Current V-8 Mustang doesn’t have to be the last, says Ford

Both the Challenger and Camaro are on their way out within the next sixth months, with the Dodge already confirmed to be getting an electric successor and Chevy making hints that its contender could move to an EV platform when redesigned.

While it’s easy to assume the Mustang will also go the electric route for its next redesign, Ford officials have revealed that this isn’t necessarily the case.

Speaking recently to Australian media, including Drive, Jim Owens, global brand manager for the Mustang, said Ford will continue to build Mustangs with a V-8 as long as regulations allow, and that buyers keen for an electric Mustang can already opt for the Mustang Mach-E.

He also said Ford was continuing to invest in development of V-8s to enable the engines to be used in future models.

This was backed by comments from Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Performance Motorsports, in an interview with Wheels. He said Ford was currently on the fourth generation of the 5.0-liter V-8 known as the Coyote, and that a fifth-generation design was possible, assuming regulations allow it. The current V-8 develops up to 500 hp and is found in the Mustang GT and Mustang Dark Horse grades.

He also said Ford considered making the current seventh-generation Mustang electric but decided against it, citing strong demand for sports cars with exciting sounds and available manual transmissions.

Ford isn’t the only major automaker with this philosophy. Porsche has been one of the most vocal about wanting to keep the gas engine alive in its 911 sports car, and is also developing carbon-neutral fuels, or e-fuels, with a view to offering it to customers in the future.

At Germany’s urging, the E.U. has agreed on an exemption that will allow vehicles with internal-combustion engines designed to run on e-fuels to still be sold beyond 2035, when new rules effectively banning the sale of gas- and diesel-powered light vehicles come into force, meaning the V-8 engine could potentially survive next decade in the Old Continent as well.