Some much for previews at the Detroit Auto Show.
In a surprising example of fair-weather automaker debuts, the movement of the struggling Detroit Auto Show – aka NAIAS – to September of 2022, allowed FMC to skip media day at the Auto Show and debut the new Mustang after press previews ended with the traditional Automotive Press Association welcoming opening night reception.
Mustang was arguably the only product news of substance yesterday. President Joe Biden’s visit, which closed the show floor for hours to the media added to an atmosphere of impending demise of the show at Cobo Hall – now Huntington Place, which was refurbished at great taxpayer expense to ensure the future of the show. The seventh generation of the vehicle that literally coined the name pony car is the true to its heritage with a digital cockpit as well as advanced turbocharged and naturally aspirated engines.
Still galloping…
“Investing in another generation of Mustang is a big statement at a time when many of our competitors are exiting the business of internal combustion vehicles,” said Jim Farley, CEO of Ford Motor Company. “Ford, however, is turbocharging its ICE growth plan, adding connected technology, opinionated derivatives, and hybrid options to our most profitable and popular cars – all in the Ford Blue family – on top of investing $50 billion in electric vehicles through 2026.”
This not the first time that an automaker is trying to have it both ways, Neither will it be the last.
The new 2024 Mustang is a semi-sequel to the world’s best-selling sports coupe for seven years running*.It will be sold as a convertible or coupe with V8 or turbocharged 4-cylinder engines, mated to manual or automatic transmissions. Mustang has options at multiple price points and performance levels. Each model in the Mustang line has its own unique front end. GT is differs from EcoBoost models by larger, more aggressive grille openings that allow increased airflow needed for the increase in power and performance. The car’s aerodynamics are optimized further with the addition of new hood vents and redesigned front splitter.
Mustang launches with 11 exterior color options including two new shades, Vapor Blue and Yellow Splash, with new stripe colors and designs. Customers also can choose from three Brembo brake caliper color options: Black, Red and Grabber Blue, plus an all-new lineup of alloy wheels, ranging from 17-inch standard size on base models to 19-inch for GT with optional 20-inch alloy wheels.
New for the 2024 model year is the Mustang Design Series, providing further customization options straight from the factory. The Bronze Design Series Appearance Package adds Sinister Bronze alloy wheels with bronze badges, and is available on both EcoBoost and GT models, with or without the optional Performance Pack.
The ‘stang’s 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster can be tweaked to display different animated designs and new drive-mode dependent visuals. Based on the Unreal Engine 3D creation tool used in video games, when choosing personalized drive mode settings, the car’s current setup is displayed on the center stack as real-time graphical renderings. Settings can be adjusted by simply swiping the graphic to rotate the car virtually.
“We’re taking advantage of every pixel,” said Craig Sandvig, Ford Mustang interaction design manager. “We can be creative in showing necessary driving information and give the driver control of selecting colors, classic Mustang gauges or even a ‘calm’ screen where only minimal details are displayed.”
Mustang’s default instrument gauge setting has shifted from cool blue and light grey tones to a copper appearance theme also shared with Mustang Mach-E. From there, most everything in the displays – and the ambient interior lighting – can be configured to selected tones, while instrument clusters adapt to drive mode selection.
A Horse of a Different Color
For the many performance pony car enthusiasts, there’s a new street and track-capable Mustang with optional carbon-fiber wheels from Carbon Revolution. The so-called Mustang Dark Horse is the first new performance name for the brand since Mustang Bullitt was introduced in 2001. The street and track-capable performance MDH is the first new performance name for the brand since Mustang Bullitt was introduced in 2001. Biggest news – Mustang will return to Le Mans. (AutoInformed. Com on Late to the Daytona Grid – Ford to Run in GT3 in 2024)
Affirming what was already announced.
“Mustang is raced at all the great tracks around the world, but there is no race or track that means more to our history than Le Mans,” said Bill Ford, executive chair, at the debut of the 2024 Ford Mustang. “It’s where we took on Ferrari and won in the 1960s and where we returned 50 years later and shocked the world again.”
The introduction of Mustang Dark Horse is part of six new racing Mustangs that will compete globally in a variety of series, including GT3, GT4, NASCAR and NHRA Factory X racing. Two dedicated, track-only Dark Horse Mustangs powered by 5.0-liter V8 engines will only be available for racers and non-street use. Mustang Dark Horse S is designed for the weekend track day enthusiast while Mustang Dark Horse R has been developed for racing.
Mustang Dark Horse has a unique 5.0-liter Coyote V8 engine, specially modified with piston connecting rods first introduced in the 760-horsepower Ford Performance Mustang Shelby GT500. Mustang Dark Horse will deliver the highest level of performance in the all-new family.
Mustang Dark Horse comes standard with a unique six-speed TREMEC manual transmission that connects to the driver through a standard 3D-printed titanium shift ball. The manual also includes a special Mustang Dark Horse transmission oil cooler. Drivers also have the option to choose Ford’s advanced 10-speed automatic transmission with sport paddle shifters for fast and precise shifting on the highway or a track.
Additional powertrain enhancements were made for performance at the track. Mustang Dark Horse includes brake cooling NACA ducts, an auxiliary engine oil cooler, a rear axle cooler and a unique and lighter-weight radiator with improved cooling capability and more powerful cooling fans to improve endurance and recovery.
The Mustang Dark Horse provides unique chassis tuning, larger rear sway bars and heavy-duty front shocks. Stopping is courtesy of 19-inch Brembo front 6 piston brakes with 13.9-inch rotors. Steering response and grip are further enhanced with a new lightweight Ford Performance-designed strut tower brace and K-brace for even better handling and feedback from Mustang Dark Horse. Mustang Dark Horse puts the torque down without losing traction through a Torsen® rear differential and standard Pirelli P ZERO™ (PZ4) tires with staggered fitting wheels (19-inch-by-9.5-inch front and 19-inch-by-10-inch rear wheels).
Mustang Dark Horse offers standard MagneRide® shocks capable of monitoring wheel and tire movement 1,000 times per second, optimizing performance based on driving surface or driving mode.
For ultimate street-legal and track performance, the available Handling Package improves aerodynamics even further with the most downforce of any all-new Mustang thanks to a unique rear wing that includes an integrated Gurney Flap, similar to that of the Ford GT. The Handling Package also adds stiffer springs, larger front and rear sway bars and wider Pirelli Trofeo tires and 19-inch-by-10.5-inch front and 19-inch-by-11-inch rear wheels.
*Based on S&P Global Mobility New light vehicle registrations CYE 2014-CYE 2021, which is compiled from government and other sources and captures 95 percent of global new vehicle volumes in more than 80 countries as reported in February 2022. Sports coupe, as defined by S&P Global Mobility, includes two-door and convertible models.
New Mustang Debuts After Media Day at NAIAS
Some much for previews at the Detroit Auto Show.
In a surprising example of fair-weather automaker debuts, the movement of the struggling Detroit Auto Show – aka NAIAS – to September of 2022, allowed FMC to skip media day at the Auto Show and debut the new Mustang after press previews ended with the traditional Automotive Press Association welcoming opening night reception.
Mustang was arguably the only product news of substance yesterday. President Joe Biden’s visit, which closed the show floor for hours to the media added to an atmosphere of impending demise of the show at Cobo Hall – now Huntington Place, which was refurbished at great taxpayer expense to ensure the future of the show. The seventh generation of the vehicle that literally coined the name pony car is the true to its heritage with a digital cockpit as well as advanced turbocharged and naturally aspirated engines.
Still galloping…
“Investing in another generation of Mustang is a big statement at a time when many of our competitors are exiting the business of internal combustion vehicles,” said Jim Farley, CEO of Ford Motor Company. “Ford, however, is turbocharging its ICE growth plan, adding connected technology, opinionated derivatives, and hybrid options to our most profitable and popular cars – all in the Ford Blue family – on top of investing $50 billion in electric vehicles through 2026.”
This not the first time that an automaker is trying to have it both ways, Neither will it be the last.
The new 2024 Mustang is a semi-sequel to the world’s best-selling sports coupe for seven years running*.It will be sold as a convertible or coupe with V8 or turbocharged 4-cylinder engines, mated to manual or automatic transmissions. Mustang has options at multiple price points and performance levels. Each model in the Mustang line has its own unique front end. GT is differs from EcoBoost models by larger, more aggressive grille openings that allow increased airflow needed for the increase in power and performance. The car’s aerodynamics are optimized further with the addition of new hood vents and redesigned front splitter.
Mustang launches with 11 exterior color options including two new shades, Vapor Blue and Yellow Splash, with new stripe colors and designs. Customers also can choose from three Brembo brake caliper color options: Black, Red and Grabber Blue, plus an all-new lineup of alloy wheels, ranging from 17-inch standard size on base models to 19-inch for GT with optional 20-inch alloy wheels.
New for the 2024 model year is the Mustang Design Series, providing further customization options straight from the factory. The Bronze Design Series Appearance Package adds Sinister Bronze alloy wheels with bronze badges, and is available on both EcoBoost and GT models, with or without the optional Performance Pack.
The ‘stang’s 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster can be tweaked to display different animated designs and new drive-mode dependent visuals. Based on the Unreal Engine 3D creation tool used in video games, when choosing personalized drive mode settings, the car’s current setup is displayed on the center stack as real-time graphical renderings. Settings can be adjusted by simply swiping the graphic to rotate the car virtually.
“We’re taking advantage of every pixel,” said Craig Sandvig, Ford Mustang interaction design manager. “We can be creative in showing necessary driving information and give the driver control of selecting colors, classic Mustang gauges or even a ‘calm’ screen where only minimal details are displayed.”
Mustang’s default instrument gauge setting has shifted from cool blue and light grey tones to a copper appearance theme also shared with Mustang Mach-E. From there, most everything in the displays – and the ambient interior lighting – can be configured to selected tones, while instrument clusters adapt to drive mode selection.
A Horse of a Different Color
For the many performance pony car enthusiasts, there’s a new street and track-capable Mustang with optional carbon-fiber wheels from Carbon Revolution. The so-called Mustang Dark Horse is the first new performance name for the brand since Mustang Bullitt was introduced in 2001. The street and track-capable performance MDH is the first new performance name for the brand since Mustang Bullitt was introduced in 2001. Biggest news – Mustang will return to Le Mans. (AutoInformed. Com on Late to the Daytona Grid – Ford to Run in GT3 in 2024)
Affirming what was already announced.
“Mustang is raced at all the great tracks around the world, but there is no race or track that means more to our history than Le Mans,” said Bill Ford, executive chair, at the debut of the 2024 Ford Mustang. “It’s where we took on Ferrari and won in the 1960s and where we returned 50 years later and shocked the world again.”
The introduction of Mustang Dark Horse is part of six new racing Mustangs that will compete globally in a variety of series, including GT3, GT4, NASCAR and NHRA Factory X racing. Two dedicated, track-only Dark Horse Mustangs powered by 5.0-liter V8 engines will only be available for racers and non-street use. Mustang Dark Horse S is designed for the weekend track day enthusiast while Mustang Dark Horse R has been developed for racing.
Mustang Dark Horse has a unique 5.0-liter Coyote V8 engine, specially modified with piston connecting rods first introduced in the 760-horsepower Ford Performance Mustang Shelby GT500. Mustang Dark Horse will deliver the highest level of performance in the all-new family.
Mustang Dark Horse comes standard with a unique six-speed TREMEC manual transmission that connects to the driver through a standard 3D-printed titanium shift ball. The manual also includes a special Mustang Dark Horse transmission oil cooler. Drivers also have the option to choose Ford’s advanced 10-speed automatic transmission with sport paddle shifters for fast and precise shifting on the highway or a track.
Additional powertrain enhancements were made for performance at the track. Mustang Dark Horse includes brake cooling NACA ducts, an auxiliary engine oil cooler, a rear axle cooler and a unique and lighter-weight radiator with improved cooling capability and more powerful cooling fans to improve endurance and recovery.
The Mustang Dark Horse provides unique chassis tuning, larger rear sway bars and heavy-duty front shocks. Stopping is courtesy of 19-inch Brembo front 6 piston brakes with 13.9-inch rotors. Steering response and grip are further enhanced with a new lightweight Ford Performance-designed strut tower brace and K-brace for even better handling and feedback from Mustang Dark Horse. Mustang Dark Horse puts the torque down without losing traction through a Torsen® rear differential and standard Pirelli P ZERO™ (PZ4) tires with staggered fitting wheels (19-inch-by-9.5-inch front and 19-inch-by-10-inch rear wheels).
Mustang Dark Horse offers standard MagneRide® shocks capable of monitoring wheel and tire movement 1,000 times per second, optimizing performance based on driving surface or driving mode.
For ultimate street-legal and track performance, the available Handling Package improves aerodynamics even further with the most downforce of any all-new Mustang thanks to a unique rear wing that includes an integrated Gurney Flap, similar to that of the Ford GT. The Handling Package also adds stiffer springs, larger front and rear sway bars and wider Pirelli Trofeo tires and 19-inch-by-10.5-inch front and 19-inch-by-11-inch rear wheels.
*Based on S&P Global Mobility New light vehicle registrations CYE 2014-CYE 2021, which is compiled from government and other sources and captures 95 percent of global new vehicle volumes in more than 80 countries as reported in February 2022. Sports coupe, as defined by S&P Global Mobility, includes two-door and convertible models.