Sponsored

Picked up my 2018 Mustang GT in Royal Crimson!

entaiiie

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2017
Threads
4
Messages
119
Reaction score
135
Location
WA
Vehicle(s)
18' GT
Hey all -

Yesterday, I picked up my 2018 Mustang. Just wanted to share a little media and info on it!

It is a 2018 GT, 401a, performance package, magneride, active exhaust, 6MT, in Royal Crimson.

as you can imagine, I've only owned it for a couple of days and it may be a little hard to hide the new-car pride and bias. as a former mustang owner (2012 GT PP equivalent), and someone that has owned ~10 various performance cars in every configuration you can imagine, I have pretty high expectations that need to be met from my cars.

exhaust: I cannot believe how loud and aggressive they made this car. I am typically a guy who modifies his car to have a nice and aggressive exhaust note. Some cars I've just done downpipes, catbacks etc.. my corvette had headers, and a full 3" catback. The sound and tone of this car sits right in the middle of the pack from what I've experienced, with the added bonus that I can toggle it to be quiet if needed :). I am afraid of making it any louder, it's just gnarly as it sits. in a lot of pictures and videos I have not liked the way the exhaust tips look, but in person, I am warming up to them more. they don't like as 'thin' or as small as I had imagined them from the media I've seen. I thought they'd be tucked in more as well, but they sit at a nice exit point on the rear valance. I went through a tunnel earlier today and I could not wipe the shit eating grin off of my face for a while after, it made me gitty. that is the sound I had hoped for.

revised mt82: I had a 2012 Mustang GT for a couple of years so that is my comparison point. the gates are further spaced apart, but not in a bad way. the shifting is way more precise and accurate, it just firmly pegs right in to each gear in a smooth and concise manner, it's very satisfying. the throw length feels nice and proper to me, I don't wish it were any shorter. the clutch is noticeably heavier and requires a bit more effort to push down, but it's not bad. I can 'feel' the engagement point easier.

gearing: with the 3.73s I was honestly concerned. I felt like 1st gear was nearly impossible to put the power down in my 2012. I was wanting 3.55s because of that. the new gearing is pretty well set. 1st gear does go by quickly but you get a little more room in 1st gear. paired with stickier tires and a great suspension setup and the car feels amazingly predictable and easy to apply the power down in 1st gear.

LCD gauge cluster: I am conflicted on this. I think it is really cool. it impresses everyone that sees it. it looks and feels very futuristic, and the customization options are fun. I think at the end of the day it will be a thing that is not looked at often enough once we get used to the car, which makes the cost hard to justify. the added interior improvements make the package a slightly easier pill to swallow I guess.

color: I am in love with Royal Crimson. It looks very different based on angle, lighting conditions, etc. at night time you almost think it's a black car until you catch a light on it. when it's cloudy it almost has a black cherry/deep crimson hue. I've honestly not caught it in direct sunlight yet. a very nice looking color all around though, for a more subtle finish it is attracting a lot of attention.

coyote v3.0: I am still breaking it in so it's really hard to give feedback. I can at least say that the new fuel injection system is NOT audible to me and I was concerned about that. so far it seems to have gobs of power and I can't wait to run it through a few gears up to that high redline.

engine bay aesthetics: the flying saucer engine cover is *not* as awful as I had feared it would be. you can actually see more of the intake runners than the media I've seen portrays. it still looks pretty tidy and beefy under the hood. I still think the 11-14's and 15-17's look better in the engine bay, however.

magneride: damned impressive. very smooth. it's making me feel overly confident closer to the limit. I think this will be the first car where I don't modify the suspension. I need more time with this and better weather conditions to truly feel it out, but first impressions are impressive.

400a audio without the sub: it sounds just alright. I am not a big audio guy, but I came from a car with fender audio and a little sub, and this sounds noticeably less substantial and a little more hollow. it's fine for what it is, but if you're an audio fanatic I don't think you'll be satisfied with this. I am guessing the shaker pro config with the sub sounds much better.

seats: the back bolster is decent, but I wish the bottom leg bolster were more substantial. they do not hold me well enough in the tighter turns. I would heavily suggest recaros if you enjoy cornering. they are incredibly comfortable though and I appreciate how adjustable they are.

decklid panel: what is this panel of shit made out of it? I removed a dealer badge from it and then sprayed some quick detailer on it and wiped it with a brand new, soft and plush microfiber towel, and it put fine scratches in that spot already. bummer.

brakes: goodness, these brakes paired with the new michelin tires stop so incredibly well. I've not had the opportunity to really test these out thoroughly nor run them to a higher temp, but initial feeling is amazingly good and impressive.

tires: these things are GREAT. I can't believe that 275s can put the power down this predictably. my corvette with wider mich pilot super sports (315s) could not do what these are doing, granted that car had a lot more low end torque. remember that these are a SUMMER tire and we're quickly descending into the temps where these things are worthless :). I will be damned glad to have them come spring time however.

panel gaps: I am big on the small details, and I do not feel that the gapping on my car is inadequate anywhere. I have seen some horror stories on some of the s550s and was prepared for the worst, but I am quite pleased. they are not perfect, but I have not seen a gap that wasn't at least acceptable. 7/10 - 9/10 depending on where you look.

I've not really had a chance to fiddle with the infotainment stuff or interior customizations a whole lot yet. Work is keeping me busy.

Here are a few pics and a video of a cold start of the car. Happy to capture some more stuff if people want to request anything.

cold start: [ame]

2018-Mustang-GT-Royal-Crimson-1.jpg


2018-Mustang-GT-Royal-Crimson-2.jpg


2018-Mustang-GT-Royal-Crimson-3.jpg
Sponsored

 

bluebeastsrt

Oh boy
Joined
May 10, 2015
Threads
79
Messages
7,552
Reaction score
7,026
Location
New Jersey
First Name
BigD
Vehicle(s)
Ruby red 2019 GT Premium.
Sweet car.
 

Laztug

Wanna run dyno slips bro?
Joined
Aug 12, 2014
Threads
24
Messages
1,115
Reaction score
287
Location
COTUS
Vehicle(s)
Calling out OKC #1 spot after axle back install.
Great write up, royal crimson is looking nice! Grats on the purchase.

How is the mag ride at highway speeds?
 

Colleton

Mustang Fan
Joined
Dec 4, 2013
Threads
48
Messages
1,398
Reaction score
509
Location
NW Florida
Vehicle(s)
2020 GT500, 2017 Edge Sport, 2013 Focus ST
It's a beauty, congrats! I love that color.
 
OP
OP

entaiiie

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2017
Threads
4
Messages
119
Reaction score
135
Location
WA
Vehicle(s)
18' GT
Great write up, royal crimson is looking nice! Grats on the purchase.

How is the mag ride at highway speeds?
it's firm - but not in an uncomfortable way. it absorbs bumps very well, it feels like it starts to give enough but the rebound is so quick that you hardly notice you ran over an uneven surface, bump or dip. I am excited to go test this through the '405 proving grounds' sometime, there's a rough section of freeway that I have a good benchmark from my past cars. not enough seat time to say much more but first impressions are great. my wife is pleased with the ride quality and comfort as well.
 

Sponsored

Weasel1

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 8, 2017
Threads
26
Messages
527
Reaction score
342
Location
Tennessee
Vehicle(s)
2017 GT PP
Great review. Enjoy your new ride!
 

jasonstang

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2015
Threads
18
Messages
5,551
Reaction score
1,296
Location
Omaha, NE
Vehicle(s)
2017 GB GT/CS 6MT
Very nice.
What I don't get is $40k car they can't put some nice looking exhaust tips on there?
 

Nagare

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2017
Threads
58
Messages
4,023
Reaction score
2,226
Location
Ft Lauderdale
Vehicle(s)
2017 Lightning Blue V6
Vehicle Showcase
1
Agree with you on the decklid materials! Lots of microscratches from microfiber and looks like shit next to the beautiful paint.
 

airfuel

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2016
Threads
12
Messages
643
Reaction score
320
Location
CT
Vehicle(s)
Not a Bullitt
I’m torn on the new dash and worry that after the novelty wears off, it will just stay on one screen.
 

Sponsored

Nate-GT

Member
Joined
Nov 14, 2017
Threads
0
Messages
11
Reaction score
1
Location
Texas
Vehicle(s)
2018 Mustang, 2013 Ford Explorer Sport
Awesome review and great choice of car, options and color. I am looking forward to ordering mine in February. I am really debating between the PP1 and PP2 package as well. Trying to figure out if I can justify the 401a, PP2, Active Exhaust and the RoushCharger. I figure if I am going to do it then I might as well go all in.
 

Zelek

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2016
Threads
101
Messages
4,763
Reaction score
4,621
Location
Round Rock / Hutto, TX
First Name
Matt
Vehicle(s)
2021 Mustang Mach 1
Congrats on your new ride. Enjoy the hell out of it.
 

jasonstang

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2015
Threads
18
Messages
5,551
Reaction score
1,296
Location
Omaha, NE
Vehicle(s)
2017 GB GT/CS 6MT
I’m torn on the new dash and worry that after the novelty wears off, it will just stay on one screen.
I think the reason is it's rather under utilized. It doesn't display anything more than the standard dash. I wish they would add extra features such as radio information and navigation instructions.
I actually think adding a head-up display would be a much better option.
 

plc268

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2015
Threads
31
Messages
1,853
Reaction score
648
Location
Central Texas
First Name
Patrick
Vehicle(s)
2015 Mustang GT Premium Race Red
Very nice.
What I don't get is $50k car they can't put some nice looking exhaust tips on there?
fixed that for you

To the OP, love that color. I didn't think I'd like that color so much, but damn that looks good.
 

Kevin08

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2014
Threads
29
Messages
2,406
Reaction score
1,246
Location
Panhandle FL
First Name
Kevin
Vehicle(s)
19GT
I think the reason is it's rather under utilized. It doesn't display anything more than the standard dash. I wish they would add extra features such as radio information and navigation instructions.
I actually think adding a head-up display would be a much better option.
It does display nav.
Sponsored

 
 




Top