Ford is selling an all-wheel-drive Mustang for the first time ever, but you have to take an extra set of doors with it.
The Mustang Mach-E is available with all-wheel-drive
(Ford)
The Mustang Mach-E electric utility vehicle will be in showrooms soon in both rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive models. However, another sure-footed pony may be in the works.
Ford Mustang brand manager Jim Owens told Ford Authority that the automaker is “always looking at different kinds of performance” when asked if an all-wheel-drive two-door Mustang was in the works. He didn’t confirm that one was, but also didn’t throw any icy cold water on the idea.
The Playstation videogame Gran Turismo Sport features a fantasy Ford Mustang rally car with all-wheel-drive.
(Sony)
“Well as you know, the Challenger has AWD. We’re always looking at different kinds of performance, but we have nothing to announce at the moment,” Owens told the enthusiast website.
The introduction of the all-wheel-drive Dodge Challenger GT in 2017 was accompanied by a bump in sales, thanks in part to increased interest in the coupe from customers in Snowbelt states.
The feature was a relatively easy addition, as the Challenger shares its platform with the Charger sedan, which had already been available with all-wheel-drive for years. The current Mustang is built on a unique platform that makes the idea a non-starter, but an all-new Mustang is on the way that could change things dramatically.
It’s expected for the 2023 model year and could feature elements from the platform currently used for the Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator SUVs, which are both offered in rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive models.
In 2018, Ford revealed plans to scale back the number of vehicle architectures it would use in the future to five, only one of which was a rear-wheel-drive unibody, suggesting the new Mustang may have SUV roots.
Ford has also promised there will be a hybrid-powered Mustang in the future and the Explorer is already available with such a powertrain, as is the new Ford F-150, which combines a turbocharged V6 and an electric motor to produce a very muscle-car like 430 hp and 570 lb-ft of torque.
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The automaker has also filed a patent for a V8 engine with two electric motors attached to the sides that could drive the front wheels while the crankshaft sends piston power through a transmission to the rear.
Ford hasn’t confirmed any details about the next-generation Mustang, but given the expected timetable for its rollout, there’s a good chance it will have a lot more to say about it after the new Bronco goes on sale next June.
