In Ford’s latest attempt to piss your uncle off, the automaker is expected to significantly expand the Mustang’s lineup with new variants including a four-door coupe and a four-wheel-drive off-roader. Undoubtedly, these new vehicles will be very cool, but for some folks, they will spell the beginning of the end times.
Ford CEO Jim Farley and other top executives recently showed dealers a handful of upcoming gas-powered Mustangs and other products at a meeting in Las Vegas, according to Automotive News. This news came from four people in the room who requested anonymity. The products were a mix of physical mock-ups, photos and digital renderings. Sounds pretty serious to me.
Here’s what the people in the room (who had to surrender their cell phones) saw, heard and told AutoNews about:
Dealers saw a rendering of a long-rumored four-door coupe, which two of the sources said was called the Mach 4. Farley also showed a photo of an off-road Baja model, lifted with special tires, that he described as embodying “rugged” performance, according to the four attendees.
Other models included an EcoBoost variant modified by RTR, a company owned by off-road racer Vaughn Gittin Jr., that would start around $40,000. Dealers also saw a high-performance manual-transmission V-8 convertible, akin to the former Shelby GT350 or GT500, but the car, notably, had no Shelby badging.
Those at the meeting said the Mustang news was intended to be Farley’s vision for how the company could double down on a key vehicle line while competitors dial back. No sales timelines were provided for any of the models, the people said, although dealers came away believing Ford was seriously exploring production.
Farley is apparently all about creating sub-brands out of popular nameplates. As Chevy and Dodge have left the gas-powered muscle car segment, Ford has looked to pick up the slack with its Mustang sub-brand. Recently, the automaker has introduced the high-performance $325,000 Mustang GTD as well as the off-road-focused Mustang Mach-E Rally.
Speaking of the Mach-E, this news about the expanded Mustang brand probably will not get a terribly warm welcome from purists. They were already pissed off when the Mach-E hit the streets about four years ago. I don’t know. I think – at the very least – an off-road Mustang would be cool. Just look at stuff like the Porsche 911 Dakar and Lamborghini Huricán Sterrato. Those two cars are cool as hell.