Make/Model: Ford Mustang GT Cabriolet Manual 2011
Colour: Black
New?: Demo, had 7300km on the clock
Engine: 5.0l V8
Power/Torque: 307kW (412 BHP) @ 6500 rpm / 529Nm (390 lb-ft) @ 3500 rpm
Average Fuel Consumption: 7.6 - 13.0 l/100 km (Highway - City) 10 - 17 L/100km (Highway - City)
Performance: 0-100km/h in 4.8s, 250 km/h top speed (governor limited).
Owned: April 2011 - Jul 2013

Notes:
This is not exactly the car I was eyeing, but it seemed to be the better choice. I have now all I had in my Mustang V6, minus the glass roof, plus a cabriolet plus a navigation system plus HUGE boost in performance. Some pictures...

It has been 3 months since I bought this musle car, and boy what a ride it has turned out to be. Firstly, this car is as different in handling from my old V6 Mustang as the Audi TT was from my Open Astra 2.0 GSX. The V6 felt like a ship; it stopped like a huge ship and handled the same. It was very comfortable but agile, quick, responsive and good in the corners it was not.

The GT redefines what a Mustang is for me. The engine is tremendously powerful. To give you an idea, for 0-60mph it beats ALL Porche's except those with the word Turbo appended to their names. It is my first car that is so powerful that only on very good roads do you get to experience the full power under the bonnet - though this is partly attributed to poor suspension. For most roads the car - even with the great Goodyear Eagle F1 summer tires - just do not get enough traction. But this is where driver skill comes in and I am having a great time learning.

I took the car up north to Lake Lilooet the other day. Driving around tight corners was a breeze; the car never felt clumsy or slow. It had great grip on the road, the steering was very accurate and stopping power was beyond impressive - the car never took a nose dive like the V6 did. On the long(er) road - to Osoyoos, about 800km round trip - the car handled beautifully. Ample power but not uncomfortable on the open road.

Driving with the top off is a new experience for me. It is a lifestyle that I never saw myself part of, but this car changes that. For ultimate performance I still prefer the hard top, but the benefits of driving open top in the summer outweighs it (sometimes).

Like with any car, I did experience some issues. Firstly, there is a nagging rattle in the passenger seat assembly whenever I drive alone. Whenever someone is sitting in that seat it is quiet. This had since been fixed by Ford Service. Then, I have had the car twice not start when I turned the key in the ignition. Not sure what the reason was, and whether this is going to become a problem but I was not impressed. Lastly, the seat belt always locks when I drive, and I hate being pinned down like that. I want it to lock down only when it detects a sudden movement or an impact as it was designed to. Oh yeah, another peeve I have is the fuel consumption. In urban traffic if I drive enthusiastically I get 21l/100km. Driving on the highway to the city averages 10l/100km. This car is HEAVY, even more so than my Alfa Romeo I had.

Nevertheless, this car is truly an amazing piece of engineering, especially considering it is $25k less than a BMW M3 which is its rival when it comes to performance. So far I am very happy to drive it.

Update Dec '12: This car - as brilliant as it may be - is a disaster waiting to happen. If you are an adrenaline junkie or tired of life by all means get it - it is insane fun. BUT if you value life, have kids or just do not like the idea of lying in a ditch when the weather turns south, maybe this car is not for you. It has NO traction when the road gets wet / snowy. As in, with full traction control enabled, the car just skids whenever you touch the accelerator. Maybe it is my summer tires, but even so it is like tobogganing.