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It was my first car. With a 289 V8 and 4-speed transmission, that 65 Mustang was the beginning of my love affair with American muscle cars. There is a lot of untold history tied up in the car of my youth and the new Mustang carries on that pony car history. Those that follow my reviews from week to week know that I'm always looking for a fun destination to take new cars. Restaurants, golf courses and ball games all share in the automotive lifestyle, for it's the automobile that takes me to these destinations in style. Some cars evoke a lifestyle of elegance, others economy. Sport Utility Vehicles often meet the needs of growing families. But I get my kicks with cars that are really fun. I am unashamed to admit that I like horsepower, speed, the roar of a tuned exhaust and wind in my hair. But because of my days as a Drivers Education teacher, I'm pretty conservative driving on the public streets. Imagine my thrill when I picked up the 2003Mustang GT Convertible from Blue Springs Ford and delivered it to I-70 Speedway as the pace car for Saturday night racing. Having some time to myself, I shut the gates and buckled up for a few spins around the 30-degree high-banked track. I'm sure the folks at Blue Springs Ford didn't intend for me to open it up on an empty racetrack, but I couldn't resist. The first two laps I just wanted to get the feel of the banks and shifting through the straightaway. After I got comfortable I let the horses run a little. But the fear of driving a thirty thousand dollar convertible still belonging to the dealership overcame my desire to push the limits. I would have been more aggressive and comfortable driving one of the Ultimate Short Track Experience cars available from the school on location at the track, but for me driving the Mustang at I-70 Speedway was the ultimate. I-70 speedway may be the baby sister to the NASCAR super-speedway in Kansas but it's no less fun. With races each Saturday this Bristol style track provides affordable racing fun for the whole family. Located a half hour East of Kansas City on I-70 the races start with the new enduro class where beginners can outfit a car for less than a grand. The six classes including Super Trucks and Late Models provide real NASCAR excitement every week during the season. In reality, I would buy the 2003 Mustang GT Convertible for daily driving excitement. I drive a convertible year a round and except for those few rainy and snowy days, I keep the top down. The Midwest is perfect for convertible owners and the Mustang is the best selling convertible in America. What surprised me was the sophistication of the 2003 Mustang GT Convertible. Sure it had the trademark rumble from the exhaust, the tight gearbox and tire chirping power tamed only by traction control. But even at highway speeds this was a comfortable and quite ride. My friends at Blue Springs Ford have one of the largest selections of Mustangs in the area with the base coupe costing less than $18,000 and the SVT supercharged 390hp Cobra Convertible reaching almost $40,000. However this black GT Convertible was just the right vehicle for my taste. In addition to the pure nostalgia of this being the original and sole remaining pony car, the 2003 Mustang GT is loaded with comfort features. The Mach 460 premium sound system blasted "Mustang Sally" clearly with the top down at highway speeds. Four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and traction control combined with 17" premium wheels make handling safe. Sure this car brought back memories of my original Mustang, but it's really much better than the original.
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There is nothing like the excitement of pulling onto a NASCAR high-banked track and taking a few laps in the sports car of your dream. Making this event even more exciting for me was that my test car, the 2003 Mustang GT Convertible, evoked memories of my own 1965 Ford Mustang that I owned in High School.
©2003 - Stan Risener