Driving the V6-equipped 2011 Ford Mustang Performance Package producing 305 HP makes initial impressions of Fords pony car very good. It's faster than its competitors and even more fuel efficient, with the V6 returning an impressive 19 city, 29 highway MPG-rating.

But this Mustang's also supposed to be about more than just numbers for one very important reason: it's based on the idea that you can have your cake and eat it too. This impression is the result of a driving experience that wasn't so much about long term miles or endless track days, but rather a simple drive through the heart of the Pacific Northwest.

Unlike the standard Mustang, suspension is just the beginning of the Performance pack. A 3.31 rear axle ratio for quicker acceleration, Mustang GT front and rear stabilizer bars, front struts and rear shocks/springs and a special bonus: Shelby GT500 rear lower control arms. Sweet looking 19-inch wheels wrapped in Pirelli rubber help keep things under control. Mustang GT front and rear brake calipers with performance pads. A strut tower brace for increased body rigidity and the best part, a electronic stability control system with a Sport mode for performance driving…see burn-offs and drifting without the ECU taming your fun.

Somehow, all those changes translate into an experience that's no less that pure fun; in fact the Ford Mustang Performance Package is as close to old-school pony car fun as you’re going to get with out hitting every gas station along your route. Throw the Ford Mustang Performance Package into a second or third gear high speed bend and this ‘Stang will encourage you to explore the limits of the rear tires grip using your right foot and steering. Sure, you can get on the throttle half way around and step the rear out, but not with the same degree of control previous Mustangs have delivered. The Ford Mustang Performance Package does bring one huge improvement over its predecessor: there's virtually no body flex under any circumstances.

My initial on-road impressions are nothing but smiles when it comes to driving enjoyment. To enjoy it, I took full advantage of the twisty pass just north of Grants Pass and attacked as well as I possibly could. The result is, for the first time experience with one, a Mustang that's as much about going around corners as it is about acceleration, which is the true essence of the pony car.

Look at the value-for-money and the performance numbers of the Mustang Performance Package combined with its aggressive looks and you can't help but feel Ford has a winner on its hands. It'll beat its V6 competitors hands down, not only in a numbers-based comparison, but also by my seat of the pants meter I somehow was lucky enough to be born with.

It's the car Ford should be building, a car that will surprise. With the Performance Package this Mustang has taken my belief that V6 powered pony cars aren’t worth the sheet metal their stamped with, but rather Ford built a car that should come with a napkin and silverware so once the fun is over...

So I can sit and enjoy my cake.

2011 Ford Mustang Premium $25,845

V6 Performance Package $1,995

Destination and Delivery $850

Price as Tested $28,690