Ford Mustang: 0-100km/h

Becoming an instant hit when first launched back in 1964, the Mustang has been one of Ford's top dogs when it comes to performance.

Spanning six generations, the muscle car has been offered with an array of four-, six- and eight-cylinder engines, with the latter being the one revheads lust after.

Aussies got a small taste of the pony car in the late '60s before being forced to wait until 2015 to get an official, factory-built right-hand-drive version.

This sixth generation came to Australian shores in coupe and convertible bodystyles, while being powered by either a 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder (known as EcoBoost) or a 5.0-litre V8 called the GT.

As of 2018, which saw the model receive a facelift, the four-cylinder produces 224kW/441Nm (High Performance model is rated at 236kW/448Nm), while the V8 punches out 336kW/556Nm.

In 2020, this line-up was joined by the uniquely Australian R-Spec variant, which added a supercharger to the 5.0-litre engine, increasing power to a 'suggested' 522kW/830Nm.

Paired with a V8 and six-speed manual, the Ford Mustang 0-100 is 4.6 seconds while the 10-speed auto drops this figure to 4.3 seconds. Convertibles are 0.2 sec slower compared to the Fastback.

Ford Australia doesn't supply any 0-100km/h times for the EcoBoost, but multiple outlets have conducted their own test and recorded 5.5s to triple digits.

Similar tests have confirmed the V8 Ford Mustang acceleration figures are closer to 5.2s for the manual and 4.5s for the auto.

According to independent testing, the Ford Mustang's quarter-mile (0-402m) time is about 14 seconds for EcoBoost variants, and less than 13 seconds for V8 versions.

Ford Mustang top speed is limited to 250km/h regardless of the engine fitted.

The R-Spec was limited to 500 units.

Videos online have demonstrated that without a limiter, the Ford Mustang max speed is 260km/h plus.

How does the competition compare? The Chevrolet Camaro was the closest rival the Mustang had locally, until HSV pulled the plug earlier this year.

Now it's major form of competition comes in the shape of the Nissan 370Z, which is powered by a 3.7-litre V6 (245kW/363Nm) and the Lexus RC F with its 5.0-litre V8 (351kW/530Nm).

The Nissan is capable of racing from 0-100km/h in 6.0s, while the Lexus will reach the tonne in 4.9s.