360 video: Hot lap in a new Mustang!

Ride along on a hot lap of Silverstone with Paul Swift in a 2016 five-litre V8 Mustang.

Ride along on a hot lap of Silverstone with Paul Swift in a 2016 five-litre V8 Mustang.

Published Jul 16, 2015

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Brentwood, Essex - Ford's 2016 Mustang, the first to be made in right-hand drive and the first to be sold outside North America (it's due for release in South Africa before the end of this year) has generated enormous interest from muscle-car fans everywhere.

And Ford has played into the hype with a series of promos (such as displaying a row of them on the forecourt of Munich airport while the world's motoring scribes were flying in for an Audi launch) - but this one tops the pile for high-tech savvy and clever social-media tie-in.

It's an interactive video that lets you see the new Mustang from different viewpoints during a hot lap of the 2.6 kilometre National Circuit at Silverstone in Northamptonshire. You can rotate the vantage point from inside the car using the mouse or cursor - as if you were sitting next to the driver, looking around - or you can switch to different viewpoints like a television producer going from camera to camera, including one on the front bumper and a helicopter shot, see where you are on a circuit map or check the car's speedometer and rev counter.

HOW'D THEY DO THAT?

The 80-second video, which features professional driver Paul Swift in a five-litre V8 fastback Mustang (310kW and 530Nm, in case you'd forgotten) was shot in just one day using six GoPro cameras inside the car, one on the front bumper and a drone for the helicopter shots.

The inside shots were then edited to create a seamless panorama so realistic even Swift was impressed.

"It really is like being in the car," he said. "I'd love to tell you how it's done but I'm sworn to secrecy!"

Start the action by clicking on the car's iconic pony symbol, and start button. Then use the arrow keys, track pad, mouse to rotate your point of view, click on the helicopter icon for the aerial view, or on the fascia for the front bumper shot.

Ready to go? - CLICK HERE!

The 360-degree functionality isn't supported by all internet browsers and operating systems, and it needs a decent internet connection to run smoothly. If it won't run on your screen, you can watch a simpler version on YouTube.

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