FUTURE FORD

2015 Ford Mustang

America’s original pony car will be turning 50 in the next few years, and Ford is celebrating the monumental birthday by taking its maiden voyage overseas. The 2015 Ford Mustang will find its way into right-hand-drive markets, such as England, Japan and Australia. Moreover, for the first time in the Mustang’s history, England and Australia studios will aid in the design of the new-generation muscle car. Add that to the fact that the 2015 Mustang will receive independent rear suspension for the first time ever, with exception of the Cobra version a decade ago, and the Mustang suddenly becomes a hot topic among enthusiasts.

With such dramatic changes in the geographical availability of the Mustang, as well as the move away from the cheaper live axle, not much else has to change in order for this new-generation Mustang to find its new niche in the 2015 model year. That being said, expect the updated muscle car to get a radical redesign while still staying true to its overall look and style.

The 2015 Ford Mustang should debut at the New York Auto Show in April 2014, exactly 50 years to the month of the original Mustang’s debut.

UPDATE 06/13/2012: The guys over at CarAndDriver have managed to catch a mule of the next generation Mustang during testing. As usual, the spy shots reveal more details on the future car. The next Mustang will be built on a heavily revised version of the outgoing car’s platform, with the biggest change being made for the suspension system.

UPDATE 06/28/2012: Today we have created a new rendering for the upcoming Ford Mustang. Click past the jump to learn more about it.

More details on the 2015 Ford Mustang after the jump.

Rendering

When Ford announced plans for a new-generation Mustang, it also announced that the model will adopt a more global design. As a preview to it, the company unveiled the Evos Concept, which inspired our rendering. However, unlike the base concept, we have tried to make it a little more Mustang-ish with more pronounced body lines and slightly less-squinty headlights.

History

The Ford Mustang is one of the most successful muscle cars ever to roam the streets of America market and one with the longest history. The model arrived on the market in 1964 and, depending who you speak to, it is either on its fifth or tenth generation. If you consider platform changes as generations, then you are on the side that says this is the sixth generation. However, if you take major body changes as new generations, then you know that the Mustang is on its 10th rendition. We’re not here to argue semantics, so we’ll just stick with the five platform changes to make things easier...

First Generation: 1964 - 1973

The first-generation Mustang was offered in coupe and convertible, plus a sporty 2+2 fastback body style added just a few months after the car’s official debut. The 1964 Mustang was offered with a 170 cubic-inch six-cylinder and a pair of V-8 engines. The most powerful Mustang of the first generation was unveiled in 1968 when Ford announced the 428 Cobra Jet, which delivered a total of 335 horsepower.

In 1967, the Stang underwent a metamorphosis that some consider a new generation, as it grew in length and width, but rode atop the same 108-inch wheelbase. In 1969, the Mustang grew once again, plus it received a four-headlight setup, a sharp nose and a revised grille. This is considered by some enthusiasts as the "third generation," but the basic platform and 108-inch wheelbase remained the same as the debut model.

The 1971 model year was likely the most hated of the first-gen Mustangs, as it grew into a 187.5-inch-long whale of a muscle car whose base 145-horsepower six-banger just wasn’t up to the task of hauling this much lard around. However, the 375-horsepower Cobra Jet 429 was certainly up to the task.

The first-generation closed out in 1973 with emission regulations choking the Mustang to just 150 horsepower from the once-feared 351 cubic-inch V-8 engines.

Second Generation: 1974 - 1978

The second generation arrived in 1974 and, when the Mustang II arrived with smaller dimensions, thank to a chassis that was borrowed from the Pinto. Sure, the chassis was modified for the Mustang II, but it was still a basic Pinto structure and had a petite 96.2-inch wheelbase. This generation used engines ranging from a Pinto-sourced 2.3-liter four-cylinder with 88 horsepower to a 5.0-liter V-8 with 134 horsepower. The Mustang II’s only claim to fame was its Cobra II model in "Charlie’s Angels".

Third Generation: 1979 - 1993

In 1979, Ford released the infamous "Fox Body" Mustang with the hopes of winning back the Mustang’s reputation. The debut Fox Body was a four-eye-style - four headlights - and came with a 2.3-liter four-cylinder with 88 horsepower as standard and topped out with a 5.0-liter V-8 with 140 horsepower.

In 1987, Ford dropped the four-eye look and released a flat face with composite headlights. This gave the Fox Body the iconic look that everyone remembers.

By time the third generation came to its final year in 1993, the Mustang boasted a healthy line of engines, ranging from a 105-horsepower 2.3-liter to a 235-horsepower 5.0-liter V-8 in the Cobra model.

Fourth Generation: 1994 - 2004

The fourth generation was unveiled in 1993, as it dropped the hatchback coupe model in favor of a traditional notchback setup. The base model was offered with a 3.8 liter V-6 engine delivering 145 horsepower and up to a V-8 with an output of 215 horsepower.

The 1999 model year is another transition year, as some consider it a new generation, thanks to the drastically restyled body, but Ford essentially swapped out the fascias, sharpened the fenders and restyled the grille. Much everything else on the 1999 Mustang was the same as the year before.

The pinnacle of the third-generation Mustang was the 2003 Cobra, which featured a 390-horsepower V-8 powerplant.

Fifth Generation: 2005 - 2014

In 2005, Ford went retro with the Mustang, bringing back the rounded headlights, three-element taillights and extending the wheelbase by 6 inches. A new 4.0-liter V-6 with 210 horsepower debuted in the fifth generation, as did a 300-horsepower 4.6-liter V-8.

The 2007 model year brought a new Shelby GT and Shelby GT500. The former featured a 319-horsepower 4.6-liter V-8 and the latter enjoyed a 500-horsepower supercharged 5.4-liter V-8 engine.

In 2011, Ford shocked the world with two new engines. First was a base 3.7-liter V-6 engines with 305 horsepower and the other was the 5.0-liter Coyote V-8 with 412 ponies.

The most powerful Mustang ever - the 2013 GT500 - offered up a 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 engine with an output of 662 horsepower.

Check this link for a full history on the Mustang.

Exterior and Interior

The 2015 Mustang will be getting redesigned for its new generation, as most cars do, but Ford would be ridiculous if they changed it up too much. Expect to see the same long hood/short deck combination, as well as the sharp upper and lower quarter panels of the current model to carry on to the next. The major component of the redesign will come in a revised platform that will drop the car’s overall weight and length. The new, lighter and smaller Mustang will then be prepared to take on the 2015 Chevrolet Camaro that is also said to have dropped a few pounds.

The interior of the Ford Mustang hasn’t had many changes since its restyling in the third generation. Other than the seats getting made out of soybeans for the 2008 model, the Mustang’s interior has stayed the same. Will 2015 be the year of the interior? It’s highly doubtful, but we do expect more of Ford’s bountiful technologies to find their way into the new generation muscle car.

Engine

As of right now, the engine lineup for the 2015 Mustang will not differ much from the current V-6 and V-8 configurations. Expect to see the 3.6L V-6 producing 305 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque and the 5.0L V-8 delivering 412 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque, except that the V-8 may get direct injection.

Rumors have also been circulating about a new 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine with upwards of 350 horsepower.

Handling and Stability

For the first time in 10 years since Ford’s then-VP, Phil Marten, decided to switch to a live axle to cut down on costs, the Ford Mustang will be getting an independent rear suspension. This new suspension will be a one-off of sorts from Ford’s Control Blade suspension and will be similar to that of the Ford Falcon from Australia, marking the area in which Australia’s studios will come into play.

This switch to IRS may be cause for alarm for the drag racers of the world that rather enjoy the live axle, but a limited-edition live axle model may come into play to put out that fire. We can see it now, 2015 Ford Mustang Drag Race Edition.

Handling may also be improved for the new generation Mustang with computer-controlled torque vectoring. This system be able to apply and hold torque where it is needed for more aggressive and controlled handling.

Pricing

The 2015 Ford Mustang is still a long ways away, with the debut scheduled for April 2014 at the New York Auto Show, exactly 50 years to the month of the original Mustang’s debut. Putting a price on a vehicle that won’t hit the market for another four years seems a bit premature.

Competition

As previously mentioned, when the 2015 Ford Mustang hits the scene, it will tackle its longtime rival, the Chevrolet Camaro. The Mustang/Camaro war has been a fiery one and, with both models shedding some weight for their new generations, we don’t expect that fire to be doused anytime soon.

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