Ford keeps the V8 dream alive with new Mustang

Ford has future-proofed the Mustang, with a new level of technology in the car designed to appeal to younger buyers. The Mustang Mach-E is due to launch in Australia by the year-end.

Ford Mustang’s V8 engine power is set to keep the petrol-engine fans thrilled for many more years

The automotive industry may be going electric but Ford is sticking with its famous V8 engines for as long as it can.

The American giant launched its seventh-generation Mustang muscle car to the world’s media last week, showing off its burnout-inducing 5.0-litre V8 engine on a NASCAR racetrack in the US.

It was a clear and unequivocal sign from the brand that it still has faith in the internal-combustion engine, and large ones at that, despite increasingly strict emissions regulations being introduced around the world.

So strict are the laws against petrol-engined cars becoming, including in the US, that the Mustang’s two arch rivals - the Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger - are both set to switch to electric power.

Ford Mustang showing off its 5.0-litre V8 engine on a NASCAR racetrack in the US

But not the Mustang. Jim Owens, brand manager for the Mustang, says the V8-powered Mustang coupe and convertible can still be viable for Ford because of the introduction and success of the all-electric Mustang Mach-E SUV and F-150 Lightning pickup truck. These two popular EVs allow Ford to meet US emissions standards while still selling its V8-powered pony car.

“I can’t comment on what the government’s going to do, but at least here in the US, we are meeting [emissions] requirements through our mix of vehicles,” Owens said.

“Part of the reason why we’re allowed to do two new [petrol] engines is the success of the Ford F-150 Lightning and the success of the Mustang Mach-E. Those are zero-emission vehicles.”

The decision to stick with the V8 for this latest Mustang means Ford is almost certain to offer that engine into next decade, with the previous generation Mustang model remaining on sale for nearly eight years. The European Union has announced it will ban the sale of combustion engines by 2025, with only very minor exceptions, but the US and Australia have set no similar date and are likely to enjoy petrol-powered motoring for a longer period.

Ford has attempted to future-proof the Mustang, however, introducing a new level of technology into the car in an attempt to appeal to younger buyers. A new digital display, with a 12.4-inch digital instrument panel and a 13.2-inch multimedia touchscreen, is integrated into a single unit to create what appears to be a huge single screen.

The graphics are powered by the Unreal Gaming engine used in popular video games, and feature an array of settings to appeal to both traditional and new buyers alike. For example, one of the virtual instrument displays is a tribute to the “Fox Body” Mustang of the 1980s (complete with green colour display at night) that is a throwback for older buyers, while the “Track” setting mirrors the modern racing car style, with a large digital rev counter.

“The focus group stuff that we did, it’s kinda funny, the younger audience said ‘it’s about time’ and ‘oh, this is cool’, they personalise their technology and this is how they’ve grown up, and they loved it,” Owens said. “My age, we did the focus group, and one of them was quoted as saying ‘I think we could launch a rocket from this thing.’

We think the technology will help us bring in that younger audience, but at its core it’s the ones who have a desire to be in a sports car and one with an internal-combustion engine. We’ve invested in those powertrains because we have a Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Package if you want to choose electric and we have the internal-combustion versions, so I think that’s what’s going to draw people in.”

The Mustang Mach-E is due to launch in Australia by the end of the year, while the coupe and convertible will arrive in the first quarter of 2024.