2010 Ford Mustang
Nothing seems to go right for Ford Motor Company these days. Consider Mustang: Though its 2005 redesign had people lining up to buy, sales tapered off during 2006 and continued sliding in ’07. It’s the same story with most everything Ford sells in North America. That’s why the company has been forced to mortgage itself to the hilt, slash payrolls, and shutter plants--anything to make money again. And though overseas business mostly remains profitable, losses at home have the company burning through cash so fast that even CEO Alan Mulally says Ford is in a “race against the clock.”
The Mustang is hugely important to Ford, symbolically as well as financially, so execs are no doubt worried by the imminent resurrection of two good-old-days foes, the Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger. They begin arriving nine to 12 months before Mustang’s scheduled 2010-model year makeover, by which time the current design will be a graying five seasons old. A full redesign? Not until 2012 or 2013, sources say. There’s just no money to do it sooner.
But let’s not be too hasty placing bets. The new Camaro and Challenger trade on nostalgia just as much as Mustang, which would only suffer by comparison from being more familiar. And Ford has shown a knack for making old horses look and feel young.
So what can we expect in the 2010 Ford Mustang? It’s said to be getting different sheetmetal ahead of the windshield and possibly out back, plus a husky new 5.7-liter “Boss” V8 might appear. Chassis tweaks and interior upgrades are also due, says the grapevine. But no one can be sure of very much right now, and even these measures could be delayed or scrapped by setbacks in the next 12 to 24 months. That includes problems facing most all automakers, such as a widely forecast worsening of the housing slump.
With that in mind, we can add a bit more to the 2010 Ford Mustang story. First, appearance. Recently spotted near Ford’s Dearborn, Michigan world headquarters was a coupe “test mule” wearing a heavily camouflaged front end. Despite the disguise, some features were visible, notably a bulged “power dome” hood with what appear to be long flanking air scoops near the outboard edges. Also evident were parking lamps moved from the bumper down into a deeper lower fascia, and a somewhat larger wide-mouth Mustang grille without the three chrome bars sprouting on other U.S. Ford-brand vehicles. Again, this may or not be the actual new face of the 2010 Ford Mustang. Even if it is, it might be reserved for a new Shelby model or some other high-power special. Or it could be tied to an engine option.
Which brings us back to the rumored “Boss” engine. A new V8 is a virtual necessity to keep mainstream Mustangs in the same performance corral with their reborn rivals. As Ford doubtless knows, the Camaro launches with a 6.0-liter Corvette V8 making at least 400 horsepower, while the Challenger bows in hot SRT8 trim with around 425 horsepower from a 6.1-liter Hemi V8. Though Ford now offers the most potent production Mustang ever in the new 540-horsepower Shelby GT500KR, that’s a very pricey limited-edition piece, and its basic “mod” V8 has already been moving Mustangs for 11 years. Let’s also not forget the likelihood of much stiffer fuel-economy standards--which could bring the industry’s current “horsepower race” to a screeching halt--and increasing pressure for clean engines to mitigate global warming.
Because the “Boss” is likely slated for various future Fords, not just Mustangs, it should go ahead as long as budgets allow. We don’t know if it’s a brand-new V8 or simply a re-engineered “mod”, but it could boast efficiency boosters like variable valve timing, cylinder deactivation, and direct fuel injection. It should also be an overhead-camshaft design versus the Detroit-traditional overhead-valve V8s in the Camaro and Challenger. Horsepower? It’s likely to be in the competitive region of 400-425. That would leave a big power gap with entry-level V6 models, so the “mod” 4.6 will continue, at least for a time, and be uprated to around 350 horses.
Speaking of V6 Mustangs, which far outsell the more-glamorous V8s, they, too, could conceivably get an engine swap. The obvious candidate is the upcoming 3.7-liter version of Ford’s new all-aluminum 3.5-liter V6. Slated to premiere with the 2009 Lincoln MKS sedan, the 3.7 might be tuned for Mustang to make around 300 horsepower, matching today’s 4.6-liter V8 and far surpassing the ancient 210-horsepower 4.0-liter iron-block V6.
We have no inside information, but there has been internet buzz about the possible reincarnation of the 1984-86 Mustang SVO. Like the original, the new SVO would be powered by a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. There are claims of the EcoBoost four putting out 300 horses and delivering nearly 30 mpg on the highway. We'll see, but if oil prices remain high, this could be more likely than the new "Boss" V8.
Whatever the engine, the 2010 Ford Mustang will likely offer a six-speed automatic transmission to replace today’s five-speed option. We think the rumored chassis changes will be relatively minor, so the old solid rear axle will continue, at least in mainstream models. But that should leave funds for expected interior upgrades, which should mainly involve better-quality materials than the mostly hard plastic surfaces that have been an ongoing complaint since 2005.
And that, folks, is everything we know or suspect about the 2010 Ford Mustang. We wish we had more hard news, but we won’t until there’s a clearer picture of the near-term prospects for Ford Motor Company as a whole. For now, all we can say to Mustang fans is stay tuned--and keep your fingers crossed.
A Notable Feature of the 2010 Ford Mustang
We haven’t heard of any particular innovation for the 2010 Ford Mustang, but any talking-point feature would probably be minor--like the current car’s multi-color gauge lighting--so as to hold down development costs and, presumably, sticker prices. Again, though, we can only wait and see.
Buying Advice for the 2010 Ford Mustang
Mustang loyalists--and you know who you are--will not look twice at the new Camaro or Challenger. Everyone else, though, should compare all three.
2010 Ford Mustang Release Date: As things stand now, according to one of our most well-informed spies, sales will begin early in the first quarter of 2009 after an expected January production start.
2010 Ford Mustang First Test Drive: Barring any delay to the above timing, pre-production models could meet the press in the fall of 2008.
2010 Ford Mustang Prices: We think Ford will launch its updated ponycar without incentives and pray the makeover is enough to kick-start Mustang sales like the 2005 version did. But if it isn’t, Ford will have little choice but to put cash on the restyled hood. At least price increases should be modest--perhaps no more than 10 percent above 2008 levels--in part because there’s less money to recoup with an update versus an all-new design.
Nothing seems to go right for Ford Motor Company these days. Consider Mustang: Though its 2005 redesign had people lining up to buy, sales tapered off during 2006 and continued sliding in ’07. It’s the same story with most everything Ford sells in North America. That’s why the company has been forced to mortgage itself to the hilt, slash payrolls, and shutter plants--anything to make money again. And though overseas business mostly remains profitable, losses at home have the company burning through cash so fast that even CEO Alan Mulally says Ford is in a “race against the clock.”
The Mustang is hugely important to Ford, symbolically as well as financially, so execs are no doubt worried by the imminent resurrection of two good-old-days foes, the Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger. They begin arriving nine to 12 months before Mustang’s scheduled 2010-model year makeover, by which time the current design will be a graying five seasons old. A full redesign? Not until 2012 or 2013, sources say. There’s just no money to do it sooner.
But let’s not be too hasty placing bets. The new Camaro and Challenger trade on nostalgia just as much as Mustang, which would only suffer by comparison from being more familiar. And Ford has shown a knack for making old horses look and feel young.
So what can we expect in the 2010 Ford Mustang? It’s said to be getting different sheetmetal ahead of the windshield and possibly out back, plus a husky new 5.7-liter “Boss” V8 might appear. Chassis tweaks and interior upgrades are also due, says the grapevine. But no one can be sure of very much right now, and even these measures could be delayed or scrapped by setbacks in the next 12 to 24 months. That includes problems facing most all automakers, such as a widely forecast worsening of the housing slump.
With that in mind, we can add a bit more to the 2010 Ford Mustang story. First, appearance. Recently spotted near Ford’s Dearborn, Michigan world headquarters was a coupe “test mule” wearing a heavily camouflaged front end. Despite the disguise, some features were visible, notably a bulged “power dome” hood with what appear to be long flanking air scoops near the outboard edges. Also evident were parking lamps moved from the bumper down into a deeper lower fascia, and a somewhat larger wide-mouth Mustang grille without the three chrome bars sprouting on other U.S. Ford-brand vehicles. Again, this may or not be the actual new face of the 2010 Ford Mustang. Even if it is, it might be reserved for a new Shelby model or some other high-power special. Or it could be tied to an engine option.
Which brings us back to the rumored “Boss” engine. A new V8 is a virtual necessity to keep mainstream Mustangs in the same performance corral with their reborn rivals. As Ford doubtless knows, the Camaro launches with a 6.0-liter Corvette V8 making at least 400 horsepower, while the Challenger bows in hot SRT8 trim with around 425 horsepower from a 6.1-liter Hemi V8. Though Ford now offers the most potent production Mustang ever in the new 540-horsepower Shelby GT500KR, that’s a very pricey limited-edition piece, and its basic “mod” V8 has already been moving Mustangs for 11 years. Let’s also not forget the likelihood of much stiffer fuel-economy standards--which could bring the industry’s current “horsepower race” to a screeching halt--and increasing pressure for clean engines to mitigate global warming.
Because the “Boss” is likely slated for various future Fords, not just Mustangs, it should go ahead as long as budgets allow. We don’t know if it’s a brand-new V8 or simply a re-engineered “mod”, but it could boast efficiency boosters like variable valve timing, cylinder deactivation, and direct fuel injection. It should also be an overhead-camshaft design versus the Detroit-traditional overhead-valve V8s in the Camaro and Challenger. Horsepower? It’s likely to be in the competitive region of 400-425. That would leave a big power gap with entry-level V6 models, so the “mod” 4.6 will continue, at least for a time, and be uprated to around 350 horses.
Speaking of V6 Mustangs, which far outsell the more-glamorous V8s, they, too, could conceivably get an engine swap. The obvious candidate is the upcoming 3.7-liter version of Ford’s new all-aluminum 3.5-liter V6. Slated to premiere with the 2009 Lincoln MKS sedan, the 3.7 might be tuned for Mustang to make around 300 horsepower, matching today’s 4.6-liter V8 and far surpassing the ancient 210-horsepower 4.0-liter iron-block V6.
We have no inside information, but there has been internet buzz about the possible reincarnation of the 1984-86 Mustang SVO. Like the original, the new SVO would be powered by a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. There are claims of the EcoBoost four putting out 300 horses and delivering nearly 30 mpg on the highway. We'll see, but if oil prices remain high, this could be more likely than the new "Boss" V8.
Whatever the engine, the 2010 Ford Mustang will likely offer a six-speed automatic transmission to replace today’s five-speed option. We think the rumored chassis changes will be relatively minor, so the old solid rear axle will continue, at least in mainstream models. But that should leave funds for expected interior upgrades, which should mainly involve better-quality materials than the mostly hard plastic surfaces that have been an ongoing complaint since 2005.
And that, folks, is everything we know or suspect about the 2010 Ford Mustang. We wish we had more hard news, but we won’t until there’s a clearer picture of the near-term prospects for Ford Motor Company as a whole. For now, all we can say to Mustang fans is stay tuned--and keep your fingers crossed.
A Notable Feature of the 2010 Ford Mustang
We haven’t heard of any particular innovation for the 2010 Ford Mustang, but any talking-point feature would probably be minor--like the current car’s multi-color gauge lighting--so as to hold down development costs and, presumably, sticker prices. Again, though, we can only wait and see.
Buying Advice for the 2010 Ford Mustang
Mustang loyalists--and you know who you are--will not look twice at the new Camaro or Challenger. Everyone else, though, should compare all three.
2010 Ford Mustang Release Date: As things stand now, according to one of our most well-informed spies, sales will begin early in the first quarter of 2009 after an expected January production start.
2010 Ford Mustang First Test Drive: Barring any delay to the above timing, pre-production models could meet the press in the fall of 2008.
2010 Ford Mustang Prices: We think Ford will launch its updated ponycar without incentives and pray the makeover is enough to kick-start Mustang sales like the 2005 version did. But if it isn’t, Ford will have little choice but to put cash on the restyled hood. At least price increases should be modest--perhaps no more than 10 percent above 2008 levels--in part because there’s less money to recoup with an update versus an all-new design.
