2024 Ford Mustang: Everything to Know About the New Pony Car
WHAT IT IS: The seventh generation of the icon that launched the pony-car genre will arrive in time for the Mustang brand's 60th anniversary. Expect it in coupe (as rendered here by our artist) and convertible forms with two powertrain offerings. Variants delivering greater performance and efficiency will follow in the years to come.
WHY IT MATTERS: The Mustang, along with the Bronco and F-150, is a pillar of the Ford brand that carries immense emotional appeal. It's Ford's sole North American car offering and also ranks as one of a shrinking number of affordable, fun-to-drive two-doors. Plus the droptops are all over rental fleets in tropical locations—what would we do if it disappeared?
PLATFORM AND POWERTRAIN: The 2024 Mustang will get a new code name (S650), but we expect its D2C-derived architecture to largely carry over from its S550 predecessor. And based on numerous prototype spy photos and leaks, it will receive only mild evolutionary styling revisions, such as squintier three-element headlamps, a revised hexagonal grille, and new air intakes. New electrical architecture will enable new feature content at launch, like a fully digital instrument cluster and today's latest safety and driver assist features. It will also support over-the-air updates to an increasing number of software-enabled features, helping it stay as fresh as ever over its expected eight-year lifespan.
Powertrain offerings will carry over at launch, including the 2.3-liter EcoBoost I-4 and 5.0-liter Coyote V-8 engines, as well as the six-speed manual and 10-speed automatic transmissions. Engine outputs may be adjusted—we hear base 2.3-liter power will increase from 310 to 320 hp, for example. And Ford officials have cautioned us that the six-speed could be phased out at some point during this model's lifetime.
The 2021 Mustang Mach 1.One major powertrain addition expected in 2025 is conventional and/or plug-in hybridization. Leaked info suggests both engines will get an electric boost. This could be accomplished most easily by employing a version of Ford's Modular Hybrid Transmission (MHT) as found in the Explorer Hybrid, which should be adaptable to either engine.
Among the electrification possibilities, enthusiasts will be most stoked by a unique V-8 hybrid powertrain revealed in patent drawings. It mounts a roughly alternator-sized electric motor on each side of the V-8, with their output shafts roughly aligned with the crankshaft centerline. It being patented makes sense, as we're not aware of any other vehicle employing such a setup. Plus, it's far simpler than trying to package a single electric motor somewhere and needing to run a shaft through the oil pan; that would likely require halfshaft angles that would overtax existing CV joints. Using dual motors also allows handling-enhancing torque-vectoring up front—might this system power the next Bullitt or Mach 1?
The rumor mill has hinted at a plug-in version offering at least 10 or 20 miles of electric range, and this would undoubtedly boost efficiency and possibly contribute in some small way to achieving higher corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) ratings coming for 2026. But it would also add even more weight to a sports car that typically weighs more than 3,800 pounds today. So if there is to be an efficiency-focused Mustang hybrid, expect it to be an EcoBoost with rear drive. Of course, once there's a battery and an MHT to work with on this platform, it's not hard to imagine pairing them with the V-8 and front motors, juicing those Coyote V-8 and motor outputs, and creating a worthy Shelby GT500 successor with blistering torque-vectored AWD performance and respectable EPA numbers.
Spy shots have also revealed a shift away from the retro-look dash with binnacles to a more streamlined interior dominated by big instrument and infotainment screens capable of displaying the latest Sync graphics in dazzlingly high resolution. It's unclear that the Chevy Camaro and Dodge Challenger as we know them will survive into the next decade, but we expect Ford to assume they will—and to sharpen the Mustang's chassis dynamics sufficiently so it once again outhandles the Camaro.
ESTIMATED PRICE: Expect a modest price bump to an even $30,000 for a base EcoBoost coupe or $40,000 for a GT, with the ragtop adding roughly $5,500 to either.
EXPECTED ON-SALE DATE: Could Ford possibly resist launching its 60th anniversary Mustang on Monday April 17, 2023—the 59th anniversary of its World's Fair debut?
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You've got a Tesla orbiting the sun, you've got Rivian-investing Jeff Bezos blasting into the upper atmosphere in an incongruous cowboy hat, and now there are Space Bentleys? Thankfully, not quite. No one's strapping a Bentayga super luxury SUV to a Delta Heavy anytime soon, given our back-of-napkin orbital payload cost calculations (using the common rough estimate of $10,000 to get a pound of anything into low Earth orbit). Instead, you've got a very earthbound Bentayga worked over by Mulliner that is inspired by space. This one is destined for Florida's Space Coast, which puts its theme in a whole new light. The vehicle was commissioned by Bentley Orlando for a customer whose enthusiasm for space is equalled by pockets deep enough to have Mulliner work over a Bentayga Speed with their favorite frontier in mind. Cheap compared to spaceflight, surely, but not chump change by any standards.Mulliner started off with a coat of Cypress green accented with Blackline Specification blacked-out brightwork and Orange Flame accents. Inside, custom sill plates provide a slice of the Solar System, while the rest of the interior is done up in Beluga and Porpoise—colors, thankfully, not exotic leather made out of highly intelligent cetaceans. Orange accents brighten up what is otherwise a dusky cabin.This is just one of many commissions Mulliner has taken on lately. In 2022 alone, Mulliner has done 100 of these one-offs, and last year the division marked its 1,000th bespoke creation in its seven years of operation. With this sort of income, perhaps in a few years Mulliner will be able to do a custom New Glenn interior for some grossly wealthy Blue Origin customer willing to front $28 million just to experience microgravity for a few minutes.
The 2023 Chevrolet Colorado is a brand-new midsize pickup truck. If you're thinking, "well, that's obvious," you're right. But we do point it out because, when Chevy resurrected the previously compact Colorado as a midsize truck for 2015, it introduced a not-quite-as-new rig, a modified version of a truck it had been selling for years in global markets such as Thailand and Brazil.Alas, with a Silverado-derived frame, American-market-specific powertrains and cabin appointments, the Colorado was hardly some cobbled-together beast. The outgoing pickup is one of the best midsize pickups out there—to be accurate, it is the best, despite its age. Snatching an existing truck from Thailand proved to be such a savvy move that Ford basically did the same thing when it brought back the once-compact Ranger from the dead as a larger midsize truck—and Colorado competitor—for 2019. Given how the old Colorado was in some ways already several years old when it landed stateside eight years ago, the 2023 Colorado's ground-up newness, therefore, is one of its biggest standout features.New Is as New DoesJust looking at the new Colorado, the styling clearly benefited from this redesign. Where the old Colorado was soft-edged and fairly generic-looking, in keeping with the more budget-conscious global model, the new truck adopts a bold, assertive new look that positively screams "America, truck yeah!"Chevy moved the front axle forward, lengthening the wheelbase 3.1 inches in the process and shortening the front overhang. The net effect is a longer, more horizontal hood and improved approach angles for the nose, a boon off-road. The designers capitalized on this blocky new shape with a Silverado-like mug with slim headlights and bold inserts that give the impression of a full-width, full-height grille yawning from the bumper to the hood. (Also like on the Silverado, that mug is slightly different on nearly every trim level.) Along the body sides, there is a deeper channel cut into the door skins, which help visually puff out the squared-off fender bulges front and rear.Another big change? The previous-generation Colorado's entry-level extended-cab body style was pitched in the dustbin. You can now only purchase the Colorado as a four-door crew cab with a short bed (5-foot, 2-inch bed). Chevy says this move simplifies things on its manufacturing end, but primarily gets in line with the configuration that attracted the most buyer interest on the last Colorado. One Little Engine that CanAlso simplifying the lineup is the 2023 Colorado's move to a single engine choice. A 2.7-liter turbo I-4 engine replaces the old Colorado's entry-level 2.5-liter I-4 (which was limited to base Work Truck models anyway), 3.6-liter V-6, and 2.8-liter turbodiesel I-4 options. This engine isn't entirely new; it was introduced a few years ago on the larger Silverado 1500, and strategy-wise, it is comparable to the Ford Ranger's single, lineup-wide 2.3-liter turbo I-4 engine.Unlike the Ranger's four-cylinder, the Colorado's is available in three states of tune, offering up at least some choice. Entry-level Colorado Work Truck and LT models make 237 hp and 259 lb-ft of torque. Optional on those Colorados and standard on the Z71 and Trail Boss models is a 310-hp, 390-lb-ft version. And limited to the range-topping Colorado ZR2 (which we've covered in depth here), the ultimate off-road iteration of the new truck, is a 310-hp, 430-lb-ft 2.7-liter I-4. Chevy says that, for the most part, the power differences are achieved via tuning of the computers, though the lowest-output version has some minor hardware differences. Every Colorado mates its 2.7-liter I-4 to an updated eight-speed automatic transmission.Fuel economy estimates for the new engine are forthcoming, but the power story—both compared to the old Colorado and its primary competitors—is interesting. With 310 hp in top guise, the Colorado is the most powerful midsize pickup you can buy. Granted, the old V-6 held the same title (in both the Colorado and its GMC-badged twin, the Canyon), with 308 hp; the now-discontinued diesel engine produced a mighty 369 lb-ft of torque, but that figure's easily eclipsed by the midrange 2.7-liter I-4. Even the new base models generate nearly as much torque than the old V-6, albeit at a higher rpm (5,600 vs. 4,000). The higher-output 2.7s deliver their peak torque at just 3,000 rpm.The 2.7-liter turbo is a truck engine through and through, having been designed from the outset for duty in the full-size Silverado (and playing an unusual secondary role in the Cadillac CT4-V). In the smaller, lighter Colorado, it should prove quite burly. It also includes standard cylinder deactivation, which can shut down two cylinders under light loads. Yep, that means this'll be the only (temporarily) two-cylinder midsize pickup you can buy.Five Grades, Mostly Off-RoadEven though the Colorado comes in Work Truck, LT, Z71, new-to-Colorado Trail Boss, and hardcore ZR2 guises, all five models share key standard features, including a new (sharp-looking) 11.3-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an 8.0-inch fully digital gauge cluster, eight bed tie downs, and a segment-exclusive electronic parking brake. Chevy says the base Work Truck and mid-grade off-road Trailboss models share a more "rugged aesthetic that is ready for work and play" inside, which we take to mean more basic, abuse-resistant, and plastickier cabin materials. The LT swaps in silver trim, plusher accents, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel, while the Z71 gets a "sportier ambiance" with black and red accents and a mix of cloth and vinyl on the seats.Again, like the newly bold exterior, the Colorado's interior goes from uninspired to competitive, with a brash, full-width dashboard panel and its round outboard air vents giving us plenty of Camaro feels. The new touchscreen perches in the middle, tombstone-style, but close to the steering wheel for what looks like a comfortable reach. There are more upmarket details throughout, though most examples—the stitching on the dashboard and padded panels around the center console—are limited to the higher trim levels. And like the Camaro, the central air vents are buried low on the dash; that pays off for the ergonomics of the climate controls, which nestle up under the touchscreen, but is probably not great for airflow above chest height for front-seat occupants. A drive mode selector lives on the left of the console on models so equipped (mostly the off-road models), pushing the shifter to the right.Other differences between the models are clearer from the outside. The Work Truck gets an all-black-plastic face like the larger Silverado WT, 17-inch steel wheels, and that's pretty much it. LT models distinguish themselves with more streetable 17-inch wheels and tires, more body color elements on the front end, and more chrome. Finally, there are the trio of off-road versions, ranging from the relatively tame Z71 to the Trail Boss (which gets a 2.0-inch suspension lift and burlier tires) to the ZR2 (which sits 3.0 inches higher than WT/LT/Z71 models and has a wider track). The grille and bumper treatments get wilder the closer to the ZR2 you get, with the ZR2 out-crazying the rest of the lineup with flared fenders, meaty bumpers, and even an available bed-mounted roll bar with lights and beadlock-capable wheels via a special-edition Desert Boss package.Off-road equipment varies from optional four-wheel-drive on the WT and LT to a standard limited-slip rear differential (standard on Z71 and Trail Boss) to power-locking front and rear diffs on the ZR2, which also once again rides on Multimatic DSSV spool-valve, frequency selective dampers. Those fancy shocks passively take the edge off the worst terrain with valving that slows faster inputs and handles slower amplitudes more softly. The net result is better wheel control over washboard surfaces and more controlled bump stop events. Ground clearance tops out at an outstanding 10.7 inches for the ZR2, with the Trail Boss standing 9.5 inches off the deck and the other Colorados perched at 7.9 to 8.9 inches.If you're thinking Chevy's inclusion of three off-road models and switch to more aggro styling and the single crew-cab bodystyle signals an intent to chase after adventurous types with the new Colorado, you're right. The automaker also hopes the new truck bed's available 110-volt household outlet, motorcycle-tire indents in the forward bed wall, and newly available in-tailgate storage will appeal to weekend warrior types. That tailgate storage, in particular, carries whiffs of the Honda Ridgeline's in-bed "trunk," an underfloor, watertight cubby with a drain that doubles as a cooler. The Colorado's lockable, weathertight hollow tailgate is less useful, probably, but at 45 inches wide and 4 inches deep can still probably be stuffed with ice and some cold snacks.If Chevy can keep the current truck's decent road manners and roomy interior in place while improving things with the new 2.7-liter engine and expanded off-road offerings, consider the 2023 Colorado a ringing success. But it'll have stiff competition: Ford is on the cusp of launching its also-all-new 2023 Ranger, and Toyota's sales-leader Tacoma is about to be redesigned, as well. We'll see how the new Colorado shakes out when it goes on sale midway through 2023.2023 Chevrolet Colorado Specifications BASE PRICE $28,000-$50,000 (est) LAYOUT Front-engine, RWD or 4WD, 5-pass, 4-door truck ENGINE 2.7L/237-310-hp /259-430-lb-ft turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4 TRANSMISSION 8-speed auto CURB WEIGHT 4,750-5,300 lb (mfr) WHEELBASE 131.4 in L x W x H 213.0-213.2 x 84.4 x 78.8-81.9 in 0-60 MPH 7.0-7.5 sec (MT est) EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON TBD EPA RANGE, COMB TBD miles ON SALE Spring 2023 Show All
Update March 1, 2022: MOL Ship Management Singapore, the company that operated the Felicity Ace ship under the Panamanian flag, has announced the car carrier has capsized and sunken below the surface following the onboard fire. Salvage crews had been battling the fires onboard for weeks in an attempt to salvage some of the ship and its contents. It's unclear if anything from the ship was collected before it sank. The initial blaze is said to have started in the cargo hold, where thousands of cars, including some battery-electric vehicles, were being shipped to North America. Here is the latest statement from the Felicity Ace information resource website:"Initial reports from the local salvage team state that the vessel had sunk at around 9AM local time having suffered a list to starboard. The last vessel position was around 220nm off the Azores. The salvage crafts will remain around the area to monitor the situation. "Update February 18, 2022: Reports now indicate the ship is loaded with vehicles from Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, Porsche, and VW, including some battery-electric powertrain vehicles that now pose a serious hazard for maritime fire crews attempting to salvage the burning vessel. This story was originally published February 17, 2022, and has since been updated to reflect new information and developments in the ship's fate and the fate of the cargo onboard.
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