More S650 Ford Mustang Rumors: Design, Powertrain, Sedan, ...
Early last month, MC&T reported on some spy photography of the upcoming S650 generation Ford Mustang. More specifically, these spy photos appeared to highlight the pony car out testing it’s rumored all-wheel drive system just outside of Dearborn. Despite these images, there have been conflicting reports about the timeline related to this next-gen muscle car, as well as what the product line might entail (Ford Mustang sedan anyone?). That said, we now have some new information to share. Thanks to the users over at the Mustang6G forum, we now know who is slated to design the S650 Mustang.
The bit of information comes by way of LinkedIn. Ford has had trouble with their employees sharing a bit too much on this platform as of late, making it a bit of a goldmine for all of us. You may recall that the rumored Bronco Raptor was first discovered thanks to an engineer’s post on the site. Well, such a slip has happened again. Ford Design member Aiden Chang-il Lee recently updated his account to state that he is a senior exterior and interior designer for the S650 Mustang team. Lee has since removed this title from his account, but as the kids say, we have the receipts.
Lee is a graduate of Detroit’s College for Creative Studies, and has quite a bit of experience in the industry. His work has primarily involved interiors, and his talents have been utilized by all three of Detroit’s automakers. He helped to pen the interior of the Chrysler Pacifica, the Dodge Charger, and the upcoming WL Jeep Grand Cherokee. More recently, he helped GM revamp the interior designs for their full-size GMC Yukon and Chevrolet Tahoe SUVs. For the past 15 months however, the designer has been hard at work for the Ford Mustang team.
This isn’t the only new bit of information we have to share about the future of the Ford Mustang, however. According to a new video from Matt Maran Motoring, Ford will release a Mustang Sedan in the 2022 calendar year. Rumors about a four-door Mustang have persisted for about a year now, though two separate sources confirmed to Maran that this project is indeed in the works. These sources noted that styling will be shared with the S650 Mustang, and that the two cars will share underpinnings. Think of Aston Martin’s DB9 and its four-door Rapide sibling.
These sources also shared some powertrain information with Maran, which could hint at what’s to come for the pony car lineup in general. The base engine option is said to be the current 2.3L EcoBoost unit, though it will be assisted by Ford’s PowerBoost hybrid system from the F-150. The 5.0L V8 is slated to remain in the lineup, though it will now serve as the mid-level offering. Purists can rejoice in the fact that this motor will also retain a manual transmission option. Pony car diehards may be a bit less enthusiastic about the top-level engine option, which is reportedly going to be the 3.5L PowerBoost Hybrid V6. We know that this engine is quite capable in the F-150, but it doesn’t exactly seem like a perfect fit for a muscle car.
As we make our way through 2021, we can expect more information about the S650 Mustang and its sedan sibling to trickle out. Automotive News initially reported back in August that the S650 is slated for a 2022 or 2023 debut, which all of this new information appears to support.
