As the era of the electric car begins, there are many reasons to believe it is a V8 powered Ford Mustang maybe not long for this world. With Ford announcing that it will only offer electric vehicles in Europe by 2030 it’s worth wondering if a V8 Mustang will survive beyond that date.
All we know for now is that an EV Mustang must be ready for sale by 2030 if Ford is to continue selling Mustangs in Europe (and keep its current promise). That may not sound super convincing, but you might be surprised how much of one success Ford Europe considers the current MustangFord, which was only reintroduced to Europe in 2015, now calls it the “best-selling sports coupe in the world”. Does that mean it’s a make-or-break product for Ford? Probably not. But it’s one more reason to imagine that the automaker will have to seriously consider building an electric Mustang in the shape of today’s car.
Of course, Ford can continue to sell new generations of V8 Mustangs in other markets such as the US – in addition to an EV version that will continue to ship to Europe after 2030 or at any time. In a way, it does that now with the Mach-E. But I think all of this presents us with some hard points to work from when we imagine what to expect from the upcoming generation Mustang – again possibly the last to offer a V8.
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Assuming Ford will introduce an all-electric Ford Mustang sports car by 2030, that leaves enough space between now and then for what I call a lame duck generation. I would anticipate the next generation Mustang will be a slight upgrade from the current platform, and of course still offer the V8 and manual transmission that enthusiasts demand. But how much attention can this car receive when Ford’s engineering teams work hard on the future electric next-gen? How big will the budget be to make it feel like a new car compared to the current generation?
Those could be important questions because if this is the last generation with a V8 engine, people are going to want it to be damn good.
Of course, the current Mustang is incredible. It offers one of the best performance value propositions in the world, is available at just about any price, with half a dozen engine options, all of which seem to carry the Mustang’s legacy just fine. But will the next generation? Even if it is only a light update, an emergency stop for the EV car? Will it just be a series of tailored special editions? Or is Ford sending the V8 away with something we will never forget?
I hope Ford will save some special “last days of the V8” cars for after the introduction of the EV Mustang sports car – on the end of the next generation, not this one. That’s when the argument for selling a V8 sports car gets even tougher and Ford must fight to keep the model in countries like the US while it dies in Europe and elsewhere.
But we’re not there yet, and I don’t want to bother with what’s to come before it’s necessary, at least not in the specific case of the Mustang. Right now, this may be Ford’s last chance to sit down and fulfill its “wildest dreams” combustion engine Mustang. I would imagine it being done with the same level of dedication that has brought us the latest Ford GT, with secret encounters in basements and the push to build something that reinforces Ford’s legacy in motorsport.
Yes, take on those old plans to bring the Mustang to Le Mans and really continue with it. The next decade has the potential to become a frenzy of the fulfillment of enthusiasts’ last-ditch wishes, and the reintroduction of the GT and Bronco has proven that Ford can really deliver on that. Just give the Mustang the same attention.
We don’t know yet about the next-generation Mustang, nor about a future EV version. But of course there’s a new Mustang coming, and I think it’s worth calling attention to what could be something really exciting – perhaps the final form of the V8 Mustang – while there’s still time.
