Ford made its fans very happy when it introduced a Fox-body Mustang digital gauge cluster skin for the current pony car. It did it one more time, with another theme that replicated gauges from the original Mustang a few months back. Now, it’s continuing the streak with a set paying homage to the late-’90s/early-2000s Mustang SVT Cobra.
This design is more about nostalgia than aesthetics, as Mustangs of the ’90s had some of the most boring gauges of all time. In fact, this SVT Cobra-inspired theme isn’t all that different from the Fox-body one—it’s mostly a color change. However, the New Edge SVT Cobra is of course beloved in the Mustang community, so owners will probably be delighted to see those famous dials adorning the cluster of a much newer car.
During the day, the dials are simple white with black numbers and an orange needle. But at night, the dial turns black and the numbers glow blue. As a ’90s kid myself, that scheme feels extremely familiar. And even though the design is pretty ordinary, its no-frills nature is refreshing against the overly complex digital clusters of modern sports cars. A digital detox, if you will.
For reference, here’s how the gauge cluster looked in an actual Mustang of the time. (Technically these are out of an SVT Cobra R, though the regular SVT Cobras had the same design.) The typeface is slightly different—squarish but not an exact match—and the numbers are more blue with a black outline, instead of full black. Still, it’s pretty close.
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The SVT Cobra gauges will be available for all 2024 Mustang owners for free, as part of a software update rolling out at midnight Eastern on August 17. For owners who want to get them as quickly as possible, Ford advises making sure your Mustang’s automatic update feature is switched on. That way, when you walk to your car that morning, you can waste no time getting a quick, nostalgic dopamine hit just before work.
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