Ever since its inception in the early 1960s, the Ford Mustang was always designed to appeal to American tastes, while adding a touch of European sports car flavor. Small, light, and packing a V8 punch, the Mustang became a quintessential American product that rarely left our shores, despite legions of eager fans, especially our traditional allies in Western Europe.

Britain’s Chris Harris is one of the first European reviewers to get behind the wheel of the all-new Mustang. While he certainly doesn’t speak for all of the Old World, his reviews are widely respected, and he’s “over the moon” for the new Mustang.

As Harris notes though, the Mustang has never been widely available in Europe, and the level of build quality, thirsty motor, and lack of an independent rear suspension made it something of a joke among some European sports car enthusiasts. That all changed with the 2015 model though, and one of the first features Harris picks up on is the IRS, which allows for a lot more speed and fun through Europe’s many twisting, winding, and narrow roads.

Harris goes on and on about the IRS, and about what a difference it makes in the Mustang’s handling and overall feel. Yet he’s particularly keen on the styling and looks, saying that the 2015 Mustang just feels “special” in a place where muscle cars of any kind are few and far between. It’s also got a “crackin’” cabin for the 35,000 euro this particular model cost, though he’s really only interested in the performance of the 5.0 liter V8, rather than the 2.3 liter EcoBoost motor, because America.

Chris Harris certainly seems on board with the new Mustang, but how about the rest of Europe? Will high gas prices stymie sales of the V8 in favor of the more-frugal EcoBoost, and will Europeans find that the interior and build quality meet their high standards? We’ll find out once the sales stats for the year come out.