► Latest Mustang gets sharp new looks
► Retains V8 power and manual gearbox
► New Dark Horse performance variants
This is the new, seventh-generation Ford Mustang. Unveiled at the 2022 Detroit Auto Show, as with the outgoing model, it will be sold in the UK as a fresh rival for front-engined European sports cars such as the BMW M4 Competition, Mercedes-AMG C 63 and Audi RS 5.
Tell us the new Mustang still has a V8…
The new 2022 Mustang GT is indeed powered by a naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 engine, which sends drive to the rear wheels through either a 10-speed automatic or six-speed manual gearbox. Ford hasn’t yet told us how much power the new motor makes, but the brand assures us that it’s the ‘most athletic and confidence-inspiring Mustang to drive yet.’
The engine is propped up by a host of appealing chassis technology, including a limited-slip differential, huge Brembo brakes, an adjustable valved exhaust system and a range of drive modes with dedicated settings for track and dragstrip, among others. Buyers can also specify optional active suspension, which automatically adjusts the damping to suit the road conditions.
Ford will also launch a new Mustang convertible, with electrically operated folding fabric roof. It sounds like the brand has started to get ideas above its station, though, because it was very keen to point out that, even when the roof is stowed, there’s still space in the boot for two golf bags. We can’t see the Mustang fitting in at the country club – but maybe we’re out of touch.
Are there any special new Mustang variants to look out for?
Naturally. If the standard Mk7 Mustang isn’t rowdy enough for you, Ford will steer you towards a faster version called the Mustang Dark Horse. This is driven by a more potent 5.0-litre V8 – again, Ford hasn’t been specific about the output, but says it’s ‘projecting 500 horsepower’.
Engine upgrades over the standard car include a dual throttle-body intake, an auxiliary engine oil cooler, a lightweight radiator and more powerful cooling fans to help expel excess heat from the engine bay. The improved engine is bolted to a beefier six-speed manual gearbox from transmission specialist Tremec.
Ford says the new Mustang Dark Horse was designed for track work, so it also features a Torsen limited-slip differential, even bigger Brembo brakes, tougher front dampers, a larger rear anti-roll bar and extra bracing for the front and rear strut towers. What’s more, the alloy wheels are shod in sticky Pirelli P Zero tyres and the normally optional active suspension is fitted as standard.
To set it apart from the rest of the Mustang range, the Dark Horse gets a few visual tweaks, including smoked LED headlamps, a model-specific radiator grille and unique alloy wheels. There’s a dedicated aero package, too, which includes a lower front splitter, deeper side skirts and an aggressive rear diffuser with a black chrome quad-exit exhaust system.
It’s also available with optional full carbonfibre wheels, something that’s only previously been offered on the Shelby GT models.
Will the new Ford Mustang be going racing?
Will it ever. No less than six racing variants of the new Mustang were announced at launch, covering everything from the FIA GT Championship to NASCAR and drag racing – not to mention the Australian Supercar series.
The gateway drugs here, however, are the Dark Horse S and Dark Horse R models.
The Mustang Dark Horse S features a stripped-out cabin with an FIA-certified roll cage, window nets and a fire extinguisher system, along with a racing seat, racing harness and a quick release racing steering wheel – not to mention upgraded brakes and adjustable Multimatic suspension (Mulitmatic is the firm that helped develop the last Ford GT supercar). It’s intended for ‘weekend track day enthusiasts’, although whether it will be sold in Europe remains to be seen. It is not road legal.
The Mustang Dark Horse R takes this and ups the ‘intensity’, as Ford has it. Key features include ‘strategic seam welding’ large racing fuel cell for longer range, and Ford Performance Parts wheels.
The GT4 (blue detailing, splitters and a moderately enormous rear wing) and GT3 (similar, only with a utterly gigantic swan-neck rear appendage) variants of the new Mustang are also ready to rock and roll. Not much more has been said about the GT4, except that it will be available for the 2023 season, but the GT3 is powered by Ford’s 5.4-litre Coyote V8 and won’t start racing until 2024.
The campaign will kick off at the Daytona 24 hours that year, before the Mustang then heads for Le Mans 2024.
North American customers will also be able to get a drag-racing variant ready to compete in the NHRA Factory X series. This is known as the Mustang Factory X.
What’s the new Ford Mustang interior like?
When it’s not stripped out for racing it’s very well-appointed. Ford says the latest Mustang’s interior is the ‘most technologically advanced’ of any Mustang to date – though it would be daft to launch a new car that was less technically astute than the old model. It features a 12.4-inch digital gauge cluster and a 13.4-inch infotainment system, which are mounted in the same piece of glass, the latter running the company’s latest SYNC 4 software.
The system differs from the tablet-style infotainment setup of the pure-electric Mustang Mach-E in design, but Ford says it offers the same level of configurability. The digital gauge cluster also changes its background and data depending on the selected drive mode. But then, that’s the case in the latest Fiesta as well.
Other features include a wireless smartphone charging pad, a 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen stereo system, and a choice of upholstery finishes for the seats and steering wheel. Ford’s even put a USB port in the Mustang’s headliner, giving drivers somewhere convenient to connect their dashcams.
The Mustang Dark Horse gets a thicker flat-bottomed steering wheel and blue stitching for the door panels, seats, gear stick gaiter and centre console. The car’s standard seat belts are also swapped for blue replacements, while the air vents are finished in metallic black.
When does the new Mustang go on sale?
We don’t have pricing yet or exact availability yet, but the new Mustang will start reaching customers in 2023 – a year ahead of the 60th anniversary of the original going on sale in April 1964.