CARS FOR SALE: January 2012

Proper Priorities: Recaros and Track Apps, but No MyFord Touch

Inside, the Recaro front seats currently found inside the GT500 and the Boss 302 are available on the rest of the lineup, too, with either cloth or leather upholstery. Thankfully-and unlike most recently refreshed Ford products-the Mustang does not adopt Ford's maligned MyFord Touch controls. Its infotainment system does incorporate a version of Ford's Sync system, however, which is operated via steering-wheel controls and spoken commands. Two new sound-system upgrades also are available for 2013.

Even bigger news is the addition of a new Track Apps option for versions of the V-6, GT, and Boss 302 that are equipped with the Premium package. Like the Performance pages offered on Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep SRT8s but with richer presentation, Track Apps shows various performance data on a digital display tucked in the IP. Specific screens present acceleration times, lateral-acceleration information, and braking performance.

And of Course, More Power

Ford claims that lessons learned during the development of the Boss 302 allowed engineers to squeeze a few more ponies out of the GT's 5.0-liter V-8. The new total: 420, up from 412. Buyers who option their Mustangs with automatic transmissions can now shift gears manually, but we don't know why they would. Shifts are actuated with a button on the shifter, rather than by slapping the shifter around or pulling on paddles behind the steering wheel. In manual mode, the automatic won't upshift at redline, but we hardly care, given that the manumatic function as a whole seems utterly unsatisfying.

Mustang GT customers have the option of a new Track package. Available on manual GTs with the 3.73:1 rear axle, it includes an oil cooler, the upgraded radiator from the Boss 302, high-performance brake pads, and the same Torsen rear differential as is available on the Boss. It also includes the contents of the current model's Brembo Brake package that brings 14-inch front rotors, 19-inch wheels, and summer tires. (The Brembo package is available as a standalone option on 2013 GTs as well.)