Ford says 173 Mustangs have already arrived in Melbourne, with another 300 slated to come to Australia in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
The car will retail between $45,000 and $65,000. While some consumers are opting for the four-cylinder model, most of the orders shipped to Australia are V8 models.
This shouldn’t come as much of surprise, as Australian drivers are known to love their powerful cars. In fact, Australia is home to some of the world’s speediest and most powerful cars. Staying true to themselves, 86 percent of folks who’ve ordered a 2015 Mustang have decided to go with the model that packs the most punch: the 5.0-liter engine that produces 406 horsepower and 525 Nm of torque.
Australia and the Mustang
Though the U.K. market is three times that of the Australian market, Aussies have already purchased twice the amount of Ford Mustangs than their British counterparts have.
“It is probably our closest equivalent to the Beatles’ first trip to Australia,” joked Ford President and CEO Graeme Whickman, adding his company was “overwhelmed and humbled” by the response its Australian fans have provided to the new Mustang.
Indeed, the 2015 Ford Mustang has already been sold out in Australia for the last 12 months — this all before even one of the cars has hit showrooms. To date, the company has already booked 2016 full and is taking new orders for 2017 and beyond. Altogether, 4,000 orders were placed. The cars take anywhere from two to four months to be shipped from Detroit to ports on the other side of the world.
What Else Does the 2015 Mustang Have to Offer?
Like most cars, you can choose whether to go with six-speed manual or automatic transmission, although most Mustang fans tend to choose manual.
According to Ford, there’s less friction in the new model’s transmission. There are also tons of things that are new on the inside. For example, drivers can select a “Premium Package” which allows them, for the first time ever, to toggle between different driving settings. Drivers can use the option to custom-tune the throttle and steering for four settings: normal, snow/wet, sport and track, guaranteeing increased control.
The V8 gets up to 435 horsepower, which can top out at 155 mph.
There’s virtually no end to the customizations drivers can make on the inside, too. But even stock, the 2015 Mustang has a several new features: an 9” LCD touchscreen, dual zone climate control and leather seats that can be heated and cooled, among other things.
There’s a First Time for Everything
Drivers in Australia drive on the left side of the road. This instance marks the first time a Mustang has come straight out of production with the steering wheel on the “opposite side” (i.e., the U.S. passenger side) from what most Americans are used to.
In the past, Mustangs were available to Australians, but those vehicles were changed to become street legal with a right-hand steering wheel after they were shipped to the country.
This is the first time ever that the company also chose to build Australia-specific cars. This, mixed with the 50th anniversary of the Mustang, generated a lot of chatter among car enthusiasts down under, and is a major reason why they sold out so quickly.
