Mustang gt 34xxx miles - $14000 (S197)

The 2018 Ford Mustang Ecoboost Coupe Premium.

My son-in-law-to-be wanted to know about the Triple Yellow Mustang parked in the lot outside the winery where a family wedding was winding down.

"What engine does it have?"

"Two-point-three-liter Ecoboost turbo four."

He made a face.  He's 20.  He's allowed.

"A four in a Mustang?  I didn't know they did that."

"They did from 1979-82", I said, conveniently leaving out the whole sorry 1974-78 Mustang II affair.  I also left out the 1984-86 Mustang SVOs, which were also fire-breathing 2.3-liter turbocharged fours.  He's 20, they're almost 35.  It'd be too much explaining.

Instead, I just took him for a ride.

2018 Ford Mustang Ecoboost Coupe Premium.

The winery was on a frontage road along U.S. 101 in Mendocino County, just north of Mrs. TireKicker's hometown of Ukiah.  It was deserted.  I floored it.

I won't write the first word that escaped my future son-in-law's lips.  Let's just say he was surprised.  Sixty miles an hour comes from a standing start in five seconds, give or take two-tenths.  A few years ago, the vaunted 5-liter Mustang GT couldn't accelerate like that.  The 2018 Ford Mustang GT we reviewed back in April, can...in fact, 0-60 is possible in 3.9 seconds.  But it starts at $39,095.  The Ecoboost?  $30,600.

Those of us who are not numbers freaks could probably be very happy with the Ecoboost and $8,495 in the bank.

2018 Ford Mustang Ecoboost Coupe Premium interior.

That $30,600 buys a very complete machine...the 310-horsepower 2.3-liter EcoBoost four, dual exhaust, automatic LED headlamps, hood vents, LED fog lamps, dual power heated mirrors with turn signals, projection lamps that put the outline of the Mustang logo on the pavement by each door when you unlock it at night, LED sequential taillamps, intermittent wipers, a 12-inch LCD digital instrument cluster, ambient lighting, auto-dimming rearview mirror, dual illuminated vanity mirrors, dual-zone automatic climate control, leather-trimmed seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, power locks and windows, two power points, two smart-charging USB ports, a split-folding rear seat, a tilt/telescope steering column, an AM/FM/CD /SiriusXM audio system with an eight-inch SYNC touchscreen, electronically-assisted power steering, intelligent access with pushbutton start, a limited-slip rear axle, rearview camera, reverse sensing system, selectable drive modes, track apps, a universal garage door opener and a perimeter alarm....all standard.

Now, let's let that sink in for a moment.  All the above...including horsepower that would have been available only in the Mustang GT a few years ago (and Corvettes a few years before that)...for $30,600---or roughly six grand less than the average price of a new car in America as of this writing.

That, my friends, is essentially the deal of the century.  In a seriously fast, seriously quick (two different things) sports car that also gets an EPA estimated 20 miles per gallon city and 29 highway.

Our tester came with some extra cost options:

• Equipment Group 201A (Premier trim with color accent group, premium floormats with accent stitching, voice-activated touchscreen navigation): $2,200.
• Triple Yellow Tri-Coat paint: $495.
• Ten-speed SelectShift automatic transmission: $1,595.
• EcoBoost Performance Package (a 3.55 Torsen limited-slip differential, 19-inch low-gloss Ebony Black-painted aluminum wheels, summer-only tires, engine-spun aluminum instrument panel, larger brake rotors with four-piston fixed calipers): $2,495.
• Safe & Smart Package (Pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping system, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning with brake support and rain-sensing wipers): $1,495.
• Enhanced Security Package: $395.
• Shaker Pro Audio System: $895.
• MagnaRide Dampening System: $1,695.

The 2016 Ford Mustang GT California Special Convertible.

Mustang fans know the story of the California Special...the 1968 Mustang that was a limited-edition (4,118 cars) run of Mustang Coupes with '65 T-bird taillights, a decklid spoiler, fake side scoops, badging and tape stripes.  Although they were badged "GT/CS", not all were Mustang GTs...and some had the Ford Falcon 200 cubic inch six-cylinder engine under the hood. That engine made 115 horsepower.

The good news is that we're seeing one of Ford's periodic revivals of the California Special for the 2016 Mustang (it's been back in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014).  The extra good news is that this year, if you get a California Special, you get a Mustang GT Premium Convertible.

2016 Ford Mustang GT California Special Convertible 5.0-liter V8.

And what makes that good news is that the engine (what you can see of it under the cladding and the GT California Special strut tower brace) is the 5.0-liter, 435-horsepower V8.  Zero to 60 in 4.6 seconds, a full second less than the most powerful '68 California Special...nine-tenths of a second less than the '68 Shelby GT500KR.

Put simply, and lost somewhat in a world where there are such things as 707 horsepower Dodge Charger and Challenger Hellcats, is that the 2016 Ford Mustang GT California Special Convertible is a fearsome beast, faster and better than any of the "good old days" Mustangs of the past 52 years.

2016 Ford Mustang GT California Special Convertible.

$41,895 gets you the 2016 Ford Mustang GT Premium Convertible.  And in addition to the aforementioned 5.0-liter V8 and a six-speed manual transmission, there's a lengthy list of standard equipment.

2016 Ford Mustang GT California Special Convertible rear badge.

Say yes to the California Special package (a $1,995 choice), and you get a special gas-cap shaped rear badge proclaiming your choice.

2016 Ford Mustang GT California Special Convertible hood-mounted turn indicators.

You also get accent stripes, a decklid spoiler, California Special floormats and 19-inch ebony black-painted machined alloy wheels. The hood-mounted turn indicators won't be back on 2017 models.  If you like them, you need to see if your dealer can find a '16.

2016 Ford Mustang GT California Special Convertible interior badge.

And a nice final touch---a "California Special" on the passenger side dash padding.

2016 Ford Mustang GT California Special Convertible interior.

Our tester also had a voice-activated navigation system ($795) and the 12-speaker Shaker Pro audio system ($1,795), which was astonishing.  Top down, 65 miles per hour on the freeway and the Shaker Pro makes the music sound like you're in a closed car.

As I mentioned in our review of the 2015 Ford Mustang Convertible with EcoBoost last fall, I've been around long enough to have seen the arrival of the first Mustang, to have wanted many, to have owned one (well, a Mustang II, which was all the Mustang you could buy new in 1975), and since 1997, when I began reviewing cars professionally, I've probably driven 40 of them.  This is, hands down, the best.  Even at 15 miles per gallon city/25 highway.  Even at $47,380 including destination and delivery charges.  It's an old friend that's learned a lot of new things.