Ford Mustang revealed: Blue Oval sticks with V8 hero

After a Covid induced hiatus, the Detroit motor show is back and good old fashioned horsepower is on the menu, with a motoring icon in the spotlight.

Hold your horses, Ford’s iconic Mustang sports car isn’t going electric any time soon.

That was the message from this week’s launch of the seventh generation of the legendary American muscle car, which will continue to be powered by V8 and turbo four-cylinder petrol engines for years to come.

While Chrysler’s next-generation muscle car, the Dodge Challenger, will be purely electric and Chevrolet’s Corvette will soon be available as an EV, the Blue Oval has no plans to build a Mustang coupe or convertible with an electric motor.

Executive chairman Bill Ford said the brand would continue to build the cars its customers wanted.

“People have asked me ‘will this be the last internal combustion Mustang?’ and the answer is we’ll see,” he said.

“I think the customers will let us know when that day will come. Firstly that they will come with a tear in my eye because I’ve loved the Mustangs from all the way from 64 through to this,” he said.

Ford chief executive, Jim Farley, acknowledged the new V8 Mustang seemed at odds with its EV strategy.

The new Mustang will continue with petrol power. Picture: Supplied.

“Investing in another generation of Mustang is a big statement at a time when many of our

competitors are exiting the business of internal combustion vehicles.

“Ford, however, is turbocharging its ICE (internal combustion engine) growth plan, adding connected technology, opinionated derivatives and hybrid options to our most profitable and popular cars – all in the Ford Blue family – on top of investing $50 billion in electric vehicles through 2026.”

Those hoping for an electric Mustang will be pointed to the Mustang Mach-E, a purpose-built electric SUV the company says carries the Mustang DNA.

“These are different Mustangs with distinct personalities to match our breadth of customers,” said Alicia Agius, Ford’s head of strategy and transformation.

The new styling is designed to engage a new generation of buyers. Picture: Supplied.

Agius said the Mustang delivered a combination of tradition and cutting edge technology designed to appeal to both diehard traditionalists and Millennials.

“When we set out to develop this seventh-generation Mustang we knew we wanted to excite our current customer but also engage and attract a new generation of enthusiasts.

To that end, the new Mustang blends sharp new lines and hi-tech digital displays with signature Mustang styling cues and traditional engines that give a nod to the 58-year unbroken history of the Pony car.

It’s not a radical design overhaul – after almost six decades and 10 million sales, it doesn’t pay to stray too far from a winning formula – but it’s a more modern interpretation of the classic shape, with more visual differentiation between the four-cylinder turbo and the V8 GT model.

The 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo is more conservatively styled. Picture: Supplied.

Chris Walter, exterior design manager for Mustang, said: “The new Mustang is more chiselled and edgier, leaning into Mustang’s classic brawniness and timelessness.”

He said the design team “wasn’t going to reinvent the wheel” with the classic design but wanted the hero model, the GT, to stand out from the standard model.

“If that’s rocking, this is rocking with the volume turned up to 11,” he said of the difference between the pair.

The V8 models have a more aggressive front fascia dominated by a black gloss honeycomb grille, a bonnet scoop and bigger, functional air intakes in the front bumper. They will also have a rear wing and quad tailpipes.

Ford will also offer a special-edition “Dark Horse” model with unique styling cues including a distinct grille and bonnet scoops. The Dark Horse will be the basis for trackday weapons sold as the R and S.

The new Mustang will also represent Ford in international GT racing at events such as the Bathurst 12 Hour.

The convertible will be available with both engine options. Picture: Supplied.

Walter said the car’s all-new sheet metal had wider rear flanks and a lower window line to give it a classic muscle-car look.

Inside, the cabin is dominated by digital readouts in front of the driver and in the centre of the dash. Cheaper models will have two 12.4-inch and 13.2-inch screens, while the GT will have a single piece of glass stretching from the driver’s door to the middle of the dash.

The graphics have been updated and there are liberal splashes of imitation carbon fibre throughout the cabin. Entry level cars will have cloth trim on the seats, while the GT will have perforated leather in black, grey and a two-tone scheme with red inserts and grey bolsters. A flat-bottomed steering wheel borrows from European performance cars.

The interior has had a major makeover. Picture: Supplied.

Track-specific digital gauges now appear in the centre screen rather than in front of the driver and Ford has borrowed some graphic elements from popular video games. When the driver selects different suspension or steering settings, the individual components light up in a graphic of the car.

Ford has also deleted some buttons and dials for the aircon and audio volume in favour of menus on the touchscreen.

The brand isn’t giving away power and torque outputs for either engine, but says the V8 will be the most powerful naturally aspirated engine offered in a GT Mustang.

Expect the standard Mustang GT to have about 358kW of power, while special editions such as the Dark Horse will have about 373kW.

A Ford Australia spokesman said the Dark Horse “will set a new benchmark for Australian street and track performance”.

There have been enhancements to the throttle feel and induction system on the V8, while the 2.3-litre turbo has had a more comprehensive upgrade, with improvements in both performance and efficiency.

Ford refuses to say whether the performance gap between the pair has narrowed.

The Mustang Dark Horse has more power and unique styling. Picture: Supplied.

The brand has dropped the six-speed manual for the 2.3-litre version but will continue to offer it to V8 customers. Both cars will have an updated ten-speed auto, while the steering has been tweaked to provide quicker, more precise responses.

Aerodynamic changes are claimed to deliver reduced drag while at the same time increasing downforce at the rear.

The brand, which drew ire for a “burnout” function on the previous Mustang, continues to push the boundaries with an electronic handbrake that allows drivers to drift the car under controlled conditions. They will also be able to rev the car remotely using their key fob. The drifting feature hasn’t been confirmed for Australian models.

The new design is evolutionary rather than revolutionary. Picture: Supplied.

Mustang vehicle engineering manager, Eddie Khan, said the brand relied on its customers commonsense regarding the feature.

“We all are responsible adults,” he said.

Brake rotors are larger, with six-piston Brembo calipers on the front and four-piston on the back. The calipers can be ordered in black, grey, red and bright blue.

For the extroverts, the new Mustang will be available in a retina-searing yellow, while there’s also a more restrained grey that shows tinges of blue in different light.