CREDIT: NAUMAN FAROOQ
The 2015 Ford Mustang GT Convertible is the all-American dream with extreme speeds and a sleek look, but watch out, it is quite expensive.

It would be fair to say that 2015 is the year of the Mustang.

Not only did Ford unveil their new sixth-generation model of the Mustang for 2015, but I have also spent a good portion of the year in many various versions of this American sports car.

I started the year off with a test of the base, a V6-powered Mustang back in January, and while the weather conditions during that week were far from ideal for a rearwheel drive sports car, my winter- tire shod tester proved the yearround drivability of this model.

A few months later, when the weather was warmer, I got into a Mustang EcoBoost model.

This one features a four-cylinder, turbocharged motor that had created a lot of buzz leading up to its launch.

The good news is the reality lived up to the hype. For many, the Eco- Boost Mustang only has half the cylinders a Mustang should have, but the performance would change the heart and mind of most performance car enthusiasts.

In July, I tested the ultimate version called the Galpin-Fisker Rocket Mustang.

This model might have started out in life as a Mustang GT Coupe, only then going to attain some improvements. Henrik Fisker, who designed the BMW Z8 and the Aston Martin DB9, penned its re-skinned body. The performance bits for the Rocket includes track tuned suspension by CorteX Racing, and a 2.9 litre supercharger by Whipple, that helped raise power figures to a stratospheric 725 horsepower.

However, all the versions of the Mustang I had tested this year had fixed roofs. Ford does make a droptop version, so I thought it would be ideal to do my last Mustang test of the year featuring the convertible model. Since I had not done a feature on the 5.0 litre GT model either, I thought it would be ideal to try to combine the two.

Thankfully, Ford Canada had just the model in their fleet, a 2015 Mustang 5.0 GT Convertible.

Like all other new Mustang models, the GT convertible features all-round independent suspension, which vastly improves the ride and handling over its predecessors.

My tester however did not feature Ford’s performance pack, so the ride and handling was quite a bit softer than I would have liked.

The most improved feature in this model was the convertible top. While the old model used to take a day to put its roof up or down, the new power-roof gets the job done in about 20 seconds.

When the stoplight turns green, you get to experience what many would say is the cars’ best feature: its engine. Under the hood of my tester was the 5.0 litre V8 motor that everyone craves.

It produces 435 horsepower and 400 pounds per foot of torque, which is enough to propel this nearly 4,000 pound machine from 0 to 100 kilometres per hour in about 4.8 seconds, and onto a top speed just north of 250 km/h.

The speed is accompanied by the noise of the V8 motor, which is music for any auto enthusiasts’ ears.

On clear and sunny days, I’d simply drop the top, drop a few cogs on its six-speed manual gearbox and just bury the throttle.

In addition to the performance, the interior of the 2015 Mustang can be specified to have a great sound system, a good infotainment system and it offers a comfortable ride.

As for complaints, the steering wheel is too big and the quality of the interior plastics in many areas is too similar to Econo Car Rentals.

In short, the interior is a fine place to spend time in, but you’re not likely to be wowed by it.

If you’re tempted to buy a new Mustang convertible, prices start at $30,399 for a V6 engine model. A 5.0 GT convertible is yours from $48,449, while my tester was nearly $53,000.

That’s not cheap to buy, and given how it drank 14.1 litres per 100 kilometres during my test week, it’s not cheap to run either. However, for most Mustang owners, this is a fun secondary car, and if you can afford it, you’ll enjoy every minute in it.