One of the (many) reasons to opt for the 5,0-litre V8-powered Ford Mustang over its 2,3-litre EcoBoost sibling is the sound. But the Detroit automaker says the facelifted version of the eight-cylinder model will be available with something called “Good Neighbour Mode”, which mutes all that aural goodness.
The new feature will allow drivers to keep engine sound “at a minimum” when they wish to.
While many sportscars offer “active exhaust systems”, Ford says the updated Mustang’s “Quiet Start” function is the first to allow scheduling of times. Using steering wheel-mounted thumb controls, the driver can toggle through a menu in the instrument cluster (see the video below) to select when they want to fire up their Mustang GT without sharing the V8 rumble with the neighbours.
For example, Ford says, between 8 pm and 7 am, drivers can keep the peace by scheduling their car to start, minus the trademark roar.
The feature will be part of the active valve performance exhaust system on the new Mustang GT, which alters exhaust volumes between Normal, Sport and Track modes.
“Active valve performance exhaust gives Mustang owners the best of both worlds – that classic Mustang sound, and the ability to not wake up your neighbours when you leave the house early in the morning or arrive home late at night,” said Matt Flis, Ford exhaust development engineer.
“When sounds get up into the upper-70-decibel range, that’s typically about when they start to bother people. With Quiet Start activated, the decibel level of the new Mustang GT drops by about 10 decibels, to a much more comfortable 72 decibels – about the level of a household dishwasher,” he added.
