(© 2011 Ford Motor Company)
Ford may be readying a 650 hp V8-powered Mustang capable of cracking the 200 mph barrier, but the automaker apparently has high mpgs in its sights, too.
According to Autoweek, Ford’s global product chief, Derrik Kuzak indicated that the pony car is likely to get one of the company’s fuel efficient EcoBoost turbocharged engines, telling the magazine “that would probably be a very safe bet at some point in the near future.”
The 2013 Mustang is set to be available with lineup of six and eight-cylinder engines ranging from a 305 hp V6 capable of getting 31 mpg on the highway to that supercharged V8 found in the 200 mph Shelby GT500. But an all-new version of the rear-drive sports car is expected to debut in 2014, just in time to celebrate the nameplate’s 50th anniversary, offering a good opportunity to integrate the new powerplant.
Read: Ford Unleashes a 200 MPH Mustang
Kuzak didn’t say which engine would be used, but Ford’s growing EcoBoost family starts with a 1.6-liter four cylinder and runs up to a 3.5-liter V6 with more than 350 hp that is available in a number of vehicles, including the F-150 pickup.
If one of the four-cylinder turbos makes the cut, it won’t be the first time the Mustang has had that type of engine under the hood. In 1984 the Mustang SVO featured a 175 hp 2.3-liter turbo four, which was considered powerful at the time and intended to make the car a competitor with European imports like the BMW 3-series.
Could a 30th anniversary SVO be in the works? Check back in a year to find out.