Ford unveiled some noteworthy changes this week to the design and engineering of its 2015 Mustang convertible top — which every auto trimmer should know before agreeing to replace one. Among the changes: sound deadening between the top and the pony’s new headliner, an additional bow in the top’s frame construction and an entirely new motor (hydraulic power is out).
Autoweek explains:
Though Ford continues to call the cloth top a two-layer design, it now sports a 10-mm thick cushion between the twill covering and the headliner layer, serving as both insulation and sound deadening. Ford says with the top up, the cabin is almost as quiet as the coupe’s on the road.
Engineers also added an extra bow, or support structure, to the top; where the current model’s top features four metal bows stretching from side to side, the 2015 car boasts five, which not only allows for a more compact z-folding stack when open, but goes a long way toward making the skeletal structure virtually invisible with the top in its closed position. […]
The manual latching mechanism has also been revamped. Ford replaced the separate handle latches right and left, instead going with a single twisting handle that sits right above the rearview mirror. The latch points themselves are of a cleaner design, too, recessed within the flat upper face of the header when the top is open. The current design sees its latch points jutting out rearward from the header.
And thanks largely to swapping out its hydraulic motor in favor of an electromechanical drive system, power operation of the top takes just half the time as on the current car, requiring just 7 to 10 seconds to retract fully where the current model needs 14 to 15 seconds to open. [more]
While Ford is marketing the reengineering as a minor upgrade for the new model year, it may spell significant changes for auto trimmers. How exactly? We’ll just have to wait and see.
Check out the 2015 Ford Mustang’s convertible top in action:
Looks identical to the A3 cab