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33 Inside the car, the ergonomics have been significantly revised, the controls updated, and the materials significantly upgraded. One of the more trick items is the glove box door knee airbag. "The idea came from the design staff," says Doyle Letson, Ford's global interior design chief, "as we were looking for ways to increase front seat leg room. Putting the knee bag in the glove box door would let us pull the lower edge of the instrument panel back to increase front seat passenger comfort, but it was up to the engineers to make the idea work." An inflatable injection-molded plastic bladder is integrated into the glove box door, and forces the door's outer surface straight out from the instrument panel. Because it distributes the crash loads over a broader area and is closer to the occupant, it can operate at a lower inflation pressure, and use an inflator that is 75% smaller. It is helped by seatbelt pre-tensioners added to the anchor side of the belt to hold the passengers more securely in a crash, and an increase in the number of crash sensors used around the car. horizontal panel is the same for each car, but each powertrain option uses different locating points and channels for their unique front spoilers. Allied with the underbody aero panels fitted to each car, the 2015 Mustang has a lower drag coefficient than its predecessor, and produces about three percent less drag. "That drag reduction gets us about one percent better fuel efficiency," says Barnes, "and it's basically free." Fifty years after the launch of the Ford Falcon-based original, the Mustang finally has all of the things the original's sporty styling promised. Finally avail- able globally direct from Ford—"the often small differences between regu- lations and requirements around the world were enough to drive a sane person crazy," says Barnes—the 2015 Mustang will be sourced from a single facility, Ford's plant in Flat Rock, MI. p The 5.0-liter V8 is heavily revised and produces 435 hp and 400 lb.-ft. of torque. It has a 0-60 mph time of 4.4 seconds and a claimed 8.4 lb./hp. As important as styling is for Ford's halo automobile, aerodynamics ran a close second. With an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph, and as the first generation Mustang to be sold globally, it was necessary to make sure it stays stuck to the ground, especially at autobahn speeds. "Thank God we didn't have to resort to a teardrop shape to get what we needed," comments Pericak. "It would have destroyed the car." By adding vertical slots in the outer ends of the front fascia and wheel wells, aerodynamicists were able to form air curtains that create a wall of air that flows around the outer edge of the front wheels. In addition, each engine family gets a unique grille that only allows in the air the engine will need, thus reducing parasitic drag in the engine compartment. EcoBoost models adds active grille shutters that can completely close the grille opening during high speed/low load situations for even greater aero efficiency. The Mustang GT gets a unique hood with leading edge vents that evacuate engine compartment air, and reduce front end lift. However, the trick piece is the under-bumper splitter. The basic