Key highlights:
- Ford CEO Jim Farley guarantees the Mustang’s long-term future
- His comments leave the V8’s future less certain
- Manual Mustangs could outlive the V8 engine
Ford has committed to keeping the Mustang around for the long term, even as the sports-car market continues to shrink, but comments from CEO Jim Farley suggest the V8 may not have the same guarantee. In fact, the manual gearbox could outlive the eight-cylinder engine.
Ford promises to keep the Mustang alive
Harley remains one of the Mustang’s strongest supporters and has helped drive renewed interest at Ford in performance cars, motorsport and V8 engines, and earlier this year, Australian media asked Farley whether there would ever be a time without a Mustang.
His answer was clear: “No, not while I’m at the company.”
But when asked whether Ford would keep the Mustang with a V8 in its current form, preserving the car enthusiasts have known for 60 years, he said, “Out of our cold, dead hands will we not have…”
He paused before finishing: “…a manual Mustang.”
Why the V8 wording matters
Farley specifically chose to mention a manual Mustang, rather than promise a V8 Mustang indefinitely. That distinction suggests the eight-cylinder engine could eventually disappear, even if Ford intends to keep producing the Mustang.
The 5.0-litre Coyote V8 in the seventh-generation S650 Mustang, launched in 2022, already meets the latest European emissions standards required for sale there. European-market versions produce less power than their US counterparts.
The US has since rolled back its emissions standards, while Australia is moving towards rules based on recent European requirements. At some point, Ford could face a situation where it cannot make a V8 Mustang meet tailpipe emissions requirements, but that does not mean Ford will stop trying.
Also read: Ford Fiesta revival could be back on the table for Australia
Ford is still investing in V8 power
Strong US demand has encouraged Ford to continue investing in V8 technology, and the company has put the engine to work beyond the road-going Mustang, too.
| V8 programme | Details |
|---|---|
| Raptor T1+ | Dakar Rally race car using a modified Mustang V8 |
| Mustang Dark Horse SC | Uses an updated 5.2-litre supercharged V8 |
| Future Mustang ‘Mach-4’ | Reportedly under development with four-door body and hybrid V8 power |
| Mustang ‘Baja’ | Reportedly being developed with off-road capability and all-wheel drive |
Ford has reportedly started work on a four-door Mustang called the ‘Mach-4’, which could combine hybrid technology with V8 power. An off-road-focused, all-wheel-drive ‘Mustang Baja’ is also reportedly in development.
Many Mustang enthusiasts may struggle to imagine the car without a V8, even as an option, and Ford has already made similar changes with another performance flagship.
In 2017, the F-150 Raptor dropped its 6.2-litre naturally aspirated V8 and switched to a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6, and the V6 delivered more power and torque.
Ford later brought the V8 back to the F-150 Raptor range with the flagship supercharged Raptor R, although the model carries a much higher price.
Australia already favours the manual Mustang
The current Mustang already offers an alternative to the V8. Its 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder EcoBoost engine comes exclusively with an automatic transmission. In Australia, however, it represents only a small portion of Mustang sales.
Manual take-up also remains significant, although the gearbox is available only with the GT and Dark Horse coupes.
| Mustang sales detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| Manuals as percentage of total Australian sales last year | 23.6% |
| Manual availability | GT and Dark Horse coupes only |
| Estimated manual share excluding automatic-only EcoBoost and GT convertible | Up to 30% |
Once the automatic-only EcoBoost coupe and GT convertible are excluded, the manual gearbox is estimated to account for up to 30% of deliveries.
Manual transmissions can have an even stronger presence in other enthusiast cars in the US. For example, manuals account for around 50% of BMW M3 sales and 70% of Mazda MX-5 sales. There is no equivalent Mustang figure available for the US.
The Mustang remains an important sports car
The seventh-generation S650 Mustang has not matched the sales success of its predecessor in Australia, and its predecessor also holds a special place here because it became the first Mustang built in right-hand drive at the factory.
Yet the current Mustang now occupies an increasingly unusual position and remains one of the last sports cars priced below $100,000 in Australia, regardless of which engine sits under its bonnet.
That makes the future of both its V8 and manual transmission particularly important to enthusiasts.
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