As the current life-cycle of arguably America’s most iconic automotive nameplates draws to an end, all eyes are looking towards the near future and locking on to the next Ford Mustang that will arrive in 2014 as a 2015 model, right in time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the pony car.
Now in writing this I must confess to admiring the styling of the current Mustang, with its chiseled bodywork and retro throwbacks it does get my heart pumping – almost bordering towards cardiac arrest in GT500 form.
So where to from here for Ford and the global design studios that have a hand in penning the next Mustang; should they look to the past for inspiration or should they follow a clean slate approach that throws all previous retro elements into the shredder?
In protecting its loyal customer base, Ford will want this to be a home run, so expect some familiar cues combined with a more futuristic look incorporating the company’s Post-Kinetic design language.
To give a speculative insight on how the next Mustang might look, I’ve created a render that incorporates Ford’s latest design language from current production and concept models.
The word on the street is that the new pony car will borrow heavily from last year’s Evos concept, so bearing this in mind, I have softened some of lines as well as making them more expressive and sleeker. For example, the scollops in the doors are deeper and rear haunches are more curvaceous to exude a subtle hint of the GT40.
The front keeps that classic Mustang look combined with an exaggerated border that leads down from the headlights and onto the lower bumper. Not forgetting the grille, it gains an imposing variation of the staple trapezoidal outline, now found on most of Ford’s current passenger car lineup.
So this is just one designer’s crystal ball gaze. Is it far too evolutionary or just on the mark, what do you think?
One thing is for sure; whatever Ford lets out of its stables next will have to be good enough to take on the world.
By Josh Byrnes
Design Credits: Josh Byrnes for CarScoop
PHOTO GALLERY
FORD EVOS CONCEPT
