2003 Ford Mustang GT Convertible

However, the smallish, gray-on-charcoal gauges would benefit from greater scale and legibility, the radio switchgear is mounted too low for optimal access and the door pulls are just plain awkwardly positioned for any human to use. While a tad light on lateral support, the front buckets do offer decent comfort. However, some drivers may not find the angle of the fixed-rake lower cushion to their liking. As might rightly be expected, the Mustang's non-folding rear bench is decidedly scaled to pre-adult passengers, legroom being at a particular premium.


Ford engineers took serious pains to ensure that reconfiguring this fresh-air Ford from closed to open status and back was a quick and easy process. Flip two header latches, engage the parking brake, punch a button on the center console and top deployment in either direction requires only about 10 seconds to complete. Affixing the one-piece boot is an equally painless procedure. It didn't take long to discover the top's thin lining does permit noticeable ambient noise to enter the cabin. Ford engineers addressed this for 2003, giving all Mustangs expandable-foam body seals to absorb more sound. However, it deserves major points for having a real-glass backlight with integral defogger—and passing our carwash torture test with flying colors.


Trunk capacity on the convertible is only 7.7 cubic feet compared to a 10.9 figure for the coupe. Even so, there's still sufficient space to cope with light-duty toting. Frankly, if that spec is a potential deal-breaker, you really should be shopping for some other kind of vehicle anyway.

Underhood, GT Mustangs get a 260-horse version of Ford's 4.6-liter V-8.

Once in motion, particularly in its preferred wind-in-the-hair mode, the GT ragtop really comes into its own element. In addition to its 260 horsepower, the 4.6-liter V-8 cranks out a healthy 302 lb.-ft. of torque, and 90 percent of that is on hand by 2,000 rpm. Backed by the 5-speed manual trans, it delivers up 0-60 mph times in the sub-7-second range. That's more than enough whack to keep things interesting and make any merging and passing chores low-stress undertakings. To help all of the motive force get used to its best advantage, Ford fits all GTs with a limited-slip differential and all-speed traction control. Stopping duties on this 3,479-pound sun-runner are ably handled by standard 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS.


Despite it modest Fox-platform origins, the drop-top Mustang is remarkably capable when it comes to enthusiastic bouts of corner carving. Although skewed more toward compliance than razor-sharp responsiveness, Ford has fine-tuned its well-seasoned underpinnings again for 2003, re-valving the shocks and adding polyurethane bushings in strategic places. At the core of the mix is a combination of modified front struts and a 4-link live axle. But like all GTs, the convertibles benefit from a standard stabilizer bar in the rear as well as the line-wide front unit. Opting for V-8 power also brings a horizontal rear axle damper, regardless of body configuration. Directional control is ably provided by a variable-power rack-and-pinion steering unit.