Ford Mustang GT-H: We have one. You want it, because it's about as special as it gets
16.11.2020
Translation: machine translated
Pictures: Manuel Schmid
The Ford Mustang GT-H is not just a Mustang. It is a special edition of a high performance pony car that should never have gone on sale. Well, one is for sale. In Switzerland.
Signs and wonders are still happening. The Ford Mustang GT-H is in the yard at Galaxus supplier Auto Kunz in Wohlen. Brand new. With a big, fat zero on the odometer. You can buy it.
A car like the one-off above doesn't actually exist. Because the GT-H is not intended for open trade. And certainly not for sale in Europe. And certainly not for Switzerland.
"The GT-H is a stroke of luck for our buyers," says Benny Reinhold, spokesman for Auto Kunz. Although the garage is known for its range of American muscle cars as well as electric vehicles, the GT-H is not a given. Other Mustang models are, but the GT-H is something like the holy grail of Mustangs.
A car that is meant to be fun
The 2020 Ford Mustang GT-H, with 120 kilometres on the clock, was never meant to be for sale. This is because the GT-H series is not produced for sale, but exclusively for the fleet of a car hire company. The H in the name stands either for "Heritage", as noted on the dashboard, or for "Hertz", like the car hire company, which has gone bankrupt in the USA and has to get rid of a total of 200,000 cars to avert going out of business. Among them, possibly, the GT-H, which is located in Wohlen.
"The purchasing department doesn't want to disclose exactly how we got the GT-H," says Benny Reinhold. Everything was, of course, above board, but the source of the rare bijoux in the yard in Wohlen is something of a trade secret.
The Ford Mustang GT-H is a car produced by Ford exclusively for Hertz. Every few years, a new series of Mustangs is added to the rental fleet, as there are not only sensible cars like a Ford Fiesta, but also the so-called "Fun Collection". This aims to provide tenants with cars that they don't have in their everyday lives and that are fun to drive. In Switzerland, for example, two Chevrolet Camaros and a Dodge Challenger are available. In the USA, there is the GT-H edition.
Under the bonnet of the black and gold Mustang is a big engine that sounds really good. The V8 engine churns out 670 hp, and thanks to tuning from Shelby, it all goes straight into the road. Because with American muscle, it's one of those things: lots of horsepower doesn't necessarily mean lots of speed or lots of power, because vehicles like the Challenger are happy to give away a horsepower or two. There's enough there. The tuners at Shelby don't do things by halves. If it says 670 hp, then the engine also delivers 670 hp. You can feel it.
Also important for driving pleasure: the GT-H is not an automatic. The power comes from third gear, by the way. And, if the GT-H works the same as the 2016 Shelby Mustang, then the engine feels comfortable at around 3000-3500 revs.
With a powerful engine and striking decorative elements in the engine compartment - at first glance you see the word "Shelby" three times - it's not enough for the designers. In the driver's seat you not only see the normal Ford dashboard with Sync software, but also three displays that are only really useful for racing drivers. Turbocharger pressure, petrol pressure and oil pressure are really not the big hit in everyday traffic, but the displays look good.
In addition, of course, leather interior, wide golden rims and golden rally stripes. In short: a damn cool car.
The latest edition of a 50-year-old series
The 2020 Mustang GT-H from Ford for Hertz is not the first series of the GT-H, whose H may stand for Heritage, perhaps for Hertz. I guess it depends on who you ask. Hertz certainly says "Hertz", Ford very probably says "Heritage". But the fact is that the first GT-H models hit the roads of the USA in 1966 in black with gold stripes. There were 1001 Mustangs back then, today the number is unknown.
A second series was added to the Hertz fleet in 2006. Then another in 2016 and now another in 2020. They all have the same purpose: driving fun, a bit of show and raw performance. Because, of course, the 2020 GT-H also has an exhaust system that really hums.
Or not, as the case may be.
The long road to the Swiss roads
"The work has only just begun for us," says Benny Reinhold.
Because before the GT-H can roll out of the Wohlen yard and move into its new home in an enthusiast's garage, it first has to go through the homologation process in Switzerland.
Mechanics and experts will take a close look at the black and gold Mustang and compare it with the rules and regulations in Switzerland to ensure that the 670 hp Ford fulfils all regulations. If this is not the case, then the mechanics' work begins. A first glance from the workshop - of course the mechanics had to take a close look at this car - suggests that the exhaust needs to be silenced. At the moment, the Mustang is certainly too loud for the neighbourhoods and 30 km/h zones in Switzerland. That's always a bit of fiddling. Depending on the silencer, the sound is lost, which the workshop in Wohlen wants to and will prevent. A windscreen washer system is also still missing. And: "CO2 emissions are certainly also a topic."
Yet: You can already buy it now, says Benny Reinhold. However, the GT-H will only be delivered once homologation has been completed.
"But test drives are certainly already possible."
Journalist. Author. Hacker. A storyteller searching for boundaries, secrets and taboos – putting the world to paper. Not because I can but because I can’t not.
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