The Detroit Motor Show is currently taking place in the USA. The event is an opportunity for US brands to showcase their latest wares. Biggest news coming out of the show is the debut of the all-new Ford Mustang. 

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The car was presented to the public after an event called Stampede. Over 1 000 Mustang owners signed up to join a convoy that, essentially, filled the streets of Motor City. Cars of all ages from the very first to the most recent were on show before the fans got to witness the unveiling of the latest.

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All-new

The all-new Ford Mustang is the seventh generation of the world-famous pony car. It boasts completely new styling that is more edgy and, according to some online critics, a tad narrow for its length. But we’ll leave you to decide that. 

The lines and general design will leave few onlookers as to what it is. There is a fastback arch to the roofline of the coupe version and the long bonnet ahead of the cabin. Some say that this could well be the last to feature a pure internal combustion engine. Speaking of which…

No Powertrain Changes

There has been no change as far as powertrains are concerned. The all-new Ford Mustang will go on sale with revised versions of the 5,0-litre ‘Coyote’ V8 and the 2,3-litre ‘Ecoboost’ inline four. We scoured the press material and found no power ratings for either. Both engines can be mated with a six-speed manual or a ten-speed automatic transmission. In both cases drive is sent exclusively to the rear axle.

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More Focussed

On the same occasion Ford released info and images of a new performance derivative called the Mustang Dark Horse (blue car pictured above). This version has a more highly tuned version of the V8, displacing 5,4 litres. Ford says it will deliver around 375 kW (500 bhp). The engine is mated with a different six-speed manual that features a titanium shift knob.

“We’ve taken the all-new Mustang, the best of our new 5,0-litre V8 performance, and added power, improved the aero, tires, steering and provided an interactive cockpit to create a Mustang that goes beyond any 5.0-litre Mustang before it,” said Ed Krenz, Ford Mustang chief nameplate engineer.

This track-focussed machine also has a raft of other mechanical changes. In the powertrain these include different conrods and piston along with brake cooling NACA ducts, an auxiliary engine oil cooler, a rear axle cooler and a unique and lighter-weight radiator.

The Dark Horse versions will also have larger Brembo brakes, bespoke suspension tuning, adaptive dampers, a fixed rear wing, larger wheels with the option of carbon-fibre as well, stickier rubber and different anti-roll bars.

Click here to read our review of the previous generation Mustang convertible.

Race Relations

If that isn’t enough for you, Ford has also debuted a full stable (get, stable, horses… never mind) of track-only machines. The range kicks off with two, track-only versions of the Dark Horse, dubbed S and R. The former is for track days and the latter conforms to various race series in the US.

For the more serious there are full-on racecars including GT3, GT4, Nascar and NHRA Factory X racing version of the all-new Ford Mustang. The GT3 version will participate in the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans, as confirmed at the launch event. Before that we will see the Pony car compete in various GT3 series, including the Intercontinental GT Challenge. The Kyalami 9 Hour will form part of the 2023 calendar, so we may even see the cars race here soon.