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People are still shaking their heads in disbelief at the idea of a Mustang with a four-cylinder engine. And with the roof removed, the lack of a rumbling V8 seems even more like heresy.

But when it’s the 2.3-litre Ecoboost unit, as used in very similar form in the new Focus RS, might you be inclined towards forgiveness?

Tested here with the optional six-speed auto, the Mustang Convertible has 313bhp and a 5.9-second 0-62 time. But what really matters is what it doesn’t have.

It doesn’t have the noise of a V8, for starters. In anything else, this would be fine – but when that’s what every shred of you us crying out for, a muted four-pot hum sounds full-on offensive.

To make matters worse, the auto box strips a layer of zest from the engine’s performance. Foot to the floor and hold on tight, and yes it goes. But the shifts are slow, whether or not you control them with the paddles – and that’s the last thing you want when you’re trying to handle a big, bulky muscle car.

Remove the roof from that muscle car, and it gets less precise than ever. Which it wasn’t already, because it’s far keener to step its back end out halfway through a corner than it was to turn into it in the first place.

So this is a Mustang that’s best suited to cruising. It’s not exactly refined on the motorway, where its suspension rarely settles – but if you just accept that a little noise and a lot of scuttle shake are going to be your constant companions, you can tool along happily with the roof down and enjoy the adoring looks of all and sundry.

Don’t look back, though. Because a car like this is all about self-esteem – and the last thing you want is to see your adoring fans turning their noses up because they were listening out for the sound of a V8.

Ford Mustang 2.3 Ecoboost Convertible auto

On sale: Now

Price: £35,995

Engine: 4 cyls, 2300cc, turbo, petrol

Power: 313bhp at 5500rpm

Torque: 319lb ft at 2500-4500rpm

Gearbox: 6-spd automatic

Kerb weight: 1718kg

Top speed: 145mph

0-62mph: 5.9sec

Economy: 28.8mpg (combined)

CO2/tax band: 225g/km, 37%