Ford Admits the Mustang Needs To Lose Weight

CEO Jim Farley says Ford will never make a "Mustang that's not a Mustang," seemingly forgetting about the Mach-E.

2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse First Drive Review

Adrian Padeanu

By: Adrian Padeanu

Updated: May 20, 2024 at 5:30am ET

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Just like people, cars put on weight as they get older. Stricter safety regulations and the obsession to cram in as much tech as possible have direct impacts on a vehicle's weight. Ford's boss thinks that needs to stop.

Speaking with Autocar, CEO Jim Farley admitted the Mustang and other Ford cars need to go on a diet: "We have got to get our cars lighter—and that includes our Mustang versions." How much does the pony car weigh nowadays anyway? The base EcoBoost coupe tips the scales at 3,588 pounds, rising to 4,012 pounds for the GT Convertible with an automatic transmission.

2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse First Drive Review

The diet will have to be done without getting rid of the V-8. The big engine is not endangered as Ford has done the math and believes it can keep the 5.0 for the long haul, despite increasingly stricter emissions regulations.

"Most of our lowered emissions standards are achieved by fleets, so I believe we can still sell some special cars if the fleet business is strong."

The top brass from Dearborn vaguely ruled out making a "Mustang that's not a Mustang," seemingly forgetting about the Mach-E SUV. Speaking of EVs, a pony car without a combustion engine is not happening, Farley added. That's despite the fact Ford made an electric Mustang in 2019 by introducing the Lithium concept at SEMA. The one-off had 900 horsepower on tap and a manual gearbox able to cope with 1,000 pound-feet of instant torque.

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During the same interview with Autocar, Ford's boss expressed his reluctance regarding the European Union’s 2035 sales ban on new cars that have harmful emissions: "Are you sure [it's still going to happen]? I don't think we know." At the beginning of the year, Porsche Chief Financial Officer Lutz Meschke said the ban could be delayed.

While a Mustang EV is not on the agenda, Farley has not ruled out making a four-door sedan with a gas engine. Additional body styles are under consideration but only if these potential derivatives have the "performance and attitude of the original."

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