With every other news article about an EV or a new conventional powered model with a smaller engine, it’s refreshing to talk about a good V8 sports car. On September 14, Ford will introduce the new Mustang as the star of this year’s North American International Auto Show. Meanwhile, Blue Oval has found time to release another teaser clip to make sure everyone knows the eight-cylinder engine remains.
Revealing a red start/stop button in the process, an adjacent video posted on social media plays an unmistakable V8 tone. The seventh iteration of Ford’s popular pony car will go on sale for the 2024 model year, meaning it will take quite a while between Wednesday’s reveal until you can drive one home. Judging by the soundtrack, it’s worth the wait, especially since it’s not too far-fetched to assume this will be the last generation of Mustang with a V8.
There have been some rumors of a hybrid and/or all-wheel-drive Mustang, but the latest intel suggests it will retain the traditional pure ICE+RWD formula that has been around since its inception in 1964. To please purists further, Ford has confirmed a six-speed manual gearbox. will be available, along with automatic. Ford Performance seems to have teased a GT3-powered version of the Coyote V8 ahead of its racing debut next year at IMSA.
Spy shots have indicated Ford isn’t going to rock the boat in terms of design, which could also mean the platform will be brought in with updates here and there. That makes sense because developing a new architecture for a single model isn’t feasible because automakers are spending their budgets on funding new EVs. The sports car segment wasn’t exactly booming, so sticking to the old bones was the right decision.
Codenamed S650, the 2024 Mustang should offer an entry-level engine for those who can’t step up to the 5.0-liter unit. It’s unclear what shape it will take, either an evolution of the current four-cylinder EcoBoost or something else. If the company intends to sell cars in Europe once again, it will definitely need to offer smaller, more fuel-efficient engines to meet increasingly stringent EU emissions regulations. With heavy taxes on large capacity engines in many EU countries, a sub-V8 engine is a must.
This week’s debut will likely focus almost exclusively on the V8-powered Mustang GT, but we expect Ford to share information about the base variant as well.