New Mustang California Special and a wolf with 900 horsepower in the discreet sheep’s clothing of a sedan

 

The quintessential style of west coast America has crossed the Atlantic as the Ford Mustang California Special arrives in Europe for the first time.
Embodying the free-spirited ethos of the 1968 original, the new Mustang California Special is offered exclusively in convertible body style with a folding soft-top for classic looks and open-air thrills. A special-edition design package with unique badging, detailing, 19-inch alloy wheels and special “colour shift” California Special decals delivers distinctive style, and Ford’s charismatic 450 PS V8 petrol engine provides the power for effortless cruising.

Inside, the Mustang California Special is designed to help liberate all the fun of the open road whatever the weather, with bespoke California Special detailing adding exclusive appeal. Standard comfort technologies include heated and cooled front seats, a 12-inch customisable instrument cluster, and advanced SYNC 3 connectivity that enables drivers to call up their favourite road trip soundtrack or find directions to the nearest beach using just their voice.

When the now iconic  Ford Mustang first hit the streets in 1964, owners’ clubs sprang up across America, with many regional dealers creating their own personalised designs. One – inspired by the 1967 Shelby GT notchback coupe prototype – came to be called the California Special.
That original version featured a blacked-out grille, fog lights and a side racing stripes that ended ahead of new rear side air scoops, as well as a Shelby-inspired spoiler. Impressed, Ford put a limited number of California Special cars into production for 1968.

The newest interpretation – available only as a folding soft-top convertible in homage to the famously Mediterranean-like climate of “the Golden State” – reflects the original with a honeycomb front grille finished in Ebony Black and featuring a GT/CS badge in Race Red, as well as lower side stripes finished in black, red and grey. Incorporating GT/CS logos, the stripes run from the front to rear wings and feature a hidden “California Special” script that is almost invisible in low light conditions but becomes much more prominent in stronger sunlight.

The Mustang California Special’s 5.0-litre Ford V8 engine – delivering 450 PS and 529 Nm 5 of torque – provides the performance and soundtrack befitting a special-edition Mustang.

Combined with Ford’s six-speed manual transmission featuring rev-matching technology for seamless gearchanges and an even sportier character, the model accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 4.8 seconds. Ford’s advanced 10-speed automatic transmission delivers 4.5-second 0‑100 km/h acceleration.

The automatic transmission also optimises performance depending on the selected Drive Mode. 4 Normal, Sport, Track and Snow/Wet modes deliver the appropriate driving experience whether on Route 66 or the A6. Good Neighbour mode can automatically limit the exhaust’s noise output at pre-programmed times of the day.

BRABUS 900 based on the Mercedes-AMG E 63 S 4MATIC+

Brabus continues a decades-long tradition with the new Brabus 900 supercar based on the current Mercedes-AMG E 63 S 4MATIC+. Immensely powerful high-performance automobiles in the unostentatious outfit of a Mercedes E-Class have repeatedly set milestones in the history of the company.

As the name suggests, the Brabus 900 of the 2022 vintage has a particularly powerful heart under the hood. Thanks to an increase in swept volume to 4.5 liters (275 cubic inches) and a special high-performance turbocharging system, the Brabus ROCKET 900 V8 twin-turbo increased-displacement engine produces an output of 662 kW / 900 hp (888 bhp). The peak torque of 1,250 Nm (922 lb-ft) is limited in the vehicle to 1,050 Nm (774 lb-ft).

In perfect interaction with the nine-speed SPEEDSHIFT transmission and 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive, the #brabus 900 accelerates in just 2.8 seconds from zero – 100 km/h (62 mph). The 200-km/h mark (124 mph) is reached after just 9.7 seconds. Only 23.9 seconds pass to 300 km/h (186 mph). The electronic speed governor kicks in at 330 km/h (205 mph) in order not to overstress the tires.

As a result, the all-wheel-drive sedan slings itself from rest to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 2.8 seconds. The 300-km/h (186 mph) barrier falls after a mere 23.9 seconds. The top speed is electronically limited to 330 km/h (205 mph) to protect the tires.

In order to combine these speeds with maximum handling stability, the Brabus designers went into the wind tunnel to develop exposed-carbon aerodynamic-enhancement components that generate additional downforce. The supercar is equipped with 21-inch Brabus Monoblock Z “PLATINUM EDITION” hi-tech wheels and a lowering module for the standard air suspension system to further optimize looks and dynamic handling.