I Just Drove A V8 Mustang GT And It Was Good

Today's been an interesting day. Having driven from London to the south coast (in aid of tomorrow's Goodwood Revival event) in a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder Fiesta Ecoboost (125hp; 147lb ft torque; 1101kg), I was welcomed by Ford with a plethora of beautiful vintage cars, hot hatches and this, the formidable Ford Mustang GT. You already know which one I chose to drive first.

The Mustang GT is powered by a 5.0-litre V8 engine, which produces no less than 420hp and 390lb ft. It weighs around 1700kg, channels its power through a six-speed manual gearbox (you can opt for a six-speed auto if you so wish), is good for 155mph (limited) and will hit 62mph in around 5.0sec. It's also the same length and width as a Transit van. In fairness though, that massive V8 certainly needs breathing space.

On tight, wet and twisty British B-roads (certainly not the GT's natural home), it's a surprisingly easy car to work with. The steering is quicker than I'd expected, so it turns in more readily than the memes you and I have seen on the internet would have you believe. Except this one...

The best thing about the GT? The buttery V8 rumble, the drama, the seamless acceleration and the admiring glances this muscle car demands make for an intoxicating cocktail that any petrolhead would love to drink up. The ride's also nicely damped and impressively supple.

The downsides? Under hard braking, you feel the GT's mighty weight slowing the Earth's rotation, and lack of visibility is a let down - there is a lot of car around you, however, so it's to be expected.

The interior is pretty well appointed, although not as refined and nice as a typical European saloon of any distinction. The seats are broad, but supportive and the manual 'box has a weight to it that reminds you with every shift not to drive like a certain Mr Toretto. (He's got at least 12 gears to get through, after all).

With my first experience of the Mustang GT (indeed any bona fide muscle car) still resonating in my ears, it sure does make me sad that us islanders won't get to experience the V8 GT in right-hand drive (we'll have to wait until 2015 for the new, downsized model for that). A car like this is simply too raucous, too in-yer-face and too thirsty for us lot. Which is a shame, because I can think of at least 50 other great cars I'd pass on to make the GT my daily driver.