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| If Ford were to build its next generation Mustang to look like the two cars pictured in this drawing, there's no doubt they'd have a massive hit on their hands. This artist's rendering appeared in Motor Trend, and is also considered to be a reasonably good interpretation of the future ponycar. |
If these C170 rumors are true the next Mustang won't be able to gain from the obvious advancements derived from the DEW98 platform's years of tuning - the Lincoln debuted in 2000 and the T-Bird in 2002 - and sophisticated design. On the positive, the new chassis will probably be lighter.
Part of the original's heart pounding excitement was due to its V8 power. This engine configuration, of course, will continue as will a base 6-cylinder version, true to the first generation car as well. Few changes are expected in the general architecture of Ford's single-overhead cam 4.6-L V8, other than 400 cc's of extra displacement. This should boost its torque to new gut-wrenching levels. Also, expect special editions to feature the DOHC multi-valve version of the same engine, currently good for 320-hp in Mach 1 trim. As fun as these big engines are, Ford knows its smaller V6 attracts a lot of sales to those who want the Mustang's sporty style but don't want to give up fuel economy. Still, the base model will get a performance boost in an all-new DOHC 3.0-L V6 expected to produce 215-hp - fuel economy and emissions should improve too.