Ford Adds ‘Good Neighbor Mode’ To The 2018 Mustang GT

When we talk about performance cars, one of the key factors involved in making petrolheads like it is the sound it makes. But (sadly) not everyone is a fan of those V8 rubles or V12 baritones. So, when the cops were called on Mr Von Foerster by his neighbours, when he fired up his Shelby GT350 Mustang, he wasn't particularly angry and understood the situation. Though there were no legalities that Mr Von had to face, the engineers at Ford weren't thrilled. As a result, 2018 Mustang GT now comes with a “Good Neighbor Mode”. 

In order to be better civic entities, owners of the 2018 Mustang GT now get an option to hush the exhaust tone of the muscle car when it starts and even when it is driven. What’s even better is that the driver can set a time duration for which he wants his pony to be civilised. For example, the owner can set up the Good Neighbor Mode to be active between 7 AM to 10 AM, after which the car will return to its original roar. The active valve performance exhaust system can electronically close certain valves to limit the amount of noise made by the car. All this can be done via the steering-mounted controls with menus appearing on the digital instrument cluster. Apart from the quiet mode, other sound modes include Normal, Sport and Track.

Though this news doesn't make us particularly happy, the addition of this feature is a pretty neat solution. The Mustang GT’s 5.0-liter V8 could be very loud even for the enthusiast, let alone someone who believes in starting his day peacefully with a newspaper and a cup of tea. Ford claims that according to a recent poll, loud revving engines are among the top most annoying noises in a neighbourhood alongside lawn mowers, power tools, barking dogs and band practice. 

“When sounds get up into the upper-70-decibel range, that’s typically about when they start to bother people,” says Matt Flis, Ford exhaust development engineer. “With quiet start activated, the decibel level of the new Mustang GT drops by about 10 decibels, to a much more comfortable 72 decibels – about the level of a household dishwasher.”

Both of these new modes - Quiet Exhaust and Quiet Start - will be available with the active valve performance exhaust system on the 2018 Mustang GT.

Also Read: Ford Mustang GT: Real World Driving Impressions

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