Twin Turbo

Targeting May 18th.... https://www.wsj.com/articles/detroit-car-makers-target-may-18-u-s-restart-date-11588026203?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=1

That all makes sense. One thing though, seems S550 is going to last 8 years ('15MY to '22MY) with a pretty major facelift at the 4th model year ('18) and potentially a minor one for '21MY. I still think CD6 being limited to just Explorer/Aviator is a missed opportunity though. Ford finally has a decent RWD architecture that could have given us a magnificent all new Continental and potentially a Lincoln coupe. Lincoln design is on top form at the moment and it seems a shame to limit it to SUVs. But that's another subject for another day. Looking forward to seeing those first S650 mules and prototypes

That's great info, thank you ExplorerDude...........and your description makes me excited to see S650. If it launches as a '23MY, I'm guessing we should see the first mules late this year/very early next? As it'll be very close to S550, I assume they could be hiding in plane sight by using the current production car (S197 to S550 was a bit more obvious in terms of trying to hide the new styling). With regards the chassis/architecture.......it'll be interesting to see if they continue to call it D5 (thank you for correcting me there) as I guess this means there are 6 (not 5) platforms/architectures going forwards

I get where you're coming from........I'm sure there's a lot of S550 in CD6 (I recall one publication took a peek under the concept Aviator and said the rear suspension looked almost identical to the current S550). At what point though, does a reworked D2C/S550 become a CD6? I guess we'll only know "for sure" when the '23MY Mustang launches. Surely Ford would be proud to claim S650 is, effectively using the CD6 architecture? Otherwise all we'll have is internet conjecture as to what makes up its bones.

It's been stated here that the Mustang hybrid would be a V8.........and even I suggested making it the Mach 1 would tie the two Machs together under the "electrification" banner. There does seem to be a lot of guess work on the timeline of the next gen cars though. The leaked VIN document indicates S650 is coming as a '23MY, although we still don't know if this is moving to CD6 or just being a reworked S550 platform. Most now seem to think the latter. That then ties into the rumors a year or so ago that an "all new" Mustang wasn't coming until about the '27/'28MY. Perhaps that makes sense now if a "true" CD6 Mustang isn't coming until an 8th generation car. Autocar's render....

Take one Bullitt Add a little (500hp) spice to the engine Add the GT350's Tremec 6-speed / 10-speed auto Add in some GT350/PP2 brakes/suspension Sprinkle with unique wheels, a choice of colors (including some hi-impact) Garnish with a black stripes on the hood and rockers :)

Hmmm, what does this mean for the hybrid Mustang? Rumors were that it would be a Coyote + electric assist..........I had assumed this would be shared with F150 to reduce costs. Given the "all new" S650 is due for the '23MY, perhaps we won't see a hybrid until then. I did think there was a possibility the '21MY Mach 1 could be a hybrid, but the VIN doc revealed yesterday would indicate its "just" a V8.

That seems optimistic to me............but I hope they can do it.

Depending on how long the plants are down (I personally think it could be months, not weeks) do you think there's a chance once production restarts they'll take the opportunity to start producing the '21MY cars straight away (assuming the relevant parts are available)? For example, the Mustang is expected to get a light refresh (new front fascia etc).......and then there's the new colors etc. To me it makes sense to make the changeover whilst a plant is down/gearing up for production again. I'm merely an enthusiast, and have no real knowledge of the logistics involved. To me it seems sensible, but I appreciate I may be way off base

An online reveal makes 100% sense. Lets face it, even vehicle presentations, whether at an existing auto show or standalone event tend to have a livestream. Just cut out the event portion and put it online. YouTubers won't get to drive these things for months yet......it needs to be officially revealed first. Personally, whilst the Bronco and F150 interest me (hey, it's a Ford, so.....).....it's really the '21MY Mustang I'm waiting for........especially the Mach 1. I appreciate this virus is serious and people's lives are on the line, but as a car enthusiast this thing sucks. We're just coming into Spring when our Garage Queens should be attending the first car events of the year and everything is being cancelled or postponed. As a Mustang enthusiast, I need my fix and I'm going a little stir crazy waiting on Mustang news! So, please do an online reveal Ford. We're just under a month away from Mustang's 56th birthday, so an April 17th reveal would be appreciated

Wonder if that'll make it into the (mild) facelifted '21MY Mustang. Mind you, when CJ Pony Parts put their video out regarding the '21MY Mach 1, the said it'd use the Tremec 6-speed from the GT350, so who knows!

Rumors suggest Ford’s 50-liter Voodoo V8, which also powers the Mustang, is gone, replaced by a smaller 4.8-liter mill. Decimal point aside.......Voodoo? That's the GT350's 5.2 FPC.........so they mean the Coyote. There were rumors of a 4.8 way back in 2017/18, as I recall. Thought that was dropped as Coyote Gen 3 met the emissions/MPG targets. So, is it back on again?

You are absolutely correct, having done a little searching I realise I was off base..... its not something I'd realised before (I blame my Mustang blinkers......that's all I really pay attention to!). Does still seem a little odd though, to reveal pretty much your entire hand before the "big reveal". Back to the F150 though, I'm liking these changes. Not earth shattering, but certainly good looking changes.

Isn't it VERY unusual for a prototype to drop quite so much camo? I mean, details like the head and tail lamps are usually the last thing to be revealed.......in fact, they are usually only seen at the final unveiling. It's not as if the camo has fallen off.......so Ford clearly want this seen. Just seems odd.

If it's coming it 2022 as a '23MY it could, in theory, be out testing late this year. At least the S550 based mules would be. And as S650 sounds like it's going to be very closely related to S550, it could initially be testing in plain sight

Well, my most anticipated car for 2020 will be a camo'd '23MY/S650 Mustang prototype ?

https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/a30781641/2020-ford-gt-specs-hp-price-info-pictures/?src=socialflowFBRAT&fbclid=IwAR3RQt7GNPi0OU3H5dEiHZGvmtbxok8FmVh-hx7XKEGirQOv1EZhWrNeZ_o I'll take the cheaper Gulf edition lol

I recall one review of the Aviator concept (and I appreciate the concept could differ mechanically from production) but it was stated the rear suspension looked almost identical to S550. So, is S650 an evolution of S550, or is it moving to CD6? I guess those two things could actually be the same! Either way, I'm just glad, in the current climate, we're still getting a new Mustang. It seems Camaro fans aren't so lucky, and even Dodge can't seem to make up its mind what will be next for the Challenger/Charger twins.

Yep, my reasoning for throwing the option of the normally aspirated 5.2 cross plane crank V8 is because that's effectively a GT500 engine without the supercharger. This was the route the '03/'04 Mach 1 took. It used a n/a Cobra motor.....a 32v quad cam V8 with 305hp, verses the 16v 260hp V8 in the GT of the time. There's also already a 5.2 cpc crate engine called the Aluminator. I do agree that's the least likely option, but it would be my choice. I suspect it'll be a Bullitt spec V8 with perhaps a little more power (495hp?) As for rear window slats......some things are better left in the past

5.0 Bullitt spec (GT350 intake and tune) ++ 5.2 normally aspirated cross plane crank 5.0 + hybrid Seems there are a number of potential ways for this to go.

Getting back on topic....... Well.....I'm still holding out hope for a mild (ish) '21MY refresh. Just hope they really are testing at night which is why we've not seen any recent spy photos. Guess time will tell!

It's not that much different to what we have now!

I love the retro Mustangs.....heck, that's why I have an '05. I'd love for Ford to give us another retro-modern version, more '69/'70 this time..............but I don't see it ever happening again. I do think the '18+ hits the sweet spot in terms of muscle (those hips are more pronounced than any S197!).....and sports car. I expect S650 to be a refining of those looks when it arrives for the '23MY. This render is one of my favourite official ones from Ford. This was one that didn't make it from the initial S550 sketches, but I'd love to see this as S650. It brings back the "hockey stick"/faux side vent, and adds even more flare to those hips.

Well, I hope you're wrong. Whilst Camaro is the nearest home-grown competition, 40% of Mustang sales are now "rest of the world".......and the rest of the world hasn't stopped developing their car (particularly Audi/Merc/BMW etc). Given the sh*t storm Ford received from many Mustang fans over Mach E, you'd think they'd want to re-assure them that they are still committed to the "real" Mustang. And the best way to do that is to continue to develop the Mustang to be as good as it can be.

Remember......waaaaay back in 2017, Mark Field's announced the hybrid F150 and Mustang for 2020..........plus a "300 mile electric SUV" which we now know as Mach E. So, there were definitely plans for a hybrid Mustang and, as far as I can tell, there's no no official announcement to say that's not happening. Of course, this was a long time ago now and plans do change, especially with Mr Fields no longer around. So, two out of the three vehicles are coming this year. I still think the rumored Mach 1 would make sense if it were the V8 hybrid as it would tie the two Machs together. However, the lack of news/rumors on the Mustang hybrid is a little concerning. It would also make sense for the Mach 1 to introduce the mild refresh, but again, there's little proof out there that it exists! https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2017/01/03/ford-adding-electrified-f-150-mustang-transit-by-2020.html