The Ford Mustang, with us since 1964 as a coupe, is no longer the only model in the range to bear that name. It got company in 2021 when the Mustang Mach-E electric SUV made its debut.
There's no need to go back over the outcry that the use of the name provoked among enthusiasts; it's been well documented. We could see more gnashing of teeth in the next few years, however. Reports are circulating that Ford is planning to offer new body styles using the Mustang name.
Automotive News reported this week that Ford showed mockups and renderings of several potential nbew Mustan variants at a brand dealer meeting in Las Vegas, according to four people who attended the meeting.
Among the new models are a four-door coupe and a four-wheel-drive off-roader, part of an expanded Mustang lineup. We can hear raised voices already.
Some sources say Ford referred to the four-door coupe as Mach 4. The off-road product was described as boasting a raised suspension and all-terrain tires suited to inhospitable trails. Neither model was described as electric.
Ford has in the past juggled with the idea of offering a four-door Mustang. In fact, a prototype was produced as early as the mid-1960s.
The idea of a Mustang designed for off-road driving is much newer. Ford did recently introduce a Rally variant of the Mustang Mach-E.
Among the other possible future variants shown at the meeting, a high-performance Ford Mustang convertible equipped with a V8 and manual gearbox.
This kind of trail balloon floating is fairly common one in the industry. A dealer meeting is a good occasion to collect feedback from those in a position to know whether a particular vehicle has a chance of success.
There’s obviously no talk of any production schedule, or even which if any of the models floated this week have been greenlit. What leads us to believe that Ford will go ahead with at least some of the ideas? Last May, Ford CEO Jim Farley told Autocar it was possible Ford could add new body styles to the Mustang, such as a sedan.