The Latest Rumors on the 2014 Ford Mustang

Photos courtesy of Forum Member Praeix

by Patrick Rall

The Ford Mustang will officially turn 50 years old in April 2014, and while Ford hasn’t issued anything official, many people expect that to be the beginning of the next generation of the fabled pony car.  Rumors have been swirling for months about possible new engines, but thanks to some recent reports, we have an idea of what could be coming for the 50th birthday of the mighty Mustang.

First off, we have expected for months that Ford will pack an EcoBoost engine into the Mustang, with those rumors somewhat confirmed by Ford execs in an informal manner.  There is no indication as to whether it will be a 4, 6 or 8 cylinder engine with Ford’s EcoBoost turbocharging technology, but the recent rumors suggest that it will be a 4-banger larger than the 4-cylinder EcoBoost coming to the US in the Ford Explorer.  This could happen sooner than the refresh, but if we will have to wait until 2014 to see an EcoBoosted Mustang, that is the biggest news on the drivetrain front.  The new 5.0L V8 is amazing, and the 3.7L V6 is a great engine, leaving no real reason to introduce new engines in 2014, but there could be power bumps by then.

Next, the popular rumor is that the 2014 Ford Mustang will be built on a global platform that is more acceptable in more markets, including new markets like the United Kingdom.  This means that we can expect the next generation Mustang in 2014 to be slightly smaller than the 2011 Mustang.  The original Mustang in 1964 (and a half) was smaller than what the Mustang has evolved into, but this new Mustang could be more closely related in size to the original Mustang – further giving it a weight and handing advantage over the comparably equipped Chevrolet Camaro.  Also, helping the global efforts, the 2014 Mustang is rumored to be coming with a right hand drive option, with those models still being built in the good ol’ USA.

Finally, the current rumors suggest that the 2014 Ford Mustang will feature an independent rear suspension (IRS) setup that could vastly improve the handling capabilities, but it may not be a popular decision with the drag racers who prefer the solid rear axle.  The last time Ford offered an IRS setup in the Mustang was the 2003-2004 SVT Cobra models, known best by the name Terminator.  While those models were a dream on the turns, many less advanced drivers had a difficult time getting good times at the drag strip, as the IRS makes the car more difficult to launch hard.

Regardless of what the 2014 Ford Mustang looks like, we can expect Ford to carry on with the popularity of the longest running car in the American market.  Ford has a great combination with the current Mustang, thanks to the lightweight chassis and the powerful engine lineup, but for the golden anniversary of Ford’s legendary pony car, the folks from the Blue Oval might just introduce the whole world to the next generation of American muscle.