Report: Mustang AWD and Hybrid Plans Cancelled

[Bikeman315]

competition is getting better. The Mustang must do so as well.

What competition? The category along with V8’s, manuals, and ICE are coming to an eventual end.

in an industry increasingly eschewing cars like the Mustang, Ford can’t afford to let it sit in the past. It needs to be better in order to succeed moving forward.

it’s not the industry, it’s the buyers. There is nothing Ford can do to increase sales in any meaningful numbers. If it weren’t for Ford wanting to build a Mustang brand I doubt there would even be a S650.

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[IceGamer]

BMW's forthcoming M5 will be a hybrid V8...........I still think it'd be cool to see this as an option for S650

https://www.motor1.com/news/608448/...MYFvpdxG7pOWJQHziKDIChi85o-7al_DzcfPfYAtqOnhY

At this point I doubt that we’ll see a regular GT hybrid. The power output might be too “outrageous” for a regular GT. That car has already 450HP and could deliver ~500 in the S650. Adding a somewhat useful hybrid system would increase that power to 700+hp (next M5 and AMG GTs are in that range as well) and that would most certainly cannibalize any other upmarket Mustang (Shelby’s, BOSS, MACH 1 etc.)
I hope for a 700+ hybrid with somewhat of 50+km of real world range but I doubt that such a car would ever be called Mustang GT…

 

[Twin Turbo]

Perhaps they'll badge it as a Shelby to justify the price and the power. Mind you, I was convinced the Mach 1 was going to be a hybrid before it was launched. To me, it made sense to tie the Mach names together.......Mach E full EV, Mach 1 hybrid V8. I'd welcome a 600-700hp Mach 1, and there would be less of an outcry if it were only available with the 10-speed auto. It might upset the Shelby faithful if such a model was auto-only (and not even the 7-speed DCT)

 

[9secondko]

What competition? The category along with V8’s, manuals, and ICE are coming to an eventual end.

LOL. Basically ALL other vehicles.
Camaro isn’t the only competition. Dodge, BMW, etc. aren’t sitting down and relying on nostalgia.

and thanks for repeating the point I made earlier about the market changing. All the more important for the Mustang to establish itself as THE American hot rod in the eras to come.

it’s not the industry, it’s the buyers. There is nothing Ford can do to increase sales in any meaningful numbers. If it weren’t for Ford wanting to build a Mustang brand I doubt there would even be a S650.

The industry includes OEMS and customers. If you so t have customers, you don’t have an industry. If your idea is Ford can’t do anything, so they shouldn’t try, that’s erroneous. They haven’t tried hard enough. Doing the bare minimum isn’t helping. There is plenty to do that will set the Mustang up for success and ensure it stands apart as better and more exciting than the competition.

Ford NEEDS the Mustang. Without it, they lose the iconic symbol of their entire brand. Mustang is the halo. That status is also why it makes sense to make the car the best version of itself it can be and stop milking nostalgic feelings to fill in the gaps.

 

[Bikeman315]

LOL. Basically ALL other vehicles.
Camaro isn’t the only competition. Dodge, BMW, etc. aren’t sitting down and relying on nostalgia.

I applaud your enthusiasm but I think you need a dose of reality. The Camaro is dead. Even though they have had a better chassis and handling dynamics their sales have been abysmal. Dodge has one year left and then they're going EV. BMW, no, not a competitor to Ford. Totally different dynamics. And performance wise going head to head with a base GT the BMW will cost way, way more.

and thanks for repeating the point I made earlier about the market changing. All the more important for the Mustang to establish itself as THE American hot rod in the eras to come.

I'm not sure where you have been but the Mustang has been "the" American hot rod for decades. That is never going to change.

The industry includes OEMS and customers. If you so t have customers, you don’t have an industry. If your idea is Ford can’t do anything, so they shouldn’t try, that’s erroneous. They haven’t tried hard enough. Doing the bare minimum isn’t helping. There is plenty to do that will set the Mustang up for success and ensure it stands apart as better and more exciting than the competition.

Maybe you haven't notice but Ford is no longer a car company. Their corporate interests are in pickup trucks and EV's. There is a small handful of people in higher management that want to keep the Mustang (which by the way is why we have a Mach-E). To think otherwise is, unfortunately, dreaming.

Ford NEEDS the Mustang. Without it, they lose the iconic symbol of their entire brand. Mustang is the halo. That status is also why it makes sense to make the car the best version of itself it can be and stop milking nostalgic feelings to fill in the gaps.

Once again I admire your loyalty but this is flat out not true. Our car is a leftover from another era. The S650 is nothing more than a bridge to the future S750 EV. There may be a special model of two but that's it. The ICE age is done. The real Halo for Ford corporation in the Lightning. Think not, just ask anyone in Ford. I have and that's the answer I've gotten.

Listen, we all love our Mustang's I have since the day I saw it at the New York World's Fair in 1964. But we can escape the reality of the auto industry today. Let's enjoy what we have while we have it. Before you know it we are going to be talking about our Mustang in the past tense.

 

[9secondko]

I applaud your enthusiasm but I think you need a dose of reality. The Camaro is dead. Even though they have had a better chassis and handling dynamics their sales have been abysmal. Dodge has one year left and then they're going EV. BMW, no, not a competitor to Ford. Totally different dynamics. And performance wise going head to head with a base GT the BMW will cost way, way more.

I'm not sure where you have been but the Mustang has been "the" American hot rod for decades. That is never going to change.

Maybe you haven't notice but Ford is no longer a car company. Their corporate interests are in pickup trucks and EV's. There is a small handful of people in higher management that want to keep the Mustang (which by the way is why we have a Mach-E). To think otherwise is, unfortunately, dreaming.

Once again I admire your loyalty but this is flat out not true. Our car is a leftover from another era. The S650 is nothing more than a bridge to the future S750 EV. There may be a special model of two but that's it. The ICE age is done. The real Halo for Ford corporation in the Lightning. Think not, just ask anyone in Ford. I have and that's the answer I've gotten.

Listen, we all love our Mustang's I have since the day I saw it at the New York World's Fair in 1964. But we can escape the reality of the auto industry today. Let's enjoy what we have while we have it. Before you know it we are going to be talking about our Mustang in the past tense.

Enthusiasm is what the mustang is all about. Once that is gone, so is the mustang.

that, my friend is the reality at any dosage.

marketing 101 for this segment.

the mustang eschews some, but not all practicality for the sake of performance snd hotness. Once the performance is equaled or eclipsed my everyone else, it’s a moot point. A dead horse if you will. Once the hotness is gone, same deal.

you can’t take the iconic mustang and make it a lesser car that’s loud or that has a “nostalgic” shortcoming. That’s just a crappy car compared to everything else. You can’t mKe it a grocery getter with a horse sticker. At that point, it’s reason to exist is gone.

it MUST be superior in handling, speed/acceleration, and looks. It must evoke enthusiasm/excitement. As in “that’s hot. I want one really bad even though my friends have eco bubbles with wheels. Even if the mustang is an extremely fast, extremely good looking, smaller eco bubble with wheels.

There’s also no point in a sports car form factor that doesn’t deliver sports car performance in the face of increasingly capable grandma vehicles.

on the flip side, there is no point in mustang if you turn it into an everyday grandma vehicle.

in order for the car to survive into the future, it needs to grow up, but maintain a rebellious, rip-snorting attitude. A sporty car that can more than back up its bark.

 

[IceGamer]

Enthusiasm is what the mustang is all about. Once that is gone, so is the mustang.

that, my friend is the reality at any dosage.

marketing 101 for this segment.

the mustang eschews some, but not all practicality for the sake of performance snd hotness. Once the performance is equaled or eclipsed my everyone else, it’s a moot point. A dead horse if you will. Once the hotness is gone, same deal.

you can’t take the iconic mustang and make it a lesser car that’s loud or that has a “nostalgic” shortcoming. That’s just a crappy car compared to everything else. You can’t mKe it a grocery getter with a horse sticker. At that point, it’s reason to exist is gone.

it MUST be superior in handling, speed/acceleration, and looks. It must evoke enthusiasm/excitement. As in “that’s hot. I want one really bad even though my friends have eco bubbles with wheels. Even if the mustang is an extremely fast, extremely good looking, smaller eco bubble with wheels.

There’s also no point in a sports car form factor that doesn’t deliver sports car performance in the face of increasingly capable grandma vehicles.

on the flip side, there is no point in mustang if you turn it into an everyday grandma vehicle.

in order for the car to survive into the future, it needs to grow up, but maintain a rebellious, rip-snorting attitude. A sporty car that can more than back up its bark.

The Mustang has never been "superior in handling, speed/acceleration" unless you take the price into consideration. It's one of the fastest cars at that price point but given the increased prices a lot of cars will give the S650 a run for its money. The S650 will not beat any M car nor will it be as fast on the ¼ mile as some AWD cars with less HP. Is that a bad thing? No, absolutely not, its selling point to most customers is the V8 and almost purely the V8.

The base GT is a platform. The customer can turn it into a track car, a dragster or just enjoy the car it was built… That’s one of the secrets of success regarding the Mustang. The base GT however, is a decent car, a great one considering the price but that’s it.

 

[dethmaShine]

I truly hope the next car is an AWD hybrid. Cmon.

 

[Falc'man]

If true, I think this may be a very good decision; (when Dodge goes charging) this will be the last and only pure, affordable V8 sports car on sale anywhere in the world.... (?) ... and with a manual?! I have a slight suspicion Ford won't keep up with the demand.

Does it need to be faster than it already is? Or handle better or be more economical? Perhaps, in small increments, yes. For the realist, not really.

What does it need to be? It needs to tick a few boxes, and we all have the same general perception of what the pony car should be: Cheap, fun, good-looking, V8-analogue-powered coupe. If, to achieve this, they have to retain on aging architecture then so be it. It's a unique position to be in, and to delay the change is, I believe, the best decision. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Nearly everyone is shifting to electric but there are those investing in hydrogen tech. I believe Ford are, as well.

 

[9secondko]

I truly hope the next car is an AWD hybrid. Cmon.

If true, I think this may be a very good decision; (when Dodge goes charging) this will be the last and only pure, affordable V8 sports car on sale anywhere in the world.... (?) ... and with a manual?! I have a slight suspicion Ford won't keep up with the demand.

Does it need to be faster than it already is? Or handle better or be more economical? Perhaps, in small increments, yes. For the realist, not really.

What does it need to be? It needs to tick a few boxes, and we all have the same general perception of what the pony car should be: Cheap, fun, good-looking, V8-analogue-powered coupe. If, to achieve this, they have to retain on aging architecture then so be it. It's a unique position to be in, and to delay the change is, I believe, the best decision. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Nearly everyone is shifting to electric but there are those investing in hydrogen tech. I believe Ford are, as well.

While I disagree with your vision of a stagnant mustang that doesn’t actually perform exceptionally well, but just looks and sounds cool, I do like the hydrogen concept. It’s preferable to EV in my book.

But the infrastructure just isn’t there and the entire thing from a-z is expensive. If the infrastructure was built out and the cost lowered due to scale, that would be amazing. If it happens, it’s a long way off, apparently.

 

[Hack]

competition is getting better. The Mustang must do so as well.

There really isn't competition for the Mustang. BMW has lost its way according to the reviewers. They are no longer fun to drive. Corvette is automatic only. Camaro and Dodge are gone. The new Z isn't great. The Toyota Supra is only offering a few manuals to connected or lucky people. Plus the Supra has a straight 6. Yuck.

Mustang isn't an EV competitor. People who want EVs have some choices. Mustang is the only reasonable V8 manual RWD vehicle available.

I think the GR86 is better in some ways than the Mustang, but Ford is never going to return that far to Mustang roots going lightweight, sporty and small.

So what is this competition that's getting better?

LOL. Basically ALL other vehicles.
Camaro isn’t the only competition. Dodge, BMW, etc. aren’t sitting down and relying on nostalgia.

and thanks for repeating the point I made earlier about the market changing. All the more important for the Mustang to establish itself as THE American hot rod in the eras to come.

I don't want what Dodge and BMW are selling. If you do, buy one. I don't think the market is changing like you are saying. I think most people like gas powered cars and the Mustang will sell better than the Dodge and BMWs.

The industry includes OEMS and customers. If you so t have customers, you don’t have an industry. If your idea is Ford can’t do anything, so they shouldn’t try, that’s erroneous. They haven’t tried hard enough. Doing the bare minimum isn’t helping. There is plenty to do that will set the Mustang up for success and ensure it stands apart as better and more exciting than the competition.

I would like to see Ford do something different, but I don't want big and heavy. I'd like smaller, less expensive and sporty. I guess I would prefer Ford made smaller incremental changes than for them to make something most people hate.

Ford NEEDS the Mustang. Without it, they lose the iconic symbol of their entire brand. Mustang is the halo. That status is also why it makes sense to make the car the best version of itself it can be and stop milking nostalgic feelings to fill in the gaps.

I think the F150 and the SUVs are what Ford really needs. They just do Mustang for fun at this point. An EV version of the Mustang is pointless. And Ford already builds an EV Mustang. It's called the Mach E. That is your EV future. Enjoy.

Enthusiasm is what the mustang is all about. Once that is gone, so is the mustang.

that, my friend is the reality at any dosage.

marketing 101 for this segment.

the mustang eschews some, but not all practicality for the sake of performance snd hotness. Once the performance is equaled or eclipsed my everyone else, it’s a moot point. A dead horse if you will. Once the hotness is gone, same deal.

you can’t take the iconic mustang and make it a lesser car that’s loud or that has a “nostalgic” shortcoming. That’s just a crappy car compared to everything else. You can’t mKe it a grocery getter with a horse sticker. At that point, it’s reason to exist is gone.

it MUST be superior in handling, speed/acceleration, and looks. It must evoke enthusiasm/excitement. As in “that’s hot. I want one really bad even though my friends have eco bubbles with wheels. Even if the mustang is an extremely fast, extremely good looking, smaller eco bubble with wheels.

There’s also no point in a sports car form factor that doesn’t deliver sports car performance in the face of increasingly capable grandma vehicles.

on the flip side, there is no point in mustang if you turn it into an everyday grandma vehicle.

in order for the car to survive into the future, it needs to grow up, but maintain a rebellious, rip-snorting attitude. A sporty car that can more than back up its bark.

Mustang has never been superior. The Shelbys have been really good lately. But the regular Mustang has always been a compromise. Now maybe Mustang will be superior because everything else is gone, but in the past Mustang was a secretary's car. Now it's more of a personal luxury barge. A relatively quick luxury barge, but still I think the description fits.

 

[9secondko]

There really isn't competition for the Mustang. BMW has lost its way according to the reviewers. They are no longer fun to drive. Corvette is automatic only. Camaro and Dodge are gone. The new Z isn't great. The Toyota Supra is only offering a few manuals to connected or lucky people. Plus the Supra has a straight 6. Yuck.

Mustang isn't an EV competitor. People who want EVs have some choices. Mustang is the only reasonable V8 manual RWD vehicle available.

I think the GR86 is better in some ways than the Mustang, but Ford is never going to return that far to Mustang roots going lightweight, sporty and small.

So what is this competition that's getting better?



I don't want what Dodge and BMW are selling. If you do, buy one. I don't think the market is changing like you are saying. I think most people like gas powered cars and the Mustang will sell better than the Dodge and BMWs.




I would like to see Ford do something different, but I don't want big and heavy. I'd like smaller, less expensive and sporty. I guess I would prefer Ford made smaller incremental changes than for them to make something most people hate.



I think the F150 and the SUVs are what Ford really needs. They just do Mustang for fun at this point. An EV version of the Mustang is pointless. And Ford already builds an EV Mustang. It's called the Mach E. That is your EV future. Enjoy.



Mustang has never been superior. The Shelbys have been really good lately. But the regular Mustang has always been a compromise. Now maybe Mustang will be superior because everything else is gone, but in the past Mustang was a secretary's car. Now it's more of a personal luxury barge. A relatively quick luxury barge, but still I think the description fits.

everyone knows the Mach e is not a mustang. It’s an suv with a horse sticker.

the sports car/pony car that handles well and goes fast. That’s the one.

as far as powertrain, I’d prefer internal combustion as well. But it looks increasingly difficult. So there needs to be a path forward.

The mustang isn’t just another accord, pilot, Mach e, etc. it’s always had big performance in its dna. The idea of the secretary car wasn’t all there was back in ancient history. It was a rad performance car that could also be bought as a cheap version that single women wanted to be fashionable and cool on their way to work. There was a nice 289 v8 to start, followed by performance monsters in subsequent years.

no, they didnt handle all that well as that wasn’t important to the market at the time. That came later and in higher tier models, notable in the 90’s with the Cobra and IRS.

But handling became snd iscurrently very important in a car such as the mustang. Acceleration and speed is as well.

This isn’t the 60s anymore.
if you want a mustang that slips along the road and goes just fast enough, there are plenty of old mustangs for you. That’s not the mustang of modern times, nor what will be especially needed in the future as the car forms an identity to separate itself from a malaise of EV SUVs and some EV cars,

you may not like that the Mustang has competition from BMW and dodge, but that’s the case.

I don’t want to buy the bmw or the dodge. I want to mustang taken to its logical conclusion as an American icon. Not some mascot of days gone by. A proper modern reincarnation of the same spirit, but with modern capabilities in spades. Not just existing, but making a statement and winning the comparisons.
There should be PURPOSE to the car, not just playing the game to play the game.

Playing to win. It will be increasingly difficult to do any of that as the market moves toward EV/hybrid. If ICE can stay available with the added benefit of AWD in performance models, great. If it stays RWD and gets owned by soccer moms in their grocery getter EV SUV/minivan, no thank you. That’s pathetic.

it’s time to let silly ideas like RWD ONLY die.

let the car grow in capability and actually WIN.

 

[because_murica]

everyone knows the Mach e is not a mustang. It’s an suv with a horse sticker.

the sports car/pony car that handles well and goes fast. That’s the one.

as far as powertrain, I’d prefer internal combustion as well. But it looks increasingly difficult. So there needs to be a path forward.

The mustang isn’t just another accord, pilot, Mach e, etc. it’s always had big performance in its dna. The idea of the secretary car wasn’t all there was back in ancient history. It was a rad performance car that could also be bought as a cheap version that single women wanted to be fashionable and cool on their way to work. There was a nice 289 v8 to start, followed by performance monsters in subsequent years.

no, they didnt handle all that well as that wasn’t important to the market at the time. That came later and in higher tier models, notable in the 90’s with the Cobra and IRS.

But handling became snd iscurrently very important in a car such as the mustang. Acceleration and speed is as well.

This isn’t the 60s anymore.
if you want a mustang that slips along the road and goes just fast enough, there are plenty of old mustangs for you. That’s not the mustang of modern times, nor what will be especially needed in the future as the car forms an identity to separate itself from a malaise of EV SUVs and some EV cars,

you may not like that the Mustang has competition from BMW and dodge, but that’s the case.

I don’t want to buy the bmw or the dodge. I want to mustang taken to its logical conclusion as an American icon. Not some mascot of days gone by. A proper modern reincarnation of the same spirit, but with modern capabilities in spades. Not just existing, but making a statement and winning the comparisons.
There should be PURPOSE to the car, not just playing the game to play the game.

Playing to win. It will be increasingly difficult to do any of that as the market moves toward EV/hybrid. If ICE can stay available with the added benefit of AWD in performance models, great. If it stays RWD and gets owned by soccer moms in their grocery getter EV SUV/minivan, no thank you. That’s pathetic.

it’s time to let silly ideas like RWD ONLY die.

let the car grow in capability and actually WIN.

Lol you sound kike the dude that argues in favor for DCTs and autos just because they're faster. You're not a legit car enthusiast. You just want to pose in an AWD automatic mustang.
.
MANual for life. Learn to drive one.

The mustang isn't for you dude, at least not this one. Buy a Tesla for now. If and when the mustang is bastardized with hybrid/AWD/EV you can revisit the idea.

 

[BoostRabbitGT]

Lol you sound kike the dude that argues in favor for DCTs and autos just because they're faster. You're not a legit car enthusiast. You just want to pose in an AWD automatic mustang.
.
MANual for life. Learn to drive one.

The mustang isn't for you dude, at least not this one. Buy a Tesla for now. If and when the mustang is bastardized with hybrid/AWD/EV you can revisit the idea.

Hey, that's actually ME you're talking about!

Honestly the only reason I'd want AWD is to have the potential ability to daily-drive the Mustang somewhere with a snow season if I ever chose to move up north. As for the hybrid V8...V8 soundtrack with I-4 EcoBoost fuel economy, anyone? I'd take it...but maybe I'd be the only one.

(shrugs) I'm probably not a legit car enthusiast in the traditional sense. But I would never buy a Mustang just as a flex to one-up others. Truth is, having my EcoBoost for the past three years has helped me see how much I enjoy the open road, and how much I want to experience that with the potential swan song of the naturally aspirated V8. I may not have the pedal-to-the-medal itch like I suspect a lot of people here have, but I would like to learn how to tame the proper pony in a few years time, with or without the eccentricities of AWD and hybridization. What a story it would be if my first and last ICE car were Mustang coupes, but with completely different flavors---

Any ways, I'm boring everyone now, I bet. That's where I'm at...again. Hopefully my last ICE car is a Mustang, but if it's not, I know I have other viable options on the table. No shame in that, I think.

 

[9secondko]

Lol you sound kike the dude that argues in favor for DCTs and autos just because they're faster. You're not a legit car enthusiast. You just want to pose in an AWD automatic mustang.
.
MANual for life. Learn to drive one.

The mustang isn't for you dude, at least not this one. Buy a Tesla for now. If and when the mustang is bastardized with hybrid/AWD/EV you can revisit the idea.

LOL at the poser attack. Pot meet kettle.
i drive a 2003 Cobra with a tremec six speed and know how to drive it thank you.
That said, if it had a DCT option, I’d have taken it. As much as I love shifting (except-in SoCal rush hour. It’s why my daily is an auto SUV), the consistency without slamming the transmission is not nearly as good. There should be the option.

You sound like the guy who doesn’t care about winning and is content shifting during his fly by at the end of a losing race. That’s fine. But don’t knock those who like getting the most out of the power the mustang has.

the idea of having the better car is not to “flex” (although there is a time for that. And your better have the bigger biceps, or you’ll just look lame for trying). It’s about enjoying the most out of what you bought. And if you dont, it may be true that you are not an enthusiast. That’s ok. But it’s a it strange to knock those of us who are enthusiasts for wanting more to be enthusiastic about.

the mustang is exactly for me and people like me. I don’t want a Tesla Or a Mach e or any other e-jellybean. I want the mustang. The American icon hot rod in a sports car silhouette. We will see what the s650 has up its sleeve in a couple years when the meaningful performers launch. But I’m not only talking about the s650. I’m talking about beyond. Try to keep up.

the Cobra set the template for s550 to gain IRS across the board. It’s funny how the IRS was controversial to some back in the day, leaving some to forget about the supercharged power and superior handling of the cobra in order to have more drag strip friendly SRA of the Mach 1. I believe the move to AWD will be similar. A hi-po mustang gets AWD and some will complain (like they did with thegt500 DCT - which allows it to be as fast as it can via RWD). If it will be seen as the best performing. And a generation or two later, most, if not all tiers will have it. It’s called progress. The mustang deserves to improve. there are old mustang for those who want to live in the past.

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