Browsing Tag

LA

50 Years: The Ford Mustang Convertible

auto, GEAR By July 30, 2013 Tags: , , , , , , , , , , No Comments

It was my tenth wedding anniversary and I was fully surprised as I got whisked off to Los Angeles.  The tenth seems to carry more weight than it used to.  We were upgraded and treated like royalty everywhere we went and it began with the car rental agency.  Noting the special occasion we were given a Ford Mustang convertible.  And I happened to have a scarf to tie around my head a la Grace Kelly. (But of course).

The Ford Mustang

The Ford Mustang has always held allure for me.  Rugged and manly yet powerful with crisp lines, it produces a visceral reaction.  I have to stop writing auto reviews.  They always sound racy to me. (But to be fair you should read their slogans).  Even as an automatic the car is easy to handle and the turning radius was impressive in tiny LA parking garages.  Delivering up to 662 HP (V8 Manual Supercharged), I can’t think of a better vehicle in which to see the southern California coast.  No longer intimidated by the sunroof, it was fully automated with 2 manual levers that were easily operated.

I happened to be attending the Ford Trends Conference in Detroit for the 50th anniversary of the Mustang.  Unlike the image in my mind of the vehicle of 50 years ago (my close friend was given one by his dad), I was taken with the modern design and extras.  Trends discussed at the conference about environmental responsibility, technology and the notion of cars making life easier for their drivers were evident in the vehicle.  The SYNC® with MyFord Touch® systems allow you to use the RCA connectors to plug in all kinds of video players such as gaming consoles and iPods. You can even turn your smartphone into a wireless router, so your passengers — big and small — can surf the Web! Hold me back – I’m trying to unplug this summer.

It’s in the Detailing

The steering wheel was stitched beautifully through leather and ergonomic to the hands.  The square detailing on the dash juxtaposed against the curves of the outside shell made for a ying-yang experience.  Our music blared clearly from huge speakers and as we drove through Malibu and Hollywood I played with the dials styled like old-school radio accessories.  I may have been singing a bit too.. Capitol Records, are you listening?  More a ‘date-night’ vehicle, there were of course carseat latches but you’d be hard-pressed to fit a third person between two carseats.  That, of course, isn’t the purpose of this machine.  As a date vehicle for fair weather?  Perfect.

See also:

Ford Fusion

Ford Edge

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Orange County Adventures

ROAM, USA By May 24, 2011 Tags: , , , , , 2 Comments

It’s a beautiful sunny day, big marshmallowy clouds are floating by, waves are crashing and my kids are playing happily by the ocean. Sounds like malarky – I know, especially to a Calgarian (what, no snow?, its April!!) but this is how our spring vacation to Orange County California rolled out.  We started our Californian adventure with a tour through the small town of Laguna Beach. Staying at the Pacific Edge Hotel, we had an ocean view room that even our kids found more interesting than the tv. With just a few quick steps past the restaurant and outdoor pool, we landed on the famous Laguna Beach – and, no word of a lie – dolphins swam past as if to greet us. My kids went bananas – so did my husband and I.

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