European Mustangs: Right Hand Drive, But No 5.0L V8?
Upon announcing that the Mustang would soon be coming to Europe as part of the company’s renewed efforts for a global lineup of vehicles, neither Alan Mulally, Ford’s president and CEO, or Stephen Odell, vice president and CEO of Ford Europe, gave no details on specifics–including when the Mustang would go on sale, how much it would cost or what engine options would be made available.
It appears that Ford is serious about truly making the next generation a global car, however, as a new report from British magazine AutoCar indicates that a right-hand drive version will be offered. “A large part of the project will be to re-engineer the platform to accept right-hand drive, likely to entail re-positioning key componentry from the engine bay and front axle to package the new steering rack and steering column,” states the publication on their web site.
European muscle car enthusiasts will also be said to hear that their version of the Mustang might not include the option of the 5.0L V8. “The British Mustang is also likely to miss out on the archetypal musclecar engine — a throbbing 302 cu in (5.0-litre) V8,” says AutoCar’s report. “Instead it’s tipped to be powered by a 300bhp-plus 3.7-litre V6 or a 250bhp four-cylinder turbo EcoBoost, most likely of two-litre capacity.”
[Source: AutoCar.co.uk]