Hate the cliched term road and track? What if we tried to apply it to a car that many believe could never do both. Andrew Leopold heads to Kyalami, and then to complete the school run in the Mustang California Special. 
You’ve probably heard that muscle cars have something of a miserable reputation when it comes to racing around a track – especially one as technical and unforgiving as Kyalami. Which is exactly why I’m here, at Kyalami in the latest Mustang California Special, to see if Ford’s muscle car can change that prejudice.
Yet before I start waxing lyrical about the nuances of its track abilities (or lack thereof), I must admit to one glaring void in my motoring career: I’ve never driven a 5.0-litre V8 Mustang since right-hand-drive versions arrived at dealerships in South Africa in 2016.
I have driven the defunct 2.3 EcoBoost version which is no less controversial than the latest all-electric Mustang Mach-E, but the true, unfiltered Mustang experience had somehow escaped me until this point.
The California Special is the last of the current generation. It will soon be replaced by the all-new Mustang which is making its international debut later this month at the Detroit Motor Show, with a V8 still under the hood.
The Mustang California Special revives a name from the 1968 original and then tries to mould that nostalgia into an appealing and relevant package, 20 years on. Conveniently it uses the Mustang GT as a foundation while introducing a few upgrades (some cosmetic, some functional) for a unique appearance that manages to look suitably different to the Mach 1 and Bullitt which preceded it.
Among the exclusive add-ons is a new grille, rear spoiler, new front bumper, and side air scoops which upon closer inspection serve no cooling purpose. There’s also some custom California Special badging inside and out as well as nine new paint options – the Rapid Red on our test car is probably our least favourite. It’s a package that is limited to 100 units in South Africa, all of them in automatic and all of them sold.
These facts leave my mind as soon as I peel down the pitlane, the sound of the 330 kW V8 for once drowned out by the Shelby Super Snakes and Shelby Cobras and the sleeker Daytonas. We’re here waving the Team Shelby colours at Kyalami’s Festival of Motoring and the top three from the event’s Time Attack will progress to the final knockout round.
My first taste of the California’s size and heft is felt as I dab the brakes heading into the fast right-hander of the ‘big-kahunas’ Sunset corner – the car flinches for a second before squatting back down on the track. The lap time highlights this ‘moment’ with a 1:45 second run (on a slightly shortened Kyalami) which is still enough to keep me in the pack and gives me a lot to work with.
I adapt my driving style for the second run. One thing about a ‘Stang is that they’re very transparent cars, even if the communication is sometimes delayed. Even with a loosened traction control, they give you ample warning very early on, and when you massage your inputs, they are far more precise and rewarding machines than they get credit for. The lap times keep tumbling as a result, before it’s time to head home and to drive the ‘Stang back on the open road.
I take it out of Sport mode, where the shifts are a little punchier and throttle sensitivity is higher, and instead use the engine’s broad shoulders and ten gears to calmly soak up the kilometres, with the V8s track-thirst momentarily quenched. The soundtrack is still there, but now in a lovely, and harmonised supporting burble.
This is a comfortable and practical Gran Tourer with a level of maturity and duality that firmer, sharper, Nurburgring-honed sportscars, often lack. The seats are broad and comfy, you can sit high enough to easily see over the long bonnet and have visibility of most traditional blind spots. You can also approach speed bumps and steep driveways head-on without graunching the front bumper.
It’s not armed with the very latest autonomous gizmos (lane departure alert and adaptive cruise control notwithstanding) but I suspect that will be amended in the new version. Rather, you get heated seats, dual-zone climate, SYNC3 infotainment (which is just starting to feel outdated), keyless entry and a reverse camera. All of this presented in a retro-modern juxtaposition with toggle switches and large circular dials.
Back at the track the following morning, the Shelby camaraderie is growing with drivers sharing tips on racing lines and braking points between mouthfuls of coffee and bacon and egg rolls. Considering that I’m in the only standard Mustang in the pitlane, the California Special out-the-box performance is getting noticed and flattering my abilities tenfold – not a description often used for a Mustang but reflects the constant evolution of these cars.
Compared to the road where the ten-speed gearbox just gets on with things, the track does make one wonder whether ten is in fact too many. It’s easy to lose track of what gear you’re in and there’s still a tendency for the gearbox to make its own decisions. I found myself thinking that a Head-up Display would solve at least half of these problems.
Despite these bugbears, I keep chipping away at the stopwatch, eventually settling for a consistent 1:32 which isn’t quite enough to crack the final shootout but the car hasn’t put a foot wrong all weekend and rewrote a few misconceptions about Pony cars and their handling nous. Mission emphatically accomplished, and what a way to become a guest of the Shelby South Africa Team.
Time to drop the keys off at Shelby South Africa for a power and cosmetic upgrade…
Photos: Alex Shahini (@alexshahini) and Andrew Leopold
