FERNDALE, MI – Most owners of modern performance-oriented Fords know that when you buy one of these special vehicles, you’re also buying a special experience that can open the door to an entire enthusiast lifestyle. That’s why Ford offers buyers of the Mustang Dark Horse or any of the new performance Broncos and/or Raptors a chance to attend a “Track Attack” driving school to learn how to best appreciate the capabilities of these vehicles. Whether it’s going to the Charlotte Motor Speedway or even one of the Bronco Off-Rodeos or Raptor Assault schools, new owners get up to a year to redeem a two-day track experience with Ford Performance Racing School instructors for the driving lessons of a lifetime. Ford has been providing programs like these since back in the SVT days, and had carried it over to the GT350, 350R and GT500 Shelby models and even the Mustang Mach 1 before now taking it to the next level.With today’s Mustangs reaching historic performance heights, it only makes sense that fans and prospective owners should be able to get an up-close-and-personal experience with the 2024 model lineup and see how they live up to the brand’s storied legacy. So this year Ford decided to up the game for all fans of Ford’s famed pony car with its new “Mustang Unleashed Tour” which offers plenty of driving experiences, VIP owner events and perks to help immerse owners in Mustang’s ongoing appeal, heritage and community. During certain festivals and racing events nationwide, Mustang Unleashed is a mega mobile pop-up style event-within-an-event where all Mustang owners are welcome to hang out and have some fun. Some 12 different tour sites were planned for 2024, with hopefully more stops in future years to come.

“For six decades, Mustang has been associated with freedom, road trips and its place in American history,” Mustang Brand Manager Joe Bellino had told the media. “But as Mustang kicks off its next 60 years, it needs to be more accessible. Mustang Unleashed will show customers what makes Mustang great, rather than merely telling them. And by pairing with events and festivals across the country, it will bring Mustang to new customers and grow one of the auto industry’s most passionate fan bases.”Indeed, certain Mustang Unleashed experiences will have different activities to participate in with the new cars. With VIP access for 2024 owners, you can hop in a brand-new Mustang with a professional driver where they teach you one-on-one some of the special features that come standard in new Mustangs. At some events you can even get to experience the Drift Mode on the Performance Pack cars and get to go for a thrill ride showing the cars enhanced stability during drifting maneuvers.The Mustang Unleashed setup at the Woodward Dream Cruise was a welcome sight as many fans had already heard about the tour program. Among the cool experiences offered at Woodward were demonstrations on how to engage Line Lock before you do a burnout. After getting through the line to sign up for the Mustang Unleashed newsletter, one of the staffers immediately awarded those opting in with a new Mustang hat. Then visitors were able to walk into the Mustang Hub Hangout area where several new S650s were on full display outside. For those who were genuinely curious about the cars enough to sit in them and get information regarding them, you could go inside to check out some high-profile rides, including a white RTR Spec 3 Mustang owned none other than Vaughn Gittin Jr, himself!

There were other attractions inside, including Mustang themed barrels, an entire wall filled with Ford Performance Parts like a real-life catalog, even Recaro seats from actual Mustangs for people to sit on and take a break. There was a long bench with a beautiful metal silhouette of the S650 showing off all the colors on the new Mustang which leads directly to a counter where VIPs can get an engraved “dog tag” that matches the color of your new S650 Mustang. Being a VIP at Mustang Unleashed is simple to do – just sign up to be at the event at a certain time using the VIN number of your new S650 Mustang. Yes, the event is for everyone but the VIP owners get added extras – and for this stop that included a private viewing area at the top of the Hub to watch the Woodward Dream Cruise in action. There was also a small area on the main level to purchase a variety of Mustang Unleashed merchandise that you can only get from these specific events. The merch includes everything from shirts, hats, jackets, patches, drinkware, and even custom shift knobs – just to name a few of what’s offered.Hanging out for a while around the Mustang Unleashed Hub, we noticed how many people walked into the experience out of genuine curiosity – many of whom were not even Mustang owners. Foot traffic was heavy all day, and even when it rained, the line that formed down the sidewalk to enter was massive. It was hard not to notice the smiles on faces of Mustang enthusiasts and newcomers alike, enjoying their time at this cool event. There was also a live DJ on-site on the upper deck in the VIP lounge pumping out a variety of good music that wasn’t too loud so that people could still chat. The staff was extremely friendly -- and all of them seemed to really enjoy their jobs working the Mustang Unleashed event.Our young Ford Performance photographer, Joe Deladvitch, was able to get VIP access to the Mustang Unleashed event at Woodward not only through Ford Performance but also through his partner, up-and-coming Mustang influencer Sami Lupacchino who had recently purchased her very own 2024 Mustang GT in Yellow Splash Metallic which she features on her multiple social channels. So what’s it like to experience Mustang Unleashed in person? Take a look at Joe’s photos from both inside and out in the galley below, and then stay tuned for even more “Quick Looks” from our Woodward coverage on FordPerformance.com/Enthusiasts. Were sure our exclusive coverage will help you unleash your own passion for the iconic Ford Mustang.

FORD PERFORMANCE PHOTOS / COURTESY JOE DELADVITCH