For car fans across North America, with the warm spring weather comes the promise of an exciting new line-up of vehicles from their favourite manufacturers. Most of the anticipation, however, is being driven by a handful of high-performance vehicles that give car companies an opportunity to show what their engineers are capable of, and none of these is more tantalizing than the 2020 Mustang.
In 2019, Ford opted for nostalgia, releasing the Bullitt Mustang as an homage to the legendary Highland Green Shelby GT driven by Steve McQueen in the 1968 film of the same name. In 2020, however, all signs show that Ford is focussed squarely on showing that, for all its illustrious pedigree, the Mustang brand is looking forward to the future.
While many of the details regarding the 2020 Mustang are still forthcoming, here are three things we know about the latest version of the most exciting pony car in the world.
It’s Going to be Faster
The past few years have seen an escalating war between the Mustang and its rival pony cars to see who can produce the most horsepower, but in 2020 it looks like Mustang is emphasizing overall performance over final MPH. Reports confirm that the Shelby GT500 will pack at least 700 horsepower, though, which is a marked increase over the standard horsepower for the 2019 GT.
It’s Going to be More Competitive
What metrics are pony cars to be judged by? Check out any informative car blog and you are likely to come across detailed arguments about the pros and cons of the Mustang vs. competitors like the Camaro, the Charger, and the Challenger. But while these arguments can be endless fun for car heads, they often reduce the differences between these vehicles to a few numbers: which car offers the most horsepower/torque/MPH.
According to the information available, Ford’s engineers have taken a different tack with the Shelby GT500, looking instead to create a unified package that will blow away the competition where it matters: on the drag strip and road track.
2020 May See a More Competitive EcoBoost
The EcoBoost Mustang has long been a favourite among those who want to experience the style and energy of a Mustang but who are also conscious of their carbon footprint. But many experts have noted the major performance gap between the GT and the EcoBoost, and have bemoaned the fact that the EcoBoost and the GT are basically different cars.
While nothing has been confirmed, bloggers have suggested there is good reason to believe that in 2020 Ford will offer a third option that splits the difference between the high-performance GT and the environmentally friendly EcoBoost to offer something with a little more thrust and power that isn’t quite as thirsty as the full-blown GT’s V8.
According to The Ford Motor Company, the 2020 Mustang should hit the roads this summer. In the meantime, Ford fans are likely to be glued to car blogs and Youtube videos, awaiting further details about the latest edition of one of the most legendary cars in the world.
