I hope you like blue. The 2024 Ford Mustang GT California Special package has just been unveiled, and it looks like Ford gave its greenest intern $150 to spend on AliExpress. Yes, this is a real factory-installed appearance package, and you might soon see it on a new Mustang near you. I believe I speak for everyone when I say “What the hell?”
See, Ford’s come up with this color called — and I’m not joking — Rave Blue, and has decided to just go wild with it. It’s on the wheels, it’s on the stripes, it’s on the badges, it’s on the new horizontally-slatted grille, it’s just absolutely everywhere. What goes with blue? Well, if you’re a skateboarder or do roller derby, black, so that’s the other accent color on this stickered-up Mustang.
Things get better on the inside as blue accents elevate the dreariness of an otherwise black cabin. Blue inserts on the seats and steering wheel brighten things up a touch, as does blue and grey stitching on otherwise dark materials. I’m a fan of colored interiors, so this is the only part of the California Special package I can endorse.
Admittedly, the blue exterior accents are hilarious in the greater context of the automotive kingdom. It hasn’t been that long since every eco-friendly car from Germany to Japan was plastered in blue accents, so to put a bit of blue on pretty much every exterior part on a Mustang elicits a certain incongruity.
However, when I learned that this California Special package costs $1,995 on top of a Mustang GT Premium, I just about fell out of my chair. Sure, the blue-stitched interior can’t be cheap, but I couldn’t fathom paying two grand for something that looks like this. It’s wild to think that someone with presumably functioning eyes looked at this visual package and decided it was sick. However, Ford will print money with this package, and Mustang Brand Manager Joe Bellino explained why in a press release statement:
Mustang has a rich well of special edition models to draw from, and we’ll continue to reinvent them for a new audience. From the track-ready Dark Horse to the world-beating Mustang GTD, Ford is elevating the Mustang for all audiences. The new, modern Mustang GT California Special is a perfect example of our drive to build a Mustang for every customer.
It turns out, there are plenty of Mustang customers with bad taste out there, and if Ford can get a slice of the tackiness market, all the power to it. Who knows? Maybe Dodge will start making tape stripes that look like splitter guards.
(Photo credits: Ford)
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I’d like to see it in person, especially on each of the blue paints. In the configurator, it looks like it could be better on one of those or the dark gray, but that never really gives you the same look as in person.
Regardless, $2000 is a lot for an accent package that won’t even let you customize the accent color.
And they’re cowards who won’t let you package it with yellow or red.
***Designer thinking about what to do with the new CS Mustang… “Hmmm… things that make people think of California… hmmm… I guess they are a blue state. Wait….I think I have an idea…”
The problem with picking a theme and running with it is sometimes you pick the wrong theme.
The Autopian set a precedent earlier with the Alfa that should have been followed with the photos for this story.
I’m probably in the minority that don’t hate it. It’s not for me, I’m generally against spending money on purely cosmetic upgrades, and none of the CS cars were my cup of tea, but it isn’t the worst thing I’ve seen.
This Mustang has me Tangled Up Behind the Eyes. I like the color of the Sky and the Bayou but this shade has no Rhapsody for me, even in the Summertime. Maybe if I were wearing Bell Bottoms Jeans with Suede Shoes?
I kind of like the wheels, I love blue accents, but the grill is hideous!
More evidence that Ford is hellbent on upselling everyone to the Dark Horse
I remember our 2014 GT/CS. That package gave us hood stripes, side stripes, gloss black hood vents, a completely different front and rear fascia, different rear spoiler, different seats, different rims, and side scoops.
The interior is neat and should be a regular option on its own. The exterior is despicable and whoever signed off on it needs a slap in the head.
I love my ‘08 CS, this thing is a mess.
Like many here, I believe the interior is nice.
The exterior accents are miserably bad, so much so that a gave a real, hearty LOL when I saw the topshot. Ford has been pretty good with the various specials and appearance packages of late, but I guess you’re gonna have a stinker every once in a while.
Well… I like the interior, at least.
All that blue yet no blue oval.
I wouldn’t take it, but I’ve seen worse.
Malibu Barbie’s got a new dream car!
Wow, Ford is really giving us the full spectrum. From the GT, all the Raptors, RS cars, Dark Horse, down to this. Impressive.
Ford has a long history of existence and of making decisions, and they continued that here. 😐
I’m not into ‘Stangs, but honestly this isn’t that bad. I mean it’s bad, but it’s not that bad. I’ll take some blue over the Batman cosplay package any day. The stripes gotta go, though.
This has the smell of this: Laid off Hot Wheels designers with nothing better to do.
Crack pipe.
So just fuckin around on the configurator, you can add the package to every color except for Race Red, Rapid Red, or Yellow Splash. So a Grabber Blue with Rave Blue accents is a possibility.
The painful contrast between blues is absolutely killing me and I hate it, thanks Ford…
It looks like the cars in GTA when painting the rims the same color as the car and it doesn’t match up. I hate it
Thanks. I played around with the configurator. I kind of like the blue with dark matter gray metallic…otherwise know as dark gray.
Vapor Blue looks neat.
At least they had the good sense to make those particular color combinations unavailable.
this would have been fine if the wheels didn’t have the blue but they broke up some of the silver with some accents somehow. As-is it looks like a car where the owner bought some plastic bits to go with a new wrap, but can’t afford the wrap.
At least it’s not as ugly as those black/red Boss Mustangs from a while back… Those things were hideous!
What is going on with these 4th owner appearance packages? first it was that (extra) hideous BMW XM, now this? Can’t wait for the Corvette with pink mirrors and grilles and calipers and roof panel etc etc.
Looks like something Jamie Kennedy would drive in Malibu’s Most Wanted.