Unbelievably, in 53rd year of consecutive production, the Ford Mustang continues to impress. The latest pony combines progressive and classic styling with world-class handling, amazing technology and big horsepower. And with that formula, Mustang is a serious choice for any performance car enthusiasts. For 2018, Ford's pony takes a giant gallop forward with engine and transmission upgrades designed strike at the heart of Camaro and Challenger.

We're mainly talking about the latest version of the 5.0L Coyote that's rated at 460 horsepower and 420 lb-ft. of torque. Features include a very high-flow induction with four-valve per cylinder heads, 12:1 compression, aggressive cams, and a free-flow exhaust. Backing up, we'll note that $25,585 gets you behind the wheel of the 310 hp EcoBoost four-cylinder, that gets a serious bump in torque to 350 lb-ft. The turbo 'Stang can ordered in a variety of packages, including the Performance Pack, which gives you improved suspension, Brembo brakes and 3.73:1 rear gearing on the manual (3.55 with the auto).

While quick, the 5.0L Coyote is in another league. It purrs loudly through the new, optional Active exhaust and the bark is backed up with serious bite—as we recently found out while testing one at the strip. Ford also spent time perfecting the transmissions, as both the EcoBoost and the GT can be ordered with a revised six-speed manual or the all-new SelectShift ten-speed automatic.

You may remember Car Craft recently tested the 2018 EcoBoost and the GT during Ford's official press launch in Los Angeles. Both models carved canyon roads well, providing a full day of extreme fun. We even tried out the 'Drag Mode' on a strip of clear pavement. It felt the amazing, with crisp upshifts, but the short squirt didn't compare to a real-world drag strip test.

Back at the ranch, engineers and PR staff boasted about how quick it was, one guy even 'suggested' a stock 'Stang could go 11s at the track, as if to say, "dude, you need to get one to a track wink wink." Hey, I can take a hint, plus, enthusiasts wanted us to answer the question—how quick is a stock 2018 Mustang GT in the quarter-mile?

It didn't take much prodding for Ford's PR team to offer us a brand-new GT for testing. We were sure to request ten-speed automatic (since we felt it would be quicker than the stick) and the Performance Pack, which got us the 3.55 axle ratio (3.15 is standard with the automatic). The only problem- there were no drag strips available during our time in California, and none open in December, especially in Michigan. Thankfully, Ford offered for us to come get a car and take it wherever we needed to get the job done.

I enlisted fellow gearhead, drag racer, and car builder Eric Bardekoff, to help with the adventure that would take us from Dearborn, Michigan, down I-75, through, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and finally to magical Orlando, Florida.

Bags packed, we went directly from the PRI (Performance Racing Industry) show in Indy and arrived in the Motor City on an icy-cold December morning. As promised, a fully loaded 2018 GT Coupe Premium was waiting for us, albeit, one covered in snow.

Yes, it's pricy for a Mustang GT, but this thing is stacked with technology, comfort, connectivity, and performance. And frankly, if you don't want all the bells and whistles, you can get a base GT for $35,095, and most people are paying less than MSRP. It's a lot of car for the money.

Eric and I warmed the engine, fired off the heated seats, cleaned off the GT, and we were on our way. Before leaving Detroit, made a quick stop at the Henry Ford Museum. The Henry is a showcase of Americana, featuring dozens of historical cars, planes and trains, industrial era machinery, beautiful life size diorama displays and so much more. A visit takes you on a path through American history. You will see a recreation of the Wright Flyer, the very bus Rosa Parks sat on, plus Presidents Regan and Kennedy's limos. There's an actual Allegheny Big Boy steam locomotive, Bill Elliott's 212 mph T-Bird and, and an endless list of cool stuff. After our stop, we got a quick meal, a few hours rest, and with snow forecast, we packed the car and hustled out of town before dawn.

It took just over an hour to get out of Michigan, and after a few more hours we crossed from Ohio into Kentucky. By mid-day, gloomy skies gave way to sunshine and Kentucky was in our rear-view. After roughly seven hours into the trip, we entered the Volunteer state. The Mustang was comfortable and the Coyote wasn't very hungry. It was knocking down 24 mph at highway speeds, however, driver and co-pilot's tanks were on empty. In our haste to beat the snow we failed to pack road snacks so food was a necessity. Thanks to the beauty that is the Internet, locating vittles was not an issue.

We were closing in on Knoxville, so Eric Google-searched "Knoxville Fried Chicken." Multiple links popped up, and after careful selection, we picked Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken. It's located just off I-75 which means easy off and easy on, and that's a must when you're road trippin'. Point blank, Gus's rocks! This place takes you on the express flavortrain straight to gastronomical blissville. And while I realize fried chicken has little to do with drag testing, it has everything to do with happiness, and with four hours to go (on the first day), we were now happy- very happy. So happy, that we stocked up with a load to go.

Feeling replenished, we ended day one just North of Atlanta at the humble abode of my life-long buddy Steve "Solly" Solomon, who put us up for the night. There was little time for rest, Eric and I were back in the GT at sunrise, and after a day of driving we rolled into Tampa—exhausted—but ready to hit the track.

The Track Test

We didn't have to wait long to get numbers, as a friend had a track rental at Orlando Speedworld, the very next morning. We swapped our road bags for helmets, some car care products, a tire pressure gauge and headed over bright and early.

Once at OSW, we unloaded our gear from the GT and popped the hood to let the engine cool. Track prep was already underway, which included sweeping the lanes and laying down about 300-feet of traction compound. Our plan was to run the Mustang in 100-percent stock trim, the only thing we manipulated was tire pressure and launch rpm.

Ford engineers told us the 'Drag Mode' would produce the quickest elapsed times because it has the most aggressive shift strategy, and it's the least intrusive as far as managing torque on upshifts. In order to protect the driveline, most new cars use some form of computer controls to manage torque by actually closing the throttle and/or reducing ignition timing on wide-open throttle upshifts. Ford's Drag Mode (with stick or auto) is designed to maintain peak (or close to peak) power to provide the best possible acceleration.

With the track prepped, Eric set the front tire pressure to 45 psi to reduce rolling resistance and the rear to 28 psi for improved traction. I hopped in, donned my helmet, fired the engine and selected Drag Mode using the toggle switch located at the bottom of the IP center stack. Ford makes it easy to flip through the various modes, which include Normal, Sport, Sport+, Track, Drag and Mud/Snow.

Next, I deactivated traction control (which has its own toggle) and headed to the burnout box. I backed into the box to prevent dragging up any water with the front tires and got the tires warm with a short burnout. The goal here was to rid the tires of debris and to build a little heat into the tread. The cylinder head temperature gauge indicated roughly 160 degrees.

I lined up into the groove, Pre-Staged, and stopped. As you probably know, the quickest e.t. will always come when shallow staged, so I grabbed the brake with my left foot, eased the throttle up to 1,500 rpm with my right foot, and carefully inched forward using the brake until the Stage beam was barely on. The tree dropped and I let the Mustang go, swapping feet in a quick, smooth fashion.

The Mustang drove away clean, without so much as a bark from the Michelin tires. It transferred weight, the rear planted, and the 5.0L Coyote started to dance. The 4.69:1 First gear got the engine into the peak rev range quickly and 7,500 rpm came up fast. The computer banged Second with a notable peal from the tires, and the ten-speed's tight gear spreads kept the revs in the meat of the powerband the entire run. Unlike older autos, there's no bog after the shifts, in fact the engine never drops below 6,000 rpm. The GT just revs and shifts, revs and shifts, revs and shifts. On this pass, I crossed the stripe in Sixth gear at 11.947 seconds at 119.25 mph. Holy cow, an 11 on our first try, it was really that easy.

Weather conditions were indeed favorable, I recorded 57 degrees, barometric pressure of 30.10, and the humidity was super low for Florida (even in December) at 26 percent. This equated to a Density Altitude of just a few feet above sea level. There was also a slight cross/tailwind, maybe 5-8 mph.

The Mustang handled the 1,500-rpm launch well, so for the next pass I cranked it up to 2,000 rpm. I know the Coyote likes rpm off the line, and I speculated that an increase would drop our e.t. The 60-foot time was marginally better than the first run (1.905 to 1.903) but the 330-time improved from a 5.198 to a 5.157. Quarter-mile time subsequently dropped to 11.898 and our trap speed was 118.82 mph.

Naturally, my next move was more rpm off the line. I waited roughly 30 minutes between runs to ensure the engine temp remained consistent, so at 11:20 am I slipped behind the wheel and went for another pass. The Mustang was easy to hold at 2,000, but 2,200 rpm caused the rear tires to overcome the brakes. I felt them beginning to spin so I backed off to 2,100, and when the tree flashed I let it go. The extra rpm produced the best 60-foot time of the morning (1.892) and the best e.t.- 11.868 at 119.05 mph. This was getting interesting.

We were giddy over the ease at which the Mustang was running 11s, especially considering this was a fully loaded GT with a factory subwoofer in the trunk, big Brembo front brakes, upsized wheels and tires, plus all the comfort items like heated and air conditioned seats, navigation, and the enlarged anti-roll bars that come with the Performance Package. We'd estimate the GT at 3,900 lbs. (or more) considering we had a half-tank of gas (Mobil 93 octane) and my 175 lbs in the seat.

Next, I tried another 2,200 launch, but I botched the launch ,so I idled down track and came back for another try. The result was a slower 11.941 at 118.70 mph, then I ran 11.934 at 118.86 mph.

With the test session coming to a close, we had one more shot to improve. We let the engine cool until the gauge showed 140 degrees of cylinder head temperature, and I dropped the rear tire pressure to 26 psi for good measure. The weather was virtually unchanged, save for a slight increase in ambient temperature, which was now just over 60 degrees. The DA was up slightly, showing about 200 feet above sea level.

I climbed in, selected Drag Mode, turned off traction control and did a quickie burnout. I staged carefully, set the rpm to 2,000, and let 'er rip. The Mustang got away clean and there wasn't a hint of drama. Acceleration was brisk, and the sensation of speed was fantastic. The sensation and sound is so different from any previous Mustang GT, but it's welcomed and simply fantastic. The timing system was set up to show incremental times on the board so I saw my 60-foot time, which was 1.881—quickest of the day. And if the cooldown gave us a few extra horsepower, we'd run our best elapsed time.

The GT pulled hard, pouring on the power, spinning to redline, shifting and repeating again and again. Nearing the stripe, the Mustang clicked into sixth, the revs climbed and we crossed the finish line in 11.835 seconds at a tick under 120 mph (119.51 to be exact). We'd done it, another best pass, and while elated, we wanted more. We started thinking, what could we do with drag radials, someone get us a cold air kit and a tune, what if we had a 3.73 geat? Well, those things will have to wait until another day, but the fact remained, the 2018 Mustang GT is a legit 11-second pony right from the showroom.

Our takeaway is that overall Ford's Mustang is simply amazing. You can option one to suit virtually any needs, from brawling at the strip, to corner carving, or commuting to work. You can stick with a stick, or have ten speeds with the auto. The 2018 Mustang gives you performance, safety, comfort and convenience. Of course, hardcore Mustang enthusiasts will key in on the performance and now they have the ammo to battle in the 50-year Mustang vs Camaro war.

See all 40 photos

See all 40 photos A new 10-speed automatic transmission is available with both the EcoBoost and V8 engines. It's easily the best automatic ever to be offered in the Mustang. With a super low First gear and optimized gear spacing, the SelectShift tranny delivers the power very efficiently.

See all 40 photos We selected "Drag Mode" which optimizes shock settings and provides incredibly crisp upshifts that occur just as the engine reaches redline.

See all 40 photos Power is delivered through all-new Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tires developed specifically for the 2018 Ford Mustang GT. "We took everything we learned at the track, including feedback from professional drivers, to create a custom-tuned tire for Mustang GT," said Gary Swingle, Michelin tire engineer. Ford and Michelin engineers used data from the Ford GT supercar and the Shelby GT350 Mustang to develop a custom high-performance summer tire that provides optimal wet and dry grip, improved braking distance and enhanced lateral handling performance. The tires measure 275/40-19 out back and 255/40-19 for the front.

See all 40 photos We had no problem hooking the Mustang, and our best 60-foot time was a 1.881.

See all 40 photos Ford has done a wonderful job with the Coyote, extracting 460 horsepower from the little 5.0L. Old-school hot rod tricks include high-flow heads and intake, 12:1 compression and a 7,500-rpm redline. New-school tricks include a dual-fuel system with Port and Direct fuel injection, variable timing camshafts and high tech materials designed for durability and weight reduction.

See all 40 photos Ford makes it easy with the new ten-speed auto. Our best elapsed time came from leaving the transmission in "D" and letting it shift itself.

See all 40 photos Our best e.t. was 11.83 at 119.51 mph and the Mustang GT looks good doing it.

See all 40 photos

See all 40 photos Ford offers a variety of seat options, our tester was equipped with the heated and air conditioned leather chairs with spiffy blue stitching. These are not the lightest option, but proved to be incredibly comfortable during our 1,200-plus mile trek from Michigan to Florida.

See all 40 photos

See all 40 photos If you happen upon Knoxville we highly recommend stopping at Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken

See all 40 photos Your author (on the left) and Eric Bardekoff after consuming said chicken.

See all 40 photos While in Detroit we made a fly-by past Ford World Headquarters.

See all 40 photos We also made a stop at The Henry Ford Museum, which houses amazing Americana. This is Bill Elliott's 212 mph T-Bird.

See all 40 photos This is the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning Ford GT40 driven by A.J. Foyt and Dan Gurney.

See all 40 photos Mustang and Ford fans will enjoy a look at the actual 1962 Mustang I roadster concept. This car was developed as a marketing tool that helped build excitement for the soon-to-be-released Mustang.

See all 40 photos

See all 40 photos 2018 Mustang Normal Mode View in 12-inch Digital Cluster

See all 40 photos 2018 Mustang Sport Mode View in 12-inch Digital Cluster

See all 40 photos Another new feature/option for the 2018 Mustang is this 12-inch all-digital LCD programmable dash. This customizable instrument cluster can be easily personalized, offering three separate views designed to suit normal, sport or track driving. Plus, the all-new MyMode with memory function allows customers to save their favorite drive settings, including suspension and steering preferences.

See all 40 photos Ford makes it easy to select between modes with the use of racy toggle switches.

See all 40 photos 2018 Ford Mustang interior

See all 40 photos

See all 40 photos Out of the cold and into sunny Florida, our first stop was Orlando Speed World.

See all 40 photos Eric Bardekoff set the front tires to 45 psi and the rears to 28. Later in the day, we accomplished our best e.t. with 26 psi in the back.

See all 40 photos Ford's latest version of the 5.0L Coyote spits out a rowdy 460 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque. It can be backed by either a six-gear manual or a ten-speed auto.

See all 40 photos

See all 40 photos The new Mustang is so customizable that even its engine note can be adjusted. Delivering an audible experience like never before, an all-new active valve exhaust system is optional on Mustang GT, with a fully variable soundtrack to match the entire acceleration range.

See all 40 photos

See all 40 photos For the first time, Mustang benefits from a vast array of Ford driver-assist technology. Customers can feel more confident than ever behind the wheel with new features like Pre-Collision Assist with pedestrian detection, distance alert, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist and Driver Alert System. Ford SYNC Connect with FordPass is available on Mustang for the first time. When using the FordPass app for smartphones, drivers can start, lock, unlock and locate their car for ultimate convenience.

See all 40 photos