Ford Unveils All-New Mustang Family - Ecoboost, Multiple V-8s, and Racers
It has been 6 generations over the course of 58-plus years for the Ford Mustang. This car has come a long way from a cut-down, 2-door, version of the Ford Falcon that few at Ford thought would be a sales winner. Decades have come and gone of wild sales popularity, near cancellation, monster V-8s, and barely enough power to get out of its own way.
It has been 6 generations over the course of 58-plus years for the Ford Mustang. This car has come a long way from a cut-down, 2-door, version of the Ford Falcon that few at Ford thought would be a sales winner. Decades have come and gone of wild sales popularity, near cancellation, monster V-8s, and barely enough power to get out of its own way.
As we enter a new era of electrification, it is fair to assume that cars like the current Mustang will be short lived. GM is expected to replace their Camaro with an electric model. Dodge has announced the end of the Challenger while also showing an electric ‘muscle car’. Speculation has been rampant that Ford would potentially hedge their gas-fueled bets with a hybrid version of the new Mustang on their way to an all-electric pony car in the future.
But, Ford defied expectations with a lineup of Mustangs that not only do not include any hint at electrification, but is one of the most full-featured lineups of hydrocarbon swilling examples the car has ever seen, at least at launch. That, however, may itself be an indication of how long this kind of Mustang has before being put out to pasture.
Ford pulled out all the stops for the new Mustang’s unveiling. In conjunction with the 2022 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Ford organized an event called the Stampede where enthusiasts from all over could converge on downtown Detroit’s Hart Plaza (next door to the Huntington Place conference center where the traditional Detroit show takes place). Those fans, Ford employees, and the media came together to see Mustang fandom and witness the announcements.
Ford didn’t disappoint. In addition to the expected replacements for the Ecoboost and Coyote V-8 powered coupe and convertible…Ford also surprised with a bespoke performance model in the vein of Mach 1, Boss 302, and Bullitts of olde.
This time, they coined a brand new performance nameplate, Dark Horse. The new top model brings a mix of performance parts to the V-8 Mustang that would be at home on any of those other storied names with a dash of parts normally reserved for the Shelby trims. For instance, this is the first non-Shelby to be offered with carbon fibre wheels, but does not have a version of the prior GT350’s flat-plane crank V-8. The Dark Horse’s Coyote also has beefed-up internals borrowed from the current Shelby GT500, likely to allow a solid base for increasing power while maintaining reliability on the track. All Ford will promise is that this version of the 5.0 V8 with have power in the 500hp range. We expect that they are being conservative.
This Dark Horse will also spawn a pair of track focused monsters, the Dark Horse S and Dark Horse R which appear to be planned as almost street legal race cars. The S is targeted at weekend racers with full FIA-certified safety cage, safety nets, race seat with safety belts, a race steering wheel with quick disconnect, as well as electrical disconnects and a fire suppression system. A passenger seat is optional for racers that want/need to take a second person along for the fun.
The R is aimed at dedicated race teams with all the S’ components plus strategic seam welding, a fuel cell for increased range, and Ford Performance Parts wheels. Both come with adjustable rear wings, a hood held down with quick-release pins, and a bespoke exhaust system that is certainly not EPA approved.
In addition to the Dark Horse track variants, Ford announced a series of other race series the new Mustang will run in soon. IMSA’s GT3 and GT4 classes, These will be powered by 5.4l versions of the Coyote and will be seen in starting at the 2024 Daytona 24-hours. The GT4 will also be compliant with SRO and FIA GT racing classes.
As if all of this isn’t enough, Ford announced that they are going back to Le Mans. Not with a new GT as they did last, but with the GT3 version of the new Mustang. GT3 replaces the Le Mans GTE class in 2024, allowing Ford to go head-to-head with many of the same brands they race against in the other IMSA GT3 races worldwide.
It seems that Ford is rushing years worth of Mustang announcements into this 7th generation car. This likely points to a future where Ford will move the car into an electric future, but are willing and able to go out with a bang with the best Mustang yet.