A Ford Mustang ‘sedan’, a Baja 1000-inspired off-roader and a replacement for the iconic Shelby.
Sounds like fantasy, right? Well, according to trusted industry publication, Automotive News, these are some of the potential new models Ford CEO Jim Farley showed off to US dealers at a recent private meeting in Las Vegas. While it’s unclear how close to production these variants are, the report makes it clear Ford is looking to expand the ‘family’ of Mustang models beyond the two-door and Mach-E electric SUV.
In a win for muscle car fans, according to the report all of the concepts were powered by either the existing 5.0-litre V8 or the 2.3-litre EcoBoost four-cylinder turbo petrol engines, with no expansion to the electric Mustang range.
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The ‘sedan’ was reportedly a four-door version of the recently-launched coupe and was labelled as the ‘Mach 4’ – a play on the famous Mach 1 nameplate.
There was also an off-road version of the Mustang coupe, inspired by the Baja 1000 race that was the catalyst for the F-150 and Ranger Raptor models. While there was no official name leaked for this particular model, rumours of a jacked-up, knobby tyre equipped Mustang has been building momentum for years.
The final model that was reportedly shown to the dealers was a new convertible hero, featuring the V8 engine, manual transmission and styling seemingly inspired by the iconic Shelby GT350. Crucially, though, the Shelby name or badges were not featured on this new performance Mustang.
READ MORE: Review – Driving Ford’s new Mustang Dark Horse hero
So, what does this all mean? Ford is clearly looking for ways to expand the appeal of the Mustang nameplate and adding more internal combustion engine models would help off-set the development costs of this latest muscle car.
An expansive range of variants would follow the benchmark set by Porsche and its 911, which is typically offered in 20 or more trim levels. The most recent generation has seen Porsche push the limits with models like the 911 Dakar and 911 S/T, which could be inspiration for Ford.
What we do know is that Ford is not afraid to use both famous old nameplates or invent new ones for the Mustang, as witnessed in the latest model featuring both the classic GT and the new hero, Dark Horse.
When Torquecafe spoke to Mustang Brand Manager Jim Owens at the July 2023 launch of the Dark Horse in the USA, he made it clear Ford never fully closes a door on any possible Mustang model. When asked if the addition of the Dark Horse meant models like the Mach 1 and Bullitt would disappear, Owens gave an open-ended answer.
“We never say never,” Owens said at the time. “We’ve had a lot of derivatives over the years … and those heritage brands will always be there.
“But when we launched (the new Mustang) we really wanted to go in the future and [why] we chose to invest in technology beyond the engine.”
When asked directly if this meant Ford was ruling out a new version of the Mustang Bullitt, Owens said: “I’m not saying what we’re doing in the future. We’re always looking and we never say never about anything.
“We’re always looking … to create those future collectibles and that does not rule out heritage names. We are not saying we are ruling them out.”
Could Ford be about to add some new names to the Mustang legacy – Mach 4, Raptor or Baja?
Let us know what you think about Ford’s Mustang expansion plans in the comments.
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