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2024 Ford Mustang GT Might Work Even Better as a 'Hot Hatch' Shooting Brake

Everywhere you look around the automotive industry, when speaking of North America, it's virtually impossible to escape at least one reference to the age of muscle cars. And, of course, chief among the topics of discussion is – and forever will be – the iconic Ford Mustang.
2024 Ford Mustang GT Hatch rendering by sugardesign_1 11 photos
Photo: sugardesign_1 / Instagram
2024 Ford Mustang GT Hatch rendering by sugardesign_12024 Ford Mustang GT Hatch rendering by sugardesign_12024 Ford Mustang GT Hatch rendering by sugardesign_12024 Ford Mustang GT Hatch rendering by sugardesign_12024 Ford Mustang GT Hatch rendering by sugardesign_12024 Ford Mustang GT Hatch rendering by sugardesign_12024 Ford Mustang GT Hatch rendering by sugardesign_12024 Ford Mustang GT Hatch rendering by sugardesign_12024 Ford Mustang GT Hatch rendering by sugardesign_12024 Ford Mustang GT Hatch rendering by sugardesign_1
That is only logical, especially now. After all, we have known for a while that Stellantis has ordered its Dodge subsidiary to say goodbye to ICE-powered Challenger and Charger models after the conclusion of the 2023 model year production. Of course, it is not letting them retire without a last hurrah. Or, better said, seven of them, given the 'Last Call' special editions that include the 1,025-hp Demon 170 as a final ICE-motivated quarter-mile dragstrip slap in the face of fast EVs like Tesla's Model S Plaid.

As for General Motors, they are heavily invested in the EV future, too. There is no more space for another evolution of the legendary Camaro nameplate when all they can dream of is Ultium greatness. Yet, the sales come from different places like the Bolt EV and EUV. Alas, they already decided, and production of the ultra-slow selling sixth generation will be terminated in January 2024 after a singular 'Collector's Edition.' And that, of course, leaves us with the initiator of the pony wars, the Ford Mustang.

Freshly redesigned from the ground up for the 2024 model year, the Blue Oval pony and muscle car will keep the ICE-powered banner up alone with EcoBoost, Coyote V8, and Dark Horse promises of greatness. Until they materialize, though, we have a long way to go, it seems. As per the rumor mill, supply chain issues are already impacting the 2024 Mustang production schedule, and instead of May, the series manufacturing is allegedly happening from September at the earliest.

Well, that leaves more time for everyone to dream of their perfect S650 seventh-generation Ford Mustang build. In the real world, that usually means playing with the online configurator tool and selecting colors, interior materials, packages, and powertrains. But across the imaginative realm of digital car content creators, things are more elaborated as even the body styles can be morphed into something more appropriate for the author's vision. And there is no need to take our word for granted, as we have yet another proper example.

Sugar Chow, the virtual artist better known as sugardesign_1 on social media, has abandoned for a moment the abundance of China-related CGI designs and returned to his initial digital love of "Touring the world!" That is his way of saying that anything looks potentially better with a station wagon or Shooting Brake body style – and now we have confirmation this is also the case with the latest and (arguably) greatest Mustang. His vision is dubbed the Ford Mustang 'Hatch,' but since it's the 5.0-liter Coyote V8 GT model we are speaking of, at least we can treat it as a 'Hot Hatch.'

Even better, with its low-slung profile, the elongated hood, as well as the relatively large front and rear overhangs, this can also be easily interpreted not as a "cheap Ferrari for the middle class" as the author thinks, but instead as an affordable three-door station wagon 'Shooting Brake' for anyone who thinks this body style should not be confined to bespoke creations and the world of ultra-luxury rides. And, of course, the artist's fans are positively enamored with it, even though it may never see the natural light of day as the Detroit automakers move further away from passenger cars by the minute!


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About the author: Aurel Niculescu
Aurel Niculescu profile photo

Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution.
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