New Zealand buyers of the new Ford Mustang will miss out on a performance function in the top-range V8 model because of ‘anti-hooning’ laws in Australia.
Ford NZ has confirmed the ‘line-lock’ burnout function will be missing from the 5.0-ltre V8 GT when it lands here later in the year. The GT will be priced from $71,990.
“I’m not sure where the decision was made but it has been and we have to live with it,” said its corporate communications manager Tom Clancy.
“New Zealand is getting the same batch of Mustangs as Australia. Line-lock won’t be on Australian cars, so it won’t be on New Zealand cars.”
Clancy said it was a decision Ford NZ regrets but one that is forced by ‘go too far lose your car’ anti-hooning laws across the ditch.
“I guess New Zealand has laws similar to Australia but maybe they are not as severe here. Over there you can quickly lose your car.”
Line-lock works by locking the front wheels via the push of a button, thereby allowing the rear wheels to spin. It is a feature designed mostly for the North American market, where Mustang racers can quickly raise tyre temperatures before a race. But it is standard on every other GT Mustang around the world – expect Down Under.
Ford’s global performance chief Dave Pericak is reported to be disappointed line-lock has been left off Mustangs for this part of the world. “Australia (and NZ) is the only market that I had to shut it off. That really did upset me because it’s a great feature.”
Earlier, Pericak hinted that the Drift mode in the upcoming Ford Focus RS might have to be turned off for Down Under vehicles, again because of Australia’s anti-hooning laws.
- Ford is expected to disable the electronic line-lock feature but not delete it … enough said.