Cars in Review – Special Edition – “Batmobile” 2018 Ford Mustang GT Premium Fastback

Following the same lead as the last post, I decided to change things up again for yet another Cars In Review – Special Edition. This week’s post will be dedicated to all of you Batman fans, particularly fans of the show Gotham, one of my all time favourites. We will be reviewing the 2018 Ford Mustang GT Premium Fastback, more specifically known as the Batmobile Alfred gifted to Bruce in the show for his 18th birthday. In this review, similar to the one we posted before, we will be comparing the actual release specs to those in the tv show where it can be compared.   

In the different portrayals of Batman’s story – Batman (1943), Batman and Robin (1949), and The Adventures of Batman (1968-1969) – just to name a few – the idea of the Batmobile remained the same, well virtually the idea originated in the first initial release with many adaptations through each new version released to the public’s viewing eye – a dark windowed black car that fit the time of the release for the different era and nothing has changed with the modern day releases. But I have to admit, of all the Batmobiles over the years, this one has to be the nicest and coolest looking edition. Now obviously it doesn’t look anything like a signature Batmobile, this is because the setting of this show is before the time Bruce becomes Batman, so you don’t see any trademark design details with this car. But given that its aesthetic is completely black, and that it has a lot of unique features that your typical car doesn’t have (which some will be covered in the sections below). It’s pretty much the base model of the Batmobile without all of the unique characteristics. It also happens to be a Mustang which I am very biased towards, so my love for this car increased even more. My favourite hero, with my favourite car, what’s not to love? You can let us know in the comment section if you agree or have a different opinion! 

Okay let’s start! First things first, the price tag. The 2018 Ford Mustang GT Premium Fastback adorned a price tag of $47,288 when it was first released. Keep in mind, this was just the base model price in Canada at the time and didn’t include any of the additional features or packages Ford offered for this model. We will cover this information in a further section down below, so keep reading to find out! 

Engine, Transmission, and Performance

Ford decided to do something special for this amazing beast and I know fans of this car in general would agree that this decision was the wisest. They decided to equip this car with a 5.0 liter Ti-VCT V8 naturally aspirated engine under the hood. It came with the capability of making 460 horsepower and produced 420 lb-ft of torque. The decision to go with a premium unleaded V8 was smart on Ford’s part since it operated through the use of a dual-injection fuel system helping to create a happy blend of low speed performance and high power output. When it comes to the transmission, Ford offered this model in 2 different options – a standard 6 speed automatic transmission and an optional 10 speed SelectShift automatic transmission. 

Now with this car being as powerful as it is, it does leave the reader with one specific question, or well me at least with one specific question, is there a manual version? The answer is yes. Ford did decide to release a manual version for the 2018 model year that came with a revised MT82 gearbox, a dual-mass flywheel (and for those of you who don’t know what this is, put simply, it is a device with two rotating masses that are connected by springs, and soften the engine vibrations and torsional fluctuations before they reach the transmission), and a twin disk clutch. For maximum performance ability, Ford added a standard 3.55 rear-wheel drive axle (which came standard) and allowed for precise shifting, quickly becoming a popular choice among many car enthusiasts.  

TV Show – The model used in the show was to the exact specs listed above for the model that came with the automatic transmission, although interestingly enough the 10 speed version was the opted version for the show. Obviously it was shown with more features in the show specifically with enhancements made to its overall performance. Take for example the exhaust. It was able to go completely silent, so if Bruce was chasing someone down he could still travel at high speed, and no one would hear him coming. This was thanks to the Active Valve Performance Exhaust that gave this car a little over the edge help (not that it needed it) when it came to power. 

Exterior, Interior, Comfort, and Cargo

Since this was Ford’s most famous sports car, it had to live up to the overall hype and craze it generated with its release, and it did just that, if not more. For starters, Ford made this car available in 11 different colour choices with customization options available of course. For 2018 the most popular of the colours it came in included, Royal Crimson Metallic, Orange Fury Metallic Tricoat, and Lightning Blue. Not to mention, the name alone gives away the body shape of this vehicle but considering it is a sports car it only makes sense. The term “Fastback” refers to the overall shape of the vehicle that can be characterized by its continuously sloping roof, an unbroken line from the windshield to the rear bumper, and its sleek and aggressive aerodynamic profile. It features a set of performance tires for the front and rear and a pretty nice looking rear spoiler as well. 

When it comes to the interior of this car, Ford really tried to put an emphasis on attracting the right buyer of this vehicle – performance buyers. 2018 brought a lot of changes for this car in the best way possible of course. One of the biggest upgrades was to the material quality for the interior. Features like contrast stitched faux leather soft touch synthetics were used for most of the dash top, either side of the centre console and much of its top surfacing, and the door uppers, inserts, and armrests. There is even some really upscale satin metal detailing that can be found within the cabin adding a little bit more brightness to some of the parts.      

Now for the amount of overall space in the car. In a sports car, rear passengers are not really thought about all that much and that sure is reflected in this car as well. The front leg room allows for a maximum of 45.1 inches and headroom that allows for 37.6 inches which is enough for the typical adult, however, space is limited in the back only allowing for up to 29 inches of legroom and headroom making it either suitable for smaller sized passengers or shorter trips. The Fastback does provide a total of 13.5 cubic feet of trunk space which is actually considered to be quite large for its class and more spacious than its rival, the Chevrolet Camaro. The rear seats can be folded 50/50 as the standard tolerance allowing for more overall space for bigger and longer items. The trunk opening itself is quite small which doesn’t help when bigger items are needed to be loaded into the car and opting for the optional Shaker audio system doesn’t help make this any better. The subwoofer that comes along with it, is placed in the trunk, limiting space even more. But I mean come on, it’s a sports car after all, what could you possibly be putting inside to transport around? 

TV Show – The specific model used for the show doesn’t have too many variations from the actual model although it does feature one key defining factor – the entire car was made bulletproof (for obvious reasons if you’ve watched or are familiar with the show). The creators of this show also decided to keep the colour of the car very neutral to be associated with Batman, opting for a matte black exterior paint job, making it anti-reflective and very hard to see at night. It also helped that the rims matched this theme, coming in at 20 inches x 9 inches all around as premium painted aluminium wheels. It does however keep the same body shape of course without the extensive and extravagant body kits or overly dramatic styling of the typical Batmobiles out there. 

Infotainment and Connectivity 

What goes well with performance one might ask, well the entertainment setup of course. In order for Ford to really reach performance buyers, they had to do something good with their infotainment and connectivity features and that they did. A SYNC 3 infotainment system was added to this car that was displayed through an 8 inch touchscreen. For those that don’t know the significance of a SYNC 3 system, it is an exclusive to Ford only that offers navigation, media playback, and access to smartphone apps through the use of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The system itself can be updated through Wi-Fi or USB and allows for voice commands, provides a customizable home screen, and access to vehicle settings. The FordPass app can also be integrated and it includes a Wi-Fi hotspot in some models. 

It also comes with a pretty cool audio setup as well. The Premium trim sees a nine speaker premium audio system which is a significant upgrade to the six speaker system found in the base model. A 12 speaker B & O (Bang and Olufsen) audio system comes as an optional addition if preferred. Of course the standard audio sources such as AM/FM radio, SiriusXM satellite radio, Bluetooth streaming, and USB inputs are also found within this model. 

Safety and Driver Assistance Features 

For 2018, Ford filled the GT Premium Fastback with tons of standard safety features. These included the following: advanced airbags – this included the drivers knee and side-curtain airbags, AdvanceTrac electronic stability control, four wheel anti lock brake system (ABS), rearview camera, SOS Post-Crash Alert System, SecuriLock Passive Anti-Theft System, perimeter alarm, and an individual tire pressure monitoring system which didn’t include a spare. Advanced features came available through the Safe and Smart Package that included the following: pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot information system with cross-traffic alert, a lane-keeping system, rain sensing wipers, and auto high beam headlamps. 

But let’s talk about the SOS Post-Crash Alert System for a little. Similar to General Motors lines of brands – Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac – whose cars come equipped with OnStar, Ford decided to use a similar system in their cars with sort of the same concept. When a severe crash is detected, the car will automatically do three things, alert others through the use of flashing hazard lights, honking the horn, and unlocking all doors. The system is also designed to help the driver even more through the deployment of an airbag or seatbelt pretensioner and has nothing to do with an OnStar subscription. The system can be turned off by pressing the hazard flasher button, the panic button on the remote, or by cycling the engine. To find out more, please visit Ford’s Service Content website linked here.  

Warranty and Maintenance Coverage

When this car was released initially it came with a whole bunch of new vehicle warranties that included the following: 

• New Vehicle Limited Warranty (Basic Coverage) – 3 years/36,000 miles (expired) 
• Powertrain Limited Warranty – 5 years/60,000 miles (expired) 
• Safety Resistant System Warranty – 5 years/60,000 miles (expired) 
• Corrosion Warranty: 5 years/unlimited miles (may still be active depending on in-service date)
• Roadside Assistance – 5 years/60,000 miles (expired) 
• Emissions Defective Warranty – Coverage periods vary by component, with some parts like catalytic converters covered for 8 years/80,000 miles (may still be active depending on in-service date)

General Maintenance Items	Suggested Interval
Engine oil and filter changes	Typically required at specific intervals, which can vary based on driving conditions and oil type
Filter replacements	Common items: Cabin air filter – Recommended replacement around 20,000 or 40,000 miles  Engine air cleaner element – Recommended around 30,000 or 60,000 miles

Other maintenance such as tire rotations, inspections, and fluid checks/changes are also recommended, although for precise and accurate information, it is best to check and refer to the Ford Maintenance Schedule Lookup Tool linked here according to your vehicle’s mileage. 

Final Thoughts 

Since you made it this far, why not check out the post we released a while ago on the 2023 Jaguar F Type linked here.