Ford plans to keep the V8’s revving under the hood of its Mustang, no matter what the rest of the industry does. That’s because the engine enables the brand, and the sports car, to go racing around the world and makes it compelling to enthusiasts, according to CEO, Jim Farley.
Speaking at an event in Charlotte, North Carolina, celebrating the launch of Ford’s 2024 racing season, Farley told journalists the 5.0-liter V8 is central to the Mustang’s success on the racetrack and the sales charts, in America and around the world.
“What other car in the world races on six continents on any given weekend? And that’s because we have a V8 engine,” Farley asked, per Motor1. “This is old school tech transfer.”
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The new Ford Mustang GT3 and GT4 race cars
In 2024, Ford plans to race the Mustang in NASCAR, the Australian Supercar Series, NHRA drag racing, as well as in endurance racing in both the GT3 and GT4 classes. Every one of those racecars will have a V8 under the hood.
Farley admitted that the Mustang exists in a changing world. Competitors like the Chevrolet Camaro and the Dodge Challenger have both been discontinued, and it is suspected that they will have to go electric if they return at all.
However, he said that the existence of electric Fords, such as the F-150 Lightning and the Mustang Mach-E, helps the internal combustion Mustang stay on the road. And that’s important, because the CEO thinks that the eight-cylinder engine is part of the sports car’s enduring appeal.
“Mustang is going to celebrate its 60th anniversary coming up here,” said Farley. “A lot of our competitors have left. They’ve come and gone. We never did that. We’ve always been there with Mustang. 60 years, and it’s changed over time. We have EcoBoost, we have the Dark Horse now, and we’re going to continue to invest. And if we’re the only one on the planet making a V8 affordable sports car for everyone in the world, so be it.”