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Ford to reveal all-new road-going race car on January 15... GT500 successor?!
Jonathan19
Member
DeluxeStang
Well-Known Member
Stangmode is now claiming we'll get a mid-engine mustang 
Edit: He pretending like he had an insider source telling him this but then did the whole "This is just me speculating" so nevermind.
Edit: He pretending like he had an insider source telling him this but then did the whole "This is just me speculating" so nevermind.
Last edited:
Ewheels
Well-Known Member
Do people actually take anything that guy says seriously or is it just for laughs?Stangmode is now claiming we'll get a mid-engine mustang
DeluxeStang
Well-Known Member
Disappointed lol.
saleen367
Well-Known Member
Ford is Bringing Back a Mustang Icon at the Detroit Auto Show, But Which One?
Two new Ford Racing models are reportedly coming to Detroit, and one might be a legendary Mustang.
Jan 6, 2026 10:07 AM EST
By Sebastian Cenizo
Senior Editor, Autoblog
Key Points
Ford’s Rebrand Muddies the Waters
Ford Performance recently rebranded as Ford Racing, encompassing both motorsports (see Mustang GT3) and roadgoing performance vehicles, so it’s difficult to tell if reports of a new Cobra might actually hint at a Cobra Jet racecar. Regardless, Ford CEO Jim Farley has said that the company is “investing a lot in Mustang,” indicating that more variants are in the works, and we’ve seen evidence of this with spy shots of what was may have been a new GT500. Might this development mule have been a Cobra or Boss instead? Time will tell, but we know that a new production road car will definitely be unveiled by Ford Racing this month. Teased in November, the announcement might foreshadow a successor to the Ford GT supercar, but with this new report from TSB, perhaps it hints at a new Mustang instead.
Why the Cobra Name Seems Primed for a Comeback
From 1993 to 2004, the SN95 Ford SVT Mustang Cobra ruled the roost as the top-tier pony car in Ford’s range, sitting above both the Mustang GT and the Mach 1 with its supercharged V8 until the S197 Mustang GT500 arrived for the 2007 model year. For the current S650 generation, the Mach 1 has effectively been replaced by the Dark Horse, so perhaps the GT500 name will now be dropped, making way for the Cobra’s return. As for the Boss nameplate, it was most recently seen on the 2012 Boss 302, where the GT’s 5.0-liter Coyote engine was upgraded with a forged crankshaft, ported cylinder heads, new camshafts, and a modified intake derived from the 302R racecar. In a nutshell, both Cobra and Boss were high-performance variants of the Mustang, with the supercharged Cobra most similar to a GT500 and the naturally aspirated Boss sharing principles with today’s Dark Horse. Therefore, we may be about to get a new Cobra/GT500 with a supercharger. Fingers crossed.
https://www.autoblog.com/news/rumor...07EQCybrhraOHMiIdM_aem_PwElV6ZtgZ7WJBFzFL6mJg
Two new Ford Racing models are reportedly coming to Detroit, and one might be a legendary Mustang.
Jan 6, 2026 10:07 AM EST
By Sebastian Cenizo
Senior Editor, Autoblog
Key Points
- Two new Ford Racing models will reportedly debut at the Detroit Auto Show next week.
- Both Mustang Cobra and Mustang Boss names have been rumored.
- A new Cobra would be an ideal successor to the S550 GT500.
Ford’s Rebrand Muddies the Waters
Ford Performance recently rebranded as Ford Racing, encompassing both motorsports (see Mustang GT3) and roadgoing performance vehicles, so it’s difficult to tell if reports of a new Cobra might actually hint at a Cobra Jet racecar. Regardless, Ford CEO Jim Farley has said that the company is “investing a lot in Mustang,” indicating that more variants are in the works, and we’ve seen evidence of this with spy shots of what was may have been a new GT500. Might this development mule have been a Cobra or Boss instead? Time will tell, but we know that a new production road car will definitely be unveiled by Ford Racing this month. Teased in November, the announcement might foreshadow a successor to the Ford GT supercar, but with this new report from TSB, perhaps it hints at a new Mustang instead.
Why the Cobra Name Seems Primed for a Comeback
From 1993 to 2004, the SN95 Ford SVT Mustang Cobra ruled the roost as the top-tier pony car in Ford’s range, sitting above both the Mustang GT and the Mach 1 with its supercharged V8 until the S197 Mustang GT500 arrived for the 2007 model year. For the current S650 generation, the Mach 1 has effectively been replaced by the Dark Horse, so perhaps the GT500 name will now be dropped, making way for the Cobra’s return. As for the Boss nameplate, it was most recently seen on the 2012 Boss 302, where the GT’s 5.0-liter Coyote engine was upgraded with a forged crankshaft, ported cylinder heads, new camshafts, and a modified intake derived from the 302R racecar. In a nutshell, both Cobra and Boss were high-performance variants of the Mustang, with the supercharged Cobra most similar to a GT500 and the naturally aspirated Boss sharing principles with today’s Dark Horse. Therefore, we may be about to get a new Cobra/GT500 with a supercharger. Fingers crossed.
https://www.autoblog.com/news/rumor...07EQCybrhraOHMiIdM_aem_PwElV6ZtgZ7WJBFzFL6mJg
canzaecho
Well-Known Member
The more variations of the S650, the better for us S650 owners as this drives more aftermarket support and more excitement about the car overall.
If price isn't incredibly out of hand, perhaps an option for those looking for a force inducted S650 without the possible annoyances of going aftermarket.
I'm just hoping for a Turbo set-up over a Supercharger. The Mach 4 would be a pleasant surprise too.
If price isn't incredibly out of hand, perhaps an option for those looking for a force inducted S650 without the possible annoyances of going aftermarket.
I'm just hoping for a Turbo set-up over a Supercharger. The Mach 4 would be a pleasant surprise too.
NegativeMultiplier
Well-Known Member
On the topic of Cobra pricing, I'm willing to bet that the starting point, ballpark, will be north of $85,000, and south of $95,000.
As for a turbo setup, I'm not holding my breath. For reasons unbeknownst to me, the NHTSA has a public facing database that allows people to decode VIN numbers based on an also publicly-available VIN sheet, per manufacturer. If you go to the website right now and search for documents uploaded by Ford for all of 2025 - beginning in September, Ford had added the 2026 Mustang to their VIN sheet, and included on there is a new vehicle code "P8G", marked as the "Performance" trim, as well as a return of the supercharged 5.2L engine code, "J". It looks like we're likely going to see the GTD's engine passed down, as has been long rumored.
As for the rumor of a Dark Horse Boss, unless they're not planning to change the name of the existing Dark Horse, we're probably not going to see that either, as the rest of the Mustang page is entirely unchanged. Additionally, if a Mach 4 is planned, it's not in the sheet as yet.
saleen367
Well-Known Member
Mustang Dark Horse Boss: What Engine Will Power The Upcoming Pony?
By Alex Luft
January 6, 2026 8:53 am
13
Ford is planning on bringing to market not one, but two Shelby-adjacent high-performance Mustangs. Details surrounding both models have been few and far between, and Ford - unsurprisingly - has been completely mum on the matter. Today, we'd like to explore what will power the less powerful of these two upcoming ponies.
Named Dark Horse Boss?
For the sake of sanity, let's figure out a way to refer to this Mustang, since Ford has yet to announce any details. That includes a name.
But first, this: when we say two high-performance Mustangs, we mean one that will roughly take the place of the S550-generation Shelby GT500, and a second that will be positioned as a replacement to the Shelby GT350. The more powerful, GT500-level car will likely be called Cobra, while the one GT350-level vehicle will probably be called Dark Horse Boss, a name Ford filed to trademark Dark Horse Boss a year ago, giving more credence to Ford Authority's exclusive report that The Blue Oval isn't planning on using the Shelby name on the high-performing Mustangs going forward.
Upcoming Mustang Dark Horse Boss (Shelby GT350 replacement)
Upcoming Mustang Cobra (Shelby GT500 replacement)
In summary, we believe Mustang Dark Horse Boss will build on the current S650 range topper, the Dark Horse, while also applying learnings from the higher-performing Cobra, thereby bridging the gap between the two models. Now to the fun part.
The Engine
To be a proper Boss over the Dark Horse, the Dark Horse Boss will need to get a horsepower boost. But how much extra power are we talking about, and how will it be achieved? All that remains a mystery, but we can certainly do some deductively rational speculation.
First up is the fact that Cobra and Dark Horse Boss prototypes began testing at around the same time, so it's likely safe to assume that both models have mechanical similarities. If the Mustang Cobra stays true to the GT500's heritage - as in, carrying a supercharged V8 - then it's safe to conclude that the Dark Horse Boss will feature a naturally-aspirated version of that same engine.
This brings up memories of Ford's 5.2L Voodoo, a rev-happy, wonderfully-sounding, flat-plane-crank V8 used in the S550-gen Mustang Shelby GT350 (and nothing else). Could the Dark Horse Boss simply use the Voodoo, while the Cobra is powered by a supercharged variant? That might sound feasible, but there's an issue with this logic, and that's the fact that the Voodoo - as great as it sounded - was not a very reliable engine, plagued with various balancing issues, especially during high rev and wide-open-throttle use cases. It's primarily for this reason that Ford never offered Voodoo as a crate engine, as Ford Authority exclusively reported in 2022. It's certainly possible that The Blue Oval has worked on addressing these issues for the Dark Horse Boss. But maybe Ford doesn't really need to do that at all.
Another possibility is that Ford simply scrapped the idea of a flat-plane crank altogether, simply opting to increase the displacement. A 5.4L V8 derived from the Coyote - much like the motor used in the Mustang GT3 - might do the trick. And while that 5.4L is a special engine not even manufactured by Ford, we could see this playing out as a possibility.
In fact, a spy video of a Mustang Dark Horse Boss prototype we showed you back in August presented a unique engine and exhaust note that sounded more like a beefed up Coyote, rather than a flat-plane spinner motor. That same prototype also features additional cooling hardware, notably absent from the Mustang GT and Dark Horse on sale today, at the corners of the front fascia.
Notice the additional powertrain cooling hardware on the bottom front fascia (driver's side)
If a larger version of the Coyote does make its way under the hood of the Dark Horse Boss, how much power will it make? With the "regular" Dark Horse with its dual throttle bodies rated at 500 horses and 418 pound-feet of torque, a horsepower number in the high 500s and a bump in torque to the high 400s certainly sounds nice.
Of course, all this is speculation until Ford reveals (or at least confirms) the Mustang Dark Horse Boss. But something tells us that one of the two options described here is going to be the winning ticket whenever the details on this vehicle finally drop.
By Alex Luft
January 6, 2026 8:53 am
Ford is planning on bringing to market not one, but two Shelby-adjacent high-performance Mustangs. Details surrounding both models have been few and far between, and Ford - unsurprisingly - has been completely mum on the matter. Today, we'd like to explore what will power the less powerful of these two upcoming ponies.
Named Dark Horse Boss?
For the sake of sanity, let's figure out a way to refer to this Mustang, since Ford has yet to announce any details. That includes a name.
But first, this: when we say two high-performance Mustangs, we mean one that will roughly take the place of the S550-generation Shelby GT500, and a second that will be positioned as a replacement to the Shelby GT350. The more powerful, GT500-level car will likely be called Cobra, while the one GT350-level vehicle will probably be called Dark Horse Boss, a name Ford filed to trademark Dark Horse Boss a year ago, giving more credence to Ford Authority's exclusive report that The Blue Oval isn't planning on using the Shelby name on the high-performing Mustangs going forward.
Upcoming Mustang Dark Horse Boss (Shelby GT350 replacement)
Upcoming Mustang Cobra (Shelby GT500 replacement)
In summary, we believe Mustang Dark Horse Boss will build on the current S650 range topper, the Dark Horse, while also applying learnings from the higher-performing Cobra, thereby bridging the gap between the two models. Now to the fun part.
The Engine
To be a proper Boss over the Dark Horse, the Dark Horse Boss will need to get a horsepower boost. But how much extra power are we talking about, and how will it be achieved? All that remains a mystery, but we can certainly do some deductively rational speculation.
First up is the fact that Cobra and Dark Horse Boss prototypes began testing at around the same time, so it's likely safe to assume that both models have mechanical similarities. If the Mustang Cobra stays true to the GT500's heritage - as in, carrying a supercharged V8 - then it's safe to conclude that the Dark Horse Boss will feature a naturally-aspirated version of that same engine.
This brings up memories of Ford's 5.2L Voodoo, a rev-happy, wonderfully-sounding, flat-plane-crank V8 used in the S550-gen Mustang Shelby GT350 (and nothing else). Could the Dark Horse Boss simply use the Voodoo, while the Cobra is powered by a supercharged variant? That might sound feasible, but there's an issue with this logic, and that's the fact that the Voodoo - as great as it sounded - was not a very reliable engine, plagued with various balancing issues, especially during high rev and wide-open-throttle use cases. It's primarily for this reason that Ford never offered Voodoo as a crate engine, as Ford Authority exclusively reported in 2022. It's certainly possible that The Blue Oval has worked on addressing these issues for the Dark Horse Boss. But maybe Ford doesn't really need to do that at all.
Another possibility is that Ford simply scrapped the idea of a flat-plane crank altogether, simply opting to increase the displacement. A 5.4L V8 derived from the Coyote - much like the motor used in the Mustang GT3 - might do the trick. And while that 5.4L is a special engine not even manufactured by Ford, we could see this playing out as a possibility.
In fact, a spy video of a Mustang Dark Horse Boss prototype we showed you back in August presented a unique engine and exhaust note that sounded more like a beefed up Coyote, rather than a flat-plane spinner motor. That same prototype also features additional cooling hardware, notably absent from the Mustang GT and Dark Horse on sale today, at the corners of the front fascia.
Notice the additional powertrain cooling hardware on the bottom front fascia (driver's side)
If a larger version of the Coyote does make its way under the hood of the Dark Horse Boss, how much power will it make? With the "regular" Dark Horse with its dual throttle bodies rated at 500 horses and 418 pound-feet of torque, a horsepower number in the high 500s and a bump in torque to the high 400s certainly sounds nice.
Of course, all this is speculation until Ford reveals (or at least confirms) the Mustang Dark Horse Boss. But something tells us that one of the two options described here is going to be the winning ticket whenever the details on this vehicle finally drop.
BoostRabbitGT
Well-Known Member
I wish. I don't know if it was here or on Ford Authority, but someone was saying that we wouldn't see anything about it until around 2027-2028 (if it doesn't get canned again before it even comes out).
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