When the then-new 2005 Mustang debuted in 2004, gas prices were still under $2.00 a gallon and absolutely no one was discussing a four-cylinder Mustang as “the future.” Aerodynamics were put second place to the boxy, retro styling, and although the 2010 refresh improved things somewhat, there was plenty of room for improvement when designers were ready to pen the 2015 Mustang’s design.
These improvements include new active grille shutters, aero curtains, and other enhancements you can see at work in this video from The Truth About Cars.
Unfortunately, the video was filmed in 3D, and like most of you we don’t have that kind of technology on our humble work computers. But you can still get a sense of how Ford has sought to improve air flow around the 2015 Mustang with features like active grille shutters, which come with the 2.3 liter EcoBoost Mustang. The new turbo engine needs more air, but at high speeds that air can produce a lot of drag.
So when the engine needs the extra cooling, the shutters open. Otherwise they stay closed, improving fuel economy and aerodynamics. Ford also employed so-called aero curtains that direct air around the wheel wells, which traditionally causes a lot of drag in performance car. Even the placement of the sideview mirror was re-imagined to reduce drag, and you can see the effect on airflow in the video above.
All combined, these features improve both fuel economy and overall performance that results in a win-win situation for Mustang fans.