The next generation Mustang could be an AWD with a hybrid V8!

I for one found it difficult to digest that Ford had used the ‘Mustang’ name for another vehicle, specifically the Mustang Mach E electric crossover. The Mustang branding has a lot of history and heritage attached with it, and I hope the Mustang Mach E is able to live up to the standards set by the original Mustangs.

Talking about the original Mustang, the Mustang S550 was the last Mustang to be updated, and that was back in 2015, that being said, the S550 Mustang attained a lot of success and Ford would be hoping to continue the same with the next generation Mustang. And, just like naturally aspirated engines, manual transmissions and even internal combustion engines altogether took an exit, the enthusiasts might have to adapt to another major change i.e. a Mustang with a V8 Hybrid. (Just praying that it sounds like it should – a roar!)

There is a fresh rumour running about which suggests that the next gen Mustang (codenamed S650) could in fact be an all wheel drive hybrid, powered with a V8 motor and this has set my mind on fire. In actuality, the S650 Mustang was to be launched in 2020, but Jim Hackett, CEO of Ford felt it was important to make a mass production electric, and this resulted in the Mach E being born. With the Mach E already unveiled, it is time Ford begins working on the next generation Mustang, and I cannot wait to know more about it.

The S650 Mustang is believed to be launched in 2022, and the information on the vehicle for now is scant, yet thrilling enough to talk about. Autocar had reported, that back in 2017, Ford had filed for a patent, where Ford refers to a ‘twin motor drive system for a hybrid car”.

Now this kind of a set up could in fact could belong to any other Ford vehicle, but from the drawings of the patent, it is seen that the vehicle looks a lot like a Mustang, where a V8 engine is powering the rear wheels, and as for the front wheels, 2 electric motors attached on the opposite sides of the engine, bring them to life.

Furthermore, this complex system could allow the S650 Mustang to offer torque vectoring. Like I said before, the recipe seems perfect, I am ready to chomp on it immediately, and I hope Ford manages to turn this into a reality.

As of now, the next generation Mustang exists only on paper, there have been no test mules either, which means we have no clue about what it looks like, but I hope Ford does not alter the design much as Mustangs over the years have carried forward a similar look, and it has worked quite well for them (my favourite being the Mustang GT 1967 Fastback).

The interiors of the Mach E look right out of a spaceship, but the Mustang, being a dedicated sports car could see a more driver centric interior instead of the technologically advanced interior of the Mustang Mach E. It is important to take all this information with a pinch of salt because none of this is confirmed, and this is just speculation, but hey, that cannot stop us from dreaming about this next generation Mustang, can it?