The Ford Mustang lineup has never been stronger, as the recent motorsports push through special variants like the Mustang Dark Horse R has demonstrated. Additionally, The Blue Oval clearly intends to push boundaries as to what the Mustang brand represents in the modern era, with the upcoming Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally serving as evidence that the company won’t let its treasured nameplate stagnate in one particular lane. Later this week, the company is planning on essentially doubling down on that ethos with plans to debut the first-ever mid-engine Mustang, according to sources familiar with the matter.
As a matter of fact, this upcoming mid-engine Mustang has already been shown to a select group of individuals in Las Vegas, who got to see the vehicle yesterday, August 14th, 2023. The public reveal will occur this Thursday at a special event in Pebble Beach, California. Sources say the vehicle will be built by Multimatic and it will be a Mustang branded vehicle, but it does not utilize the S650 platform. Aside from the current crop of specialty Mustang products, Multimatic built the Ford GT and currently builds the Ford Bronco DR for The Blue Oval. It is currently not clear if this Mustang branded product is based on the GT, but our sources say the company essentially considers it to be a supercar.
As Ford Authority has previously outlined, a mid-engine Mustang would add another Mustang-branded vehicle to Multimatic’s obligations to Ford and its customers. The Ford Mustang GT3 and GT4 are built by the company, as the relationship between Ford and Multimatic has expanded by a substantial margin in recent years. Demand for both vehicles has been higher than expected. Aside from a one-off concept vehicle created in the 1960s, there has never been a mid-engine Mustang.
We’ll have more on the mid-engine Mustang soon, so subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford Mustang news, and for continuous Ford news coverage.
Update: What is apparently being called the Ford Mustang GTD has leaked.
Comments
Nice they outsource these halo vehicles. A real morale boisterous for Ford employees 🙄
Considering how many Ford products have been recalled lately. I would outsource the work too.
How do you expect them to build it on the assembly line? You really have no clue whatsoever about how car manufacturing works, do you?
I bet I have a lot more expertise in automotive than you. They could build this at their pilot plant in Dearborn. FYI a pilot plant is where they hand build prototype and other low volume vehicles. GM is using their pilot plant in Warren, MI to build the Cadillac Celestiq at rate of 2 a day.
My daughter that was drive train project manager for the 2024 super duty, says the pilot plant costs programs too much money and time. I have worked in pilot plants as a prime vendor and the delays were unacceptable.
Have you actually worked in a pilot plant? BTW Super Duty program used Roush.
Yes I have.
The pilot plant is in Allen Park, not Dearborn…..
Multimatic has been a long time partner of Ford. Raj Nar, former president of ford North America runs the show at Multimatic. Building a very limited production vehicle on an assembly line is ridiculously expensive and I might say requires technicians and engineers rather than assemblers. Odds are good that if you’ve seen a mustang or GT on a track on race day , it’s a multimatic built vehicle. Somethings you just have to farm out. Shelby days were no different
You have my attention Ford. Anything that’s not a CUV and/or EV seems like a bonus nowadays.
So another “not a Mustang” Mustang. In fact, probably just a new GT with the Mustang name for some reason.
Probably. It’s dumb, but not as dumb as an actual midengine mustang. Maybe this version they stuffed the gt500 motor in though? That would piss off a lot of 3.5 GT owners.
A Ford GT with “Mustang” written on it is still a Ford GT.
And it will be equally unaffordable.
Maybe you should get a better job.
Maybe you should get ANY job.
What a coincidence… I was thinking about a hypersportive version of it Saturday, like what they did with the Skyline GTR!
Looks more like the corvette couldn’t come up with their own ideas so they stole Chevrolet corvette body style.
Doesn’t sound like you’re jealous. Not. At. All.
That’s it?…That’s your comment? Calling someone “jealous”?
LOL!
Amazing number of armchair experts commenting.
Don’t be daft. The image is of a Ford GT, and the design originated in 2016. Now go look at the 2016 Corvette – if you still see a similarity, I suggest getting your eyes checked, because that’s back when GM was busy trying to steal design elements from the Viper.
What are you talking about? The Ford GT debuted long before the mid-engine Corvette. So…
I love how somebody was willing to violate their confidentiality agreement, but couldn’t be bothered to leak the correct info about the car
Wild.
So will they still have the regular Mustang or does this replace it?
Don’t worry. This is just an ill-conceived PR stunt. The Mustang isn’t going anywhere.
Amen
Ford had said they are making the Mustang a brand.
There is one awesome mustang that know one has mention so far 1and it’s the 4 cylinder turbocharged SVO which I own back in the 80s super super nice pearl white with a black fin tale on the back, i had know problems with it at all.
Would like to see something like the Shelby GR-1 concept as a mustang model. Mid-engine or not, that design feels more like what a modern Mustang could morph to.
Hear comes the hybrid everyone thought then no-showed when we got just the dark horse.
Great! Another unaffordable product that’s going to take middle class sports cars out of reach for the same people that helped Ford get the car to this level. Same thing GM did with the Z06. I’m disgusted with auto manufacturers and I refuse to buy another new truck or car until they’re reasonable priced again.
Not interested in the Maverick? I saw a black AWD Maverick in a dealer’s showroom today.
I would have used these dollars to give damaged brand Lincoln something we actually want to buy. The brand has been stagnate and starved of anything good for the last 15 years. The LS was the last real Lincoln. Everything afterwards is garbage.
While I’m never opposed to halo cars, just imagine if Ford would redirect that money into improving quality on the Bronco and others.
A Mid Engined Mustang? This is totally unexpected, I’d never thought Ford would actually build a Mid Engined ‘Stang, because the Mustang is the last remaining front engined pony car, and adding a mid engined model to this legendary car’s family is exciting!
Cue the dealer markups, and crazy purchase agreement terms and conditions. Will Ford require an application process for prospective buyers as to why they “deserve” an allocation [like they did with the GT]? Ford thinks they are Ferrari when it comes to these Ford “supercars”.
This will only make sense if it’s cheaper than the GT. If it can’t compete with the Corvette, why bother?
I agree with the others: is Ford going to save Lincoln? How about a halo car for the marque?
Why keep bastardizing the Mustang brand? Could they maybe call it something else since a mid-engine Mustang is not a Mustang, just like the Mustang Mach-E is not a Mustang. What’s next a Mustang truck?
I know, they should call it something else. Something that’s different but also could connect somewhat to the Mustang and give it a little relation. Maybe have the name similar to one of the Mustang’s trim levels, so you think Ford and Mustang but it isn’t necessarily bastardizing the Mustang nameplate. Ford Darkhorse? Ford Bullitt? Ford GT500? That last one is close, but maybe ditch the 3 numbers at the end. Ford GT… now that’s a name they should try.
Maybe even go crazy and add back 2 numbers, something cool sounding like… GT40?
In all seriousness, while I don’t know what engine this will have, Farley did tease a road-going GT3 mustang, and StangMode posted a picture of some GTD mustang today that he said was mid-engine, but it looked just like the GT3. So if this car ends up with that 5.4L Coyote variant, it feels like an attempt to make the v8 powered gen2 GT that they should have done from the beginning, without pissing off the people who payed half a million for an Ecoboost GT.
Ah so the place who told us that the next big mustangs was going to be a GT500 is now saying it’s a Mid Engine Mustang…. Hmmmm bet it won’t be mid engined, and it won’t be a Shelby. Wonder if we’ll get an article saying “we were wrong”.
Yeah it will be called the M150!! Maybe the Super Duty Snake?? Mach Maverick!!!
To the board if Ford Motor Company I tell you, I got a better Idea! Start making sedans and coupes again. Your competition hasn’t stopped making them. They all are coming out with fresh new body designs. There’s still a market for them and you are driving those customers away to your competition. You don’t have one vehicle for the young new car buyers, the kids that graduated college and just entered into their career fields. These are the young people out buying small Kias, Hondas, Toyota, these are the people that would be buying the Fiesta or Focus, if you still made them. Then there are people like me that all my driving life have owned Ford Motor Company cars. I have owned 2 Falcons, two Cougars, a Granada, a Milan and currently own a 2018 Taurus. I don’t need a big SUV, I am happier driving a car. When my Taurus wears out and I am in the market to buy a new car Ford doesn’t make a car I want to drive. I am going to be forced to look elsewhere. I have been loyal to Ford and they don’t even care about me. The way I see it is that Ford is telling me to go buy a Chevrolet or Dodge!
You might want to rethink that last part. Those guys don’t make sedans anymore either. You will have to start looking at imports for that.
Malibu and new Charger?
I agree with Staci…stop using the “Mustang” brand to slap on any vehicle Ford his hoping to have that iconic mystic rub off on. Call it what it is…a fourth generation Ford GT. Nothing wrong with that…I like Ford GT’s, but I could also never afford one, and unless Ford decided to make a direct Corvette competitor which is unlikely, keep it a halo model. This is all assuming that this ever even sees the light of day.
Some people just don’t know history I guess. Ford originally wanted to make the Boss ‘stangs mid-engine, but they didn’t because production costs would be stratospheric. The 429 originally started as a one-off mid engine prototype. This was the original plan for high performance Mustangs. The boomers infesting this comment section should be jumping for joy. But instead it’s “why don’t they make a car that caters to every minute detail I want”. Y’all should be grateful that Ford is even considering this idea.
I still would love a Mustang Shooting Brake. Wagon – Cool. Mustang – Cool. Long roof Mustang – Doubly cool!
If they do what GM did with the Vette, it could be a success, that is, make it a real price.
Is Ford thinking of making a Mustang line-up, like GM is threatening with the Corvette? I hope not.
So is this a street legal Mustang or a race car?
Mid Engined does not mean rear engined. This could be a front mid engined variant of the Ford Mustang. Think about it.
So what do we have Mustang, Mustang GT, Mustang Dark Horse, Mustang MACH III, mid-engine Mustang, and most likely the Shelby Mustang GT500.
What’s next a F-150 Mustang Lariat? Or a Mustang Bronco GT?
Dive a little deeper. Stretch the front frame beyond the firewall of the existing platform, so that the engine sits between the centerline of the front suspension and the firewall. This would put the engine between the wheelbase making the Mustang mid-engine. That’s my humble opinion.
Just what the Corvette C7 was. While technically an ME, it doesn’t off the same benefits and challenges as a “real” ME.
Based on the sheer number of comments it has already generated a good deal of interest.
BTW, there was also the Mustang LID concept which was essentially a ’69 Boss 429 with the engine moved to the back seat area.
How about a LWB version with the mid engine V-8, with 4-doors, with 2 +2 seating for Lincoln as a halo? Lincoln did a 4-door, mid engine concept back in the 1980’s called Quicksliver.
They are killing the Mustang unknowingly, first with Mach-E and now this..they can just bring thunderbird nameplate back on this and call it a day..otherwise just close Ford and open Mustang as a brand then..just like Dodge did with the Ram..
What is Ford doing with engine, battery, generator/motor, monitors, controllers etc.
for their present partnership with RedBull F1 and their Alpha Tauri (splg?) team for the 2026 F1 Campaign?
Ken Berg
I was in Vegas for the reveal. I’m a Ford guy-you’re going to love it!!
I’m both surprised and disappointed. Not with the fact that Ford is doing this, but by all the negative comments here. We are getting a new high performance Mustang. Why aren’t you excited? Should Ford stay stuck in the 60’s and never have introduced the Mustang, or never changed it since then? Henry Ford’s famous comment still stands true today, “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” I get it, people hate change, but I feel that we should be celebrating this and happy that we still have the Mustang. Thank you Ford.
Great comment!!! I noticed the same. Sort of wondering why some of the people were on this page and not instead on the Hyundai page.
I didn’t see it in the article but isn’t this just a case of moving the tyranny to the back in the form of a transaxle. Maybe even moving the engine a few inches back behind the front axle.