For the second year running, Road & Track put a group of the finest new performance vehicles and pit them against each other in a battle to be crowned R&T’s Performance Car of the Year (PCOTY).
The 2015 Mustang GT was one of 15 entrants this year, among a group filled with some serious heavy hitters (list below) both domestic and foreign with price tags in upwards of $240,000.
1. BMW M3
2. Alfa Romeo 4C
3. Dodge Viper TA 2.0
4. BMW M235i
5. Subaru WRX STI
6. Chevy Camaro Z/28
7. Jaguar F-Type R Coupe
8. Ferrari 458 Speciale
9. Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat
10. 2015 Mustang
11. Mini Cooper S
12. Nissan GT-R Nismo
13. Lexus RC F
14. Volkswagen GTI
15. Porsche 911 GT3
Earlier in the week, R&T announced the 2015 Mustang GT was one of three PCOTY finalists along with the Ferrari 458 Speciale and the Porsche 911 GT3. It sung the praises of the S550, saying:
We also singled out the Mustang GT Coupe Premium. It’s okay to believe the hype about this nearly perfected pony. It’s not just the best American two-plus-two in history, it’s a credible rival to the high-power European competition that sells for two or three times the price. On a back road, it’s accessible and thrilling for every level of driver.
Like last year’s winner, the seventh-generation Corvette, it redefines what’s possible at a relatively affordable price. Every sub-$50,000 car on the market will have to answer to the Ford from now on, no matter what badge it brings to the table.
Now that the final votes have been cast, the 2015 Mustang GT was runner up, behind only the Porsche 911 GT3 in votes. The other finalist was the Ferrari 458 Speciale — in other words, some seriously impressive company.
There is even a very vocal minority among the R&T staff that believe the 2015 Mustang GT should have won:
It’s true that the big ponycar can’t stay within telescope distance of the Porsche around a track or down a twisty road. But PCOTY isn’t about the numbers. It’s about the ability of a car to involve you in the driving process, to make you a companion and ally in a compelling adventure—and in that respect, very few cars on the market today can touch the new Mustang…
The result is the best ponycar in history and a real challenge to the established German performance sedans. Think of it as a bigger, brasher, bolder E92 M3 and you’ll be on the right track.
Should it have been PCOTY? Plenty of our staffers thought so. After all, the new GT3 is great, but how much greater is it than the old one? Put this 2015 Mustang GT on the PCOTY loop with the old model, though, and you’d see a Grand Canyon separating the two.
Beyond the praise, there are hard tack numbers to back it up.
The 2015 Mustang GT ran a lap time of 56.81 secs with a top speed of 127.2 mph at the Motown Mile track, placing it in the 25th fastest lap time position, edging out the Chevy Camaro SS 1LE by 0.02 secs and the 2012 Boss 302 by 1.58 secs.
Read more and join the discussions in the FORUMS.