From our engineer’s shopping experience for our new Ford Mustang: “I got in the car and I started it. The moment I heard the engine, I told the salesman, ‘I’ll take it.’” That’s what we get for sending one of our vintage Mustang-owning staff members to buy the car...

(Well, to be fair, we were going to buy the car anyway; the dealer had exactly what we were looking for. And I can’t really argue--it does sound pretty sweet.)

Our new Mustang GT Premium is well equipped. But to get this out of the way: yes, we’re testing a coupe against the Challenger and Camaro coupes, not a convertible as seen in our pony car preview video. (There were a lot of questions online about the cars seen in the video. Yes, we could only borrow a Mustang convertible for filming.)

Along with “Red Candy” metallic paint, we have a $1,095 set of 19-inch machined wheels, a Comfort Package with heated seats, and the “3.73 rear axle package.” That cryptic name only hints at this package’s contents: it also has a competition mode for the stability control, which I’m sure will get quite a workout. All told, the car came to $34,725.

I drove the car to work this morning, reveling in the pony’s soundtrack, enjoying the eager engine. But I couldn’t help thinking about the headline of the day’s newspaper: already something of an indulgence, V8 sports cars like this likely won’t survive a 35-mpg fleet average. (They could survive as high-end, low-volume toys, but probably at a higher price.)

It all leaves me wondering: what can Ford’s engineers do with the exhaust note of a turbocharged four-cylinder?

--Tom Mutchler