it significantly cheaper than the outgoing Falcon GT which cost $80,000, and in line with the price for the last series of V8-powered Falcon XR8 sedans to be built at Broadmeadows.
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The Mustang is due to fill the V8 performance-car void in Ford showrooms once the Falcon goes out of production in October 2016, but in a shock to diehard fans a four-cylinder version will also be available.
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Itās not the first time the Mustang has had a four-cylinder engine -- an economy version was sold in the US from 1978 to 1993 -- but it is the first time a four-cylinder Mustang will be sold in Australia.
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Before fans scoff, Ford points out that the new generation turbocharged four-cylinder engine has almost as much power as the old V8 and sips a fraction of the fuel.
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Ford reintroduced the four-cylinder option this time around to appeal to fuel misers and to meet stringent fuel economy targets in Europe.
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At the other end of the performance scale, the V8 version of the new Ford Mustang is the first mass-production car in the world to come with a āburnoutā button.
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Press a button and the front brakes will lock but the rear brakes will not. Floor the throttle and the tyres quickly smoke up.
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Ford says the system is designed to be used at off-street drag racing meetings, a popular hobby for many Mustang owners in the US.
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This is the first time in the muscle carās 50-year history that the Mustang will be made in right-hand-drive on a Ford production line.
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The Mustangs sold in Australia in the 1960s and early 2000s were made in left-hand-drive and then converted locally.
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The latest models will be made in Fordās Mustang factory in Flat Rock, Michigan.
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The Mustang is already on sale in the US and is due in Australian showrooms -- and 25 other right-hand-drive countries, including Japan, the UK and South Africa -- by the middle of next year.
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In Australia, the Mustang will be sold in coupe and convertible body styles with a choice of four-cylinder or V8 power.
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Fast facts: Ford Mustang
Price: $50,000 to $70,000
Engine: 5.0-litre V8 or 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 325kW/540Nm (V8), 230kW/430Nm (four-cylinder)
Fuel economy: 12.3L/100km (V8), 9.0L/100km (four-cylinder)
On sale: In Australia 2015
*All power and consumption figures are approximate and based on US testing standards. Australian figures may vary.