Many of us remember a time when a 5.0 badge on the side of a Mustang meant something. Those two digits signified that you had encountered the reigning king of the stoplight grand prix. A horsepower rating of 225 was serious steam some 25 years ago.
Providing more evidence that history is destined to repeat itself, the 5.0 badge is back. Things have changed, however, as the Mustang's base V6 engine now makes an impressive 305 horsepower. The 5.0-liter V8 found in the latest GT produces 412 horsepower along with 390 lb.-ft. of torque when fed premium fuel. File those figures under the heading of "progress." (By the way, knock those numbers back to 402 and 377 when running regular fuel.)
Our test car wasn’t exactly the second coming of the 5.0 notchback, as it was fairly loaded: Brembo brakes, 19-inch aluminum wheels, HID headlights, reverse parking assist and more. Oh, and the top went down. Still, it should get Robert Van Winkle's seal of approval.
