The Mustang has been a part of Ford's lineup for almost 60 years, and special editions of the classic American pony car have been around for almost as long. One of Ford's earliest was the California Special Mustang, which came from the state's Ford dealers. The automaker built just over 4,000 special-edition cars in 1968, featuring unique exterior styling, stripes, and a "GT/CS" logo. Ford recently announced a modernized version of the California Special package, bringing exclusive styling, wheels, and interior touches that set it apart from the regular Mustang GT.
Ford offers the 2024 Mustang GT California Special in coupe and convertible body styles, with either a 6-speed manual or 10-speed automatic transmission. The automaker formally unveiled the car at the 2023 Los Angeles Auto Show on November 16 and says customers can begin preordering the car now.
Ford completely redesigned the Mustang for 2024, bringing sharper styling and a more aggressive look, thanks to a lower, more horizontal hood line. As has been the case with previous Mustang generations, the new car's styling borrows heavily from much older generations, though the 2024 model is the most futuristic-looking version by far.
The California Special package gets exclusive "Rave Blue" accents, including surrounding the air intakes in the grille and on the car's exterior logos and graphics. Ford offers two 19-inch wheel options: a gray wheel with a blue GT/CS logo and the Performance Pack wheel with a machined face and blue inserts.
Ford remade the Mustang's interior for 2024, giving it a fighter jet look, and the GT trim gets upgraded upholstery with leather inserts. The cabin looks more refined and upscale than prior generations.
Building on the Mustang GT Premium, the California Special brings Navy Pier (dark blue) and black leather upholstery with blue accents throughout the cabin. Blue contrast stitching stretches across most surfaces, including the dash and center console. The leather-wrapped flat-bottom steering wheel is available with blue inserts and stitching. GT/CS floor mats and a California Special badge round out the incredibly blue interior.
Other interior features from the Premium trim include ambient lighting, particulate air filtration, aluminum pedals, a leather-wrapped shift knob, and power-adjustable, heated and cooled front seats.
The California Special Mustang benefits from Ford's tried-and-true "Coyote" 5.0-liter V8 engine, which the automaker updated to a new fourth-generation configuration for 2024. It now produces up to 468 horsepower and 418 pound-feet of torque when paired with the available active dual exhaust system. Ford offers a 6-speed manual or 10-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters, and buyers can choose between a few rear axle ratios.
One added-cost performance package is available, and buyers have a few a-la-carte options, including an active exhaust system and painted brake calipers. The $4,995 GT Performance Pack adds Brembo brakes, an electric handbrake, front tow hooks, upgraded springs, strut tower braces, and a Torsen differential.
The 2024 Mustang gets a surprisingly robust list of standard safety equipment, with Ford Co-Pilot 360 on board. Driver aids include automatic emergency braking, blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic warning, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, and more. Adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability is available.
As of this writing, neither the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) nor the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has rated the 2024 Ford Mustang's crashworthiness.
The new Mustang has a screen-heavy interior, with a standard 12.4-inch digital gauge cluster and a 13.2-inch touchscreen. The gauge cluster offers a decent level of configurability, and users can set it up to look like the cluster out of a Fox-body Mustang from decades ago. Ford's excellent Sync 4 infotainment software is responsive and brings a long list of features, including SiriusXM satellite radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, HD Radio, and more. The GT trim gets a wireless charging pad, and Ford offers two stereo upgrades with a 9-speaker setup or a 12-speaker B&O audio system.
The competitive landscape looks drastically different for the Mustang in 2024 than it did the year before. Dodge discontinued the Challenger after the 2023 model year, though it might return in the future with significantly revised powertrain options. Chevy's letting the Camaro continue for one more year before it's discontinued, but it hasn't received an update for so long now that it's hard to compare to the new Mustang.
Ford is the source of information in this article. It was accurate as of November 13, 2023, but it may have changed since that date. Always confirm product details and availability with the automaker's website or your local dealership.
Chris Teague is an experienced writer in the automotive and technology fields. In addition to JDPower.com, his work appears at Forbes, The Drive, Your Test Driver, and others.
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