S650 is what Ford calls the seventh-generation Mustang, which is closely related to the S650 before it. For the S750, it was previously reported that Ford's pony car would transition to the GE2 platform of the next-generation Mustang Mach-E.
However, none other than Jim Farley has denied the rumor. Speaking to British publication Autocar, the big kahuna at Ford Motor Company made it clear that "we will never make an all-electric Mustang." Emphasis on Mustang rather than Mustang Mach-E, with the latter being a completely different animal from the two-door coupe and convertible.
Jim Farley also revealed that the second-largest American automaker after General Motors is looking into new variants. "Could we do other Mustang body forms – a four-door or whatever? I believe we could, as long as these models have all the performance and attitude of the original.”
While that may not be a confirmation for a sedan-bodied Mustang, the chief executive officer didn't rule out a sedan-bodied Mustang either. Farley told Autocar that Ford will keep building V8s for as long as fuel economy and emission regulations will allow the Coyote to roam free in the engine bays of the Mustang and the hugely popular F-150.
The Super Duty line of trucks also sports two V8s, those being the 7.3-liter Godzilla and a short-stroked version of said pushrod V8. The chief exec who replaced Jim Hackett in October 2020 is also fighting to keep the manual transmission alive, with the S650 being Ford's only manual in the United States market as of May 2024. Previously available in combination with the 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder turbo, the manual is now exclusive to the Coyote-powered GT and the Dark Horse.
Photo: Instagram | sugardesign_1
Farley confirmed to Autocar that Ford has been testing partial electric powertrains for the Mustang, but it's not clear if the S650 will ever go hybrid. On the other hand, remember that Ford's Mustang 60th Anniversary Celebration Livestream included an S550-generation Mustang GT spinning all four wheels into a big cloud of white smoke.
Why an S550 and not the S650? Good question, indeed! If we rewind back to the 2017 Detroit Auto Show, former chief technical officer Raj Nair told Emme Hall of Roadshow that Ford's hybrid Mustang uses an EcoBoost powerhouse rather than a free-breathing V8. The hugely anticipated S550 Mustang hybrid never entered production.
Another possibility for the Mustang hybrid is a V8 with two electric drive units on either side of the oil pan. This layout was patented by FoMoCo with the US Patent and Trademark Office in January 2019. The patent number is US 20190023115A1.
Whatever the future may hold for the S650 and S750, internal combustion won't go away from the Mustang as long as Jim Farley calls the shots. By comparison, General Motors president Mark Reuss wants the Camaro to come back as an electric sedan with a similar MSRP to that of the Equinox EV. That would be a pretty interesting car, especially if the Detroit-based automaker delivers on the promise of affordability.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News