Ford Motor : Revving Ringtone Replicates Classic Roar of Active Valve Performance Exhaust on 2018 Ford Mustang

• New revving ringtone - available for download here - lets pony car enthusiasts celebrate unmistakable rumble of 2018 Ford Mustang exhaust note in track mode

• Track mode is part of availableactive valve performance exhaust system on new Mustang, which gives drivers more control of exhaust sound output than ever before

• Fully variable exhaust note is tied to four vehicle drive modes, letting drivers match vehicle sound with the excitement of driving Mustang GT

DEARBORN, Mich., April 11, 2017 - Finally, an upside to annoying phone calls from solicitors.

The signature growl of a Ford Mustang - long part of the excitement of the best-selling sports coupe in the United States - has been captured and made available as a free downloadable ringtone.

In recording the sound for the new ringtone, Ford engineers mounted microphones on a 2018 Mustang equipped with all-new active valve performance exhaust. The audio plays the sound of the exhaust in track mode as the car - equipped with the new available 10-speed automatic transmission - races to speeds up to 155 mph.

Matt Flis, Ford exhaust development engineer, said that the new exhaust system can be made more exhilarating when a driver wants it to be, more subdued at other times.

'In track mode, this car really growls the way a Mustang should, and the new ringtone is a great way for fans to have fun with that,' said Flis.

Active valve performance exhaust, available on V8-equipped Mustang GT models, gives drivers broader control over the exhaust system's auditory output. Rather than basic on/off capabilities common on many sports cars, the new Mustang exhaust system uses active valves to create an infinite range of sound output based on exhaust mode setting, engine rpm and vehicle speed. Drivers can select any of four exhaust modes, and the active valve exhaust system responds by creating exhaust notes that are smooth and linear, even during rapid acceleration.

'We created this system to provide customers with a sound experience that best complements the exhilaration of driving the Mustang,' said Carl Widmann, Mustang chief engineer. 'The total excitement is something you don't just feel, you hear.'

When Mustang's powerful V8 fires up, the active valve performance exhaust system defaults to normal mode. Changing modes lets valves in the system modulate the engine sound based on careful tuning. The signature start-up burble can be quieted down or allowed to rumble as a driver sees fit.

Selecting an exhaust mode is as simple as using steering wheel-mounted thumb controls. In vehicles with the standard four-inch cluster, a driver uses the controls to access the exhaust modes in the settings menu. In vehicles equipped with an available 12-inch all-digital cluster, a driver can press the new pony button on the steering wheel and access a dedicated exhaust mode menu.

With vehicles that have selectable drive modes, the exhaust sound is tailored to each mode, but can be personalized by drivers by using the exhaust mode menu or MyMode settings.

As part of active valve performance exhaust, mufflers for the 2018 Mustang GT are larger, with retuned resonators for all powertrains.