Ford Mustang VI (S550)
The Ford Mustang (S550) is the sixth generation of the Ford Mustang, a pony car produced from 2014 until it was replaced by the seventh generation in 2023.
Introduced for the 2015 model year to replace the fifth generation, the Mustang offered multiple engine configurations, including a 3.7-liter V6 engine, a 2.3-liter inline-four EcoBoost engine, and a 5.0-liter GT V8 engine. The V6 was discontinued in 2017. The sixth generation marked the first Mustang to be marketed globally, introducing factory-produced right-hand-drive models alongside the traditional left-hand-drive versions.
Design
Since its 1964 debut, the Mustang has been classified as both a pony car and a muscle car. The sixth-generation Mustang is available in both fastback coupe and convertible body styles. Ford incorporated high-strength steel into the chassis and used aluminum for the front fenders and hood, making the new Mustang both stronger and lighter than its predecessor. The sixth-generation Mustang has a weight distribution of 52 percent at the front and 48 percent at the rear for the EcoBoost version and 53 percent at the front and 47 percent and the rear for the GT.
The Mustang has the capacity to hold four passengers and uses a rear-wheel drive layout with its engine placed at the front. The vehicle uses a unibody chassis, and is based upon the D2C platform. The EcoBoost Performance Pack and base GT feature fixed front four-piston calipers and single-piston rear calipers, while the GT Performance Pack includes six-piston Brembo front calipers with 15-inch rotors and a rear single-piston caliper with a larger 13-inch rotor.
Interior
Standard features for all sixth-generation Mustangs include proximity key entry with keyless entry, a push-button start system, an AM/FM stereo with a single-disc CD/MP3 player, and a color liquid-crystal display. Additional features include the Ford Sync system with Bluetooth hands-free phone capabilities, USB/iPod auxiliary audio input jacks, an electronic traction control system, an electronic stability control system, an anti-lock braking system, and a rear backup camera system. The Mustang is equipped with dual-stage driver and passenger seat-mounted side airbags, dual-stage front airbags for both the driver and passenger, curtain airbags for both the first and second rows, driver and passenger knee airbags, and an airbag occupancy sensor.
2018 facelift
Ford unveiled the facelifted sixth generation of the Mustang on January 17, 2017, at a private event in New York City. Ford equipped the 2018 Mustang with redesigned headlight clusters, updated LED taillights and made LED lighting is now standard across all models, including the available LED fog lights. Ford lowered the Mustang’s hood to enhance aerodynamics, which also resulted in thinner headlight clusters and a narrower grille.
A heated steering wheel was also made available, complementing the optional heated and ventilated front seats. The interior design remained familiar but features updates, including a revised instrument panel and added soft-touch surfaces on the center console. A twelve-inch digital dashboard was available, incorporating features like a quarter-mile timer and a lap timer. The pre-facelift’s center display flanked by two analog gauges was replaced by a digital twelve-inch display capable of showing more information and customizable options, including font color, displayed data, and gauge type.
The facelifted Mustang also includes an expanded suite of optional active safety features, including distance alert, lane departure warning, pedestrian detection, and the Pre-Collision Assist system, which combines forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking.
Special editions
Shelby GT350 (2015–2020)
At the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2014, Ford debuted the Shelby GT350 Mustang. A track day version of the Mustang, the GT350 Mustang, features a 5,163 cc (315.1 cu in) Voodoo flat-plane crank V8. The initial batch of GT350s were dedicated competition cars, but soon, street versions were introduced with additional comfort features. The engine produces 526 HP (392 kW) at 7,500 rpm and 582 N⋅m at 4,750 rpm. The Tremec TR-3160 manual transmission was adapted for sustained track use. Weight reductions were made to the unit, while the synchronizers use a specialized carbon-bronze construction. Suspension updates include aluminum knuckles and bearing assemblies, with rigid bushings for improved control and reinforced wheel bearings and anti-roll bars.
The Shelby GT350 Mustang is 20 percent stiffer than the Mustang GT. The injection-molded carbon fiber grille enhances front chassis stiffness and is 24 percent lighter than the standard Mustang grille. To reduce weight, the rear seats were removed, the windows were replaced with plexiglass, and the hood and front bumper were constructed from fiberglass. The engine features variable valve timing, known as Ti-VCT. Additional options include larger alloy wheels, a navigation system, rear backup sensors, a rear backup camera, blind spot monitoring, and premium leather Recaro seating surfaces. Manufacture of the GT350 ended in October 2020 in favor of the Shelby GT500.
Bullitt (2019–2020)
Conceived to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the 1968 film Bullitt, Ford debuted the Mustang Bullitt at the North American International Auto Show in January 2018 as a 2019 model year vehicle. The car has a modified version of the GT’s 5,038 cc (307.4 cu in) Coyote V8 engine. It generates 480 HP (360 kW) at 7,000 rpm and 570 N⋅m at 4,600 rpm.
The Mustang Bullitt was offered in Dark Highland Green (deep green) like the original 1968 model, as well as in Shadow Black. The car includes a six-speed manual transmission supplied by Getrag. The styling is inspired directly by the 1968 GT390 featured in Bullitt, featuring a chrome-trimmed, blacked-out grille without the Mustang emblem and 19-inch five-spoke wheels.
Shelby GT500 (2020–2022)
Ford unveiled the Shelby Mustang GT500, the successor to the GT350, at the North American International Auto Show in January 2019 for the 2020 model year. The car is powered by a 5,163 cc (315.1 cu in) Predator cross-plane crank V8 with a 2.65-liter Roots-type supercharger by Eaton. It generates 760 HP (570 kW) at 7,300 rpm and 847 N⋅m.
The GT500 was available with a carbon-fiber instrument panel trim and Recaro front seats. Its standard features included customizable 12.0-inch digital gauge cluster, dual-zone climate control, leather-trimmed heated and cooled front seats, and a six-way power driver’s seat. The standard aluminum dashboard trim can be upgraded to exposed carbon fiber, and rear seats can be deleted to reduce weight. Ford ended production of the GT500 in 2022.
Mach 1 (2021–2023)
Ford revealed the Mach 1 on June 16, 2020. The engine, a 5.0-liter Coyote V8 derived from the GT, generates 480 HP (360 kW) at 7,000 rpm and 570 N⋅m. For the 2022 model year, the car’s power output was decreased to 470 HP.
The model incorporates several components from the Shelby line: the intake manifold, oil-filter adapter, engine oil cooler, and front and rear subframes are shared with the Shelby GT350, while the rear axle cooling system, rear toe link, and rear diffuser derive from the Shelby GT500. The front grille features two large vent openings on either side of the mustang badge. It came standard with the Shelby GT350’s six-speed manual transmission, with an optional 10-speed automatic featuring paddle shifters.
Characteristics
Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Assembly: Flat Rock (United States)
Years of production: 2014—2023
Length: 4784 mm
Width: 1916 mm
Height: 1381 mm
Engine: 4–8 cylinders; 2264–5163 cc
Power: 305–760 HP
Max speed: 290 km/h
Fuel consumption: 12 l/100 km
Weight: 1653–1908 kg
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