It’s no secret that the modern new car market isn’t really catering to us street machiners anymore – heck, the latest V8 hotness is now basically restricted to US-built trucks, a handful of Euros, and the Chev Corvette if you want to get really exotic.

One exception to that rule is the Ford Mustang, still flying the flag for all that is good in the world. With the Falcon, Commodore, Chrysler 300 and Camaro now gone the way of the dodo, it’s really the only brand-new muscle car left for buyers. So, as you can imagine, we were keen to see how the 2025 S650 model stacks up.

If you want a complete and comprehensive review with juicy specs and the like, see the one Scotty Newman did for us on the launch of this model. He’s the real pro at this stuff, so take this article as more of an ‘as I see it’ review. While I don’t spend every waking moment in brand-new press cars, this was not my first Mustang. I’ve been fortunate enough to spend some good time with the 2020 Bullitt edition, the High Performance (EcoBoost), and the factory-supercharged R-Spec of the previous-gen Muzzy. As such, I was also interested to see if the new 2025 model justified the $15-$20K price hike over its older sibling. A V8 GT like we had here starts with an MSRP of $77,002, but we’d wager you’d need at least $80K if you’re shopping for real.

On first impressions, I bloody love the look of this latest take. Styling is always subjective, but she definitely looks like more than a nip-and-tuck facelift. The metallic-yellow paint and high-gloss black accents exude a mean but refined demeanour – enough to scare hybrids out of the way, but still respectable enough to take around to the in-laws for dinner.

Inside is much the same story. This GT had the optional Recaro bucket seats, which, while hugging you better, also ditch the air conditioning and heating functions of the standard stools. The dashboard is now an all-electric digital display, which is nice – well, at first.

The customisable gauge cluster is fun, allowing you to choose clocks from the original 60s Mustang, Fox-body and so on, all with high-end graphics. What isn’t so cool is the climate control also being embedded in the touchscreen, with no physical buttons to operate any of it.

The electric handbrake lever also gets frustrating, as does the stop/start function, which has to be switched off each time you hop in if you’re not a fan.

The various drive modes are fun to switch through, though. With no track testing, I didn’t really get to feel the GT’s ragged-edge cornering abilities or use the Track or Drag Strip modes, but switching into Sport to overtake trucks on the long regional road routes of Drag Challenge allowed our GT to open up its pipes, sharpen the shifts from its 10-speed auto, and swell the crotch region of occupants. Letting it self-shift is fine, but taking control with the steering-wheel paddles also gives quick response to shift inputs.

The lightly fettled 5.0-litre, DOHC Coyote V8 in the GT now sucks through two throttlebodies, making 345kW (463hp). The 7500rpm redline is impressive but also means you do lack a bit of excitement in the lower rev range at cruising speeds. The ratios in the 10-speed auto feel a bit long, which compounds the issue. We hear the six-cog manual GT is the same, so I’d love to try the full-fat Dark Horse with the close-ratio manual to really stretch the Coyote’s legs.

With all that said, thump your foot down in Sport mode and you’ll soon know you’re moving. It also has a ripper soundtrack to boot – just make sure you don’t give it free rein in areas where Mr Plod might come knocking, as it’s a bloody easy thing to get up to mischief in if you aren’t careful.

Like any V8 machine, fuel economy really depends on your driving style. At the beginning of the week bumming around the northern ’burbs of Melbourne, the GT was lucky to forecast 350km to a tank. A couple of hundred kilometres cruising on rural highways bumped that up to nearly 600km, with a best of 10.3L/100km clocked in the cruise.

While I didn’t get the chance to slide it around a track, fang it through any proper twisties or (ironically) thump it down a drag strip, what I can confirm is that the GT is a fantastic grand tourer. We covered the best part of 2000km in five days during Drag Challenge, some legs taking over six-and-a-half hours to complete.

Not once did I ever feel uncomfortable, tired or worn out. The V8 is whisper-quiet in cruise mode, and even with the 19-inch alloys and Pirelli P Zero rubber, the Muzzy soaked up the bumps of regional Victorian roads without breaking a sweat. The boot swallowed a week’s worth of luggage for two people with ease, too. My girlfriend shared the driving duties for the week of DC, and other than finding that the front-long nose made parking a tad difficult, the GT was a perfectly manageable beast.

If you’ve got the best part of $80K and you’re looking for a modern muscle machine that will give you V8 fizz, can tackle a road trip, has the option of three pedals, and stands out from the sea of hunched-over SUVs, then the 2025 Mustang GT is one hell of a choice. A good thing too, because it’s the only one left, and by god, we should cherish it.