2014-2015 Mustang Renderings Part I

It’s the natural flow of these things, so we’ll go along with it. UK auto news outlet Auto Express has drafted up renderings of what they think the 2014-2015 Mustang will look like. Like most of the renderings and photo-shops that precede the upcoming models, let us say up front that they are rarely accurate but fun to look at.

That said, we give AutoExpress points for keeping it somewhat real. The renderings are loosely based on the cues seen in the Italian Giugiaro Mustang Concept from 2006 mixed with news that the new Mustang will be smaller and more svelte. In their article they talk about the fact that the next generation Mustang will be a global model. This is to say that it will indeed be offered from the factory in both right and left-hand drive versions.

Because Mustang rides on such a unique platform and has continued to sell less in the States, the next generation must be sold around the world to make it pencil. Thus as we have reported before the 2014-2015 Mustang will be leaner and smaller, lighter and will have smaller base engines to make it more palatable for foreign markets.

That aspect of the next generation Mustang’s fate will at last force Ford’s hand to offer a modern independent rear suspension in the Mustang – finally. The bean counters and less than 1% of Mustang drag racers in the owner ranks will no longer be able to keep us in the dark ages of automotive tech. While the Mustang has always been our Mustang to us, it must appeal to people across the pond who see BMW 3-Series as the standard for performance.

The right-hand drive Mustangs would be sold in the UK, Asia, and in Australia. Down Under, the Mustang has been imported in small numbers in the past and converted to right-hand drive. While these conversions have been done very well by local companies, a true right-hand drive Mustang from the factory will be a major boon in OZ. Australia in fact might be a surprise lucrative market as they love Mustangs down there.

Like other American cars made here and exported, the Mustang may also be built with engines that are not offered in the States, but are for export only. There have been past rumors of a diesel engine for the UK and European markets. While we might scoff at the idea, it’s not such a joke “over there”. Drivers in the UK and Europe have come to accept diesels as common fare, even in some performance cars.

At the very least, a small four-cylinder engine could be offered as a base power train for export that we may not see offered in the States in non-turbocharged form. Our previous reports have said that EcoBoost four or six-cylinder engines will almost be a certainly for the 2014-2015 Mustang.

In the AutoExpress article they state that dealers in the UK are being told that the Mustang is coming and to be ready for it. Their report mostly states much of what we have already heard but with their renderings of their interpretation of the next Mustang, makes it fun to read none the less.

Here at TheMustangNews, we don’t pretend to know what is coming based on “inside sources”. Rather report on what we see and hear. We suggest on what we know makes sense based in our knowledge of how the product development process works and our past experience with Ford.

Very nice!!!

Looks like a Aston Martin with some Mustang mixed in!... Not sure I love it or hate it!..

Its got too much camaro in the face and rear if you ask me......

JUSTAGT wrote:Its got too much camaro in the face and rear if you ask me......

agree 1000%

I don't care for it. I like the retro look that the mustang has now, I think they are getting too far away from what a mustang should look like.

How about this (probably not, but what the heck):

I'd defiantly go for that Dan!!..

Some new images......





When the month of April 2014 comes around, the Ford Mustang will turn 50 years old. Many expect Ford to unveil a new Mustang to celebrate the golden anniversary of America's longest running car. The 2014 Mustang is expected to offer a total redesign of the Mustang line - the first since 2005 - and there is massive speculation around just what to expect. We have heard discussions of an EcoBoost Mustang and rumors suggest that the "next Mustang" in 2014 will be more of a globally friendly vehicle, being smaller in stature than the current Mustang and more closely related to the original 1964.5 Mustang.

Unfortunately, if reports from Motor Authority are correct, the next major redesign may not come until the 2015 model year. Ford introduced the very first Mustang in April of 1964 as a 1964 model year vehicle, but when you consider how a company makes "next year's models" well ahead of the end of the current model year, Ford would have to look closely at how they would officially roll out the new model. If they were to celebrate the first viewing of the Mustang in April of 1964, it would most likely be a 2015 model year vehicle, unless Ford waited until the middle of the 1964 calendar year to unveil the 2014 model.

Based on that speculation, the next generation of the Ford Mustang could come as a 2015 model year vehicle on April 17th, 2014. That would make its grand debut 50 years to the day when the first Mustang met the world. In the meantime, Ford still has the 2012, 2013 and 2014 model year Mustangs to worry about.

MustCoupe_SketchSlvrFP.jpgAlong with the report that the next redesign won't come until 2015, the Motor Authority also reports that one of the key items tiding us over until the new Mustang will be the Shelby GT500. The GT500 has long been the most powerful factory-built car in the muscle car world, but with the introduction of the 2012 Camaro ZL1 - expected to have between 550-580hp - the GT500 will have its first real competition.

There has been speculation that the GT500 will transition from being supercharged to being turbocharged, but the recent rumors suggest that Ford's SVT group will stick with the supercharger to boost the power up around the 600hp range. This would once again put the Mustang on top of the horsepower hill in the muscle car segment, and this beefed up GT500 could hit the market as soon as the 2013 calendar year...most likely as a 2014 model year Mustang.

Along with gobs more power, the GT500 may also be the next recipient in the segment of an advanced, adjustable suspension system. General Motors has equipped the Camaro ZL1 with the same magnetic ride control system that is featured in the Corvette ZR1 and for the 2012 model year, Dodge has fitted the Challenger SRT8 with a dual mode suspension system designed to optimize handling capabilities without sacrificing daily driving comfort.

That top picture is pure sexy time!

As Mustang's 50th anniversary rapidly approaches, its maker is under enormous pressure to deliver a worthy update that will satisfy legions of loyal fans and appeal to masses around the globe. Ford finally is taking its iconic Mustang overseas.

Think of it as the flip side of One Ford, the program that brought the European Focus and Fiesta to the U.S. Ford will deploy America's original ponycar in new markets including such right-hand-drive countries as England, Japan, and Australia. For the first time, studios in Australia and Europe are contributing to the design of the new model. And the Mustang will finally get an independent rear suspension.

A decade after then-Ford veep Phil Martens' infamous attempt to save $100 a car by scrapping IRS in favor of retaining the live axle, the Mustang will finally enter the 21st century. There will no doubt be feelings of anger, grief, and betrayal from Mustang loyalists. Aging drag racers who argued for the live axle's stoplight launch advantages gave Ford a handy excuse for the cost-cutting. Ford has done amazing things with the live rear axle, but that technology's days are past. We expect Ford will revive the independent suspension design intended for the current-generation Mustang to keep costs down, even though the cost of putting it back in is far higher than that $100 per car saved six years ago.

Believed to be based on the inexpensive and lightweight Control Blade suspension Ford developed for the hind ends of its modern front-drive cars, the suspension will be similar to that of the Australian Ford Falcon. Computer-controlled torque vectoring may be in the cards for further handling improvements. There's a small chance the live rear axle could live on in a low-volume special edition aimed at drag racers, but this would force packaging compromises in the area over the differential.



Reviving an existing suspension design will allow Ford to evolve the Mustang platform rather than start from scratch. While our sources say the new version will be smaller and lighter, many current parts will carry over to help keep costs down. Ford knows the 2015 Chevrolet Camaro will be lighter and more agile than the current model, and it needs to build that car without breaking the bank.

Carryover begins under the hood. Since they're nearly new, the 3.7-liter V-6 and 5.0-liter V-8s should stay right where they are, though we're hearing whispers of direct injection for the 5.0. Word has it a revival of the SVO model is in the works, this time using Ford's brand-new EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder.

That engine is slated to produce 247 horsepower from 2.0 liters, and would serve the base Mustang well, though we're told Ford will increase its displacement to anywhere from 2.3 liters (like the original SVO) to 2.5 liters, with a power boost, of course.

Despite rumors, we expect Ford to skip the EcoBoost 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6, at least for the '15 Mustang's launch. In its present form, it doesn't make enough power to take on the Chevrolet Camaro SS. Boosting the twin-turbo's power to Camaro SS levels would mean the EcoBoost V-6 would bump right into the 5.0-liter Coyote V-8, which means the 5.0 also would need a costly power boost to make it viable.

Ultimately, it will come down to performance Mustang sales volumes and whether or not the EcoBoost V-6 makes a big difference in Ford's Corporate Average Fuel Economy numbers.

The "retro" 2005 Mustang did a great job of freshening the car's look. The 2010-'11 major face-lift worked. If you're Ford's design team, how do you follow this up? It's time to throw out the retro, and that's why a radical redesign is underway. Though Ford is soliciting input from its designers around the globe, you needn't worry about another Mustang II showing up. There will be plenty of classic Mustang cues even as designers throw out the retro. A long hood/short deck and crisp, creased upper and lower quarter-panels seem a given. Will the notchback Mustang return? We doubt it. Sales volumes no longer warrant three body styles. Shown here is our artist's rendering of what the new coupe may look like.

We'll find out for certain in April 2014 at the New York auto show, where the 2015 Mustang is expected to debut 50 years to the month after the original premiered at the same show. It could be the same day, April 17, which would be on the second day of press conferences. Depending on how far Ford takes the 50th Anniversary tie-in, cars could go on sale soon after, unofficially as 2014 cars sold as 2015s, just as the original "1964" Mustangs were always marketed as 1965 models. If Ford really wants to go overboard, the original base price, times 10, would be just $1570 more than the current base price, bringing it to $23,680. Meanwhile, a light refresh is expected for the 2013 model year.

WHAT ABOUT THE GT500?

Longer in the tooth than the standard Mustang, the Shelby GT500 is expected to get a big update before 2015 Mustang debuts. More power is on tap, and the latest rumor is that Ford will replace the existing Eaton 112 supercharger with the newer Eaton TVS supercharger on the Corvette ZR1, CTS-V, and Camaro ZL1.The ZL1 is the primary target, of course. Reports indicate that the supercharged ZL1 will produce about 570 horsepower, the same amount rumored for the new GT500. With the gauntlet thrown, Ford may try to increase performance to more than 600 horsepower. We're hearing Ford will bore out the 5.4-liter V-8 to 5.8 liters (351 cubic inches).

As we've said many times, the GT500's problem isn't making power; it's putting it down. Ford knows it, which is why spy photographers have caught the new GT500 testing on the Nuerburgring. Bigger, stickier tires are on the list, and test mules have been spotted with aerodynamic modifications. The GT500 will need all the help it can get, because for now, it's sticking with the live rear axle.

Once the 2015 Mustang debuts, it's a question of time and money before the GT500 migrates to the new platform, but don't expect it before 2016. The GT500 and the ZL1 are designed to be low-volume cars with short production runs, so they'll both disappear for a while after the new Mustang and Camaro debut. The updated GT500 is expected to land in 2013 as a 2014 model and will likely see its price rise to around $60,000 to reflect its increased performance.

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/future/future_vehicles/1110_2015_ford_mustang_what_to_expect/viewall.html#ixzz1WxIfz1JL

I'll still take that new mustang just because I know it'll still spank the new camaro!!...

if they go to the camaro look ill be sick. i hope ford holds back. the style they have now is sex but if they worked on getting the cost down, there is no way the camaro will out sell stangs

No doubt the 'Stang will be smaller and leaner than the over sized Camaro. How small is the question though......

I kinda like these, looks like the old Shelby Cobra hard tops from the rear.

Looks like it is about to eat your kids.... I LIKE IT!!!!

i like this rendering!