Photo: Ford
Let's get one thing straight from the very beginning, that being the slowing demand for sporty cars. The Mustang-Camaro-Challenger trio can be considered the perfect microcosm, with all three selling much worse than – say – a decade ago. What happened and what can be done to improve their popularity back home in the US of A?
For starters, the proliferation of crossover models happened. Rising demand for electric vehicles didn't help either, and the impracticality of a sports car keeps many customers away from the aforementioned trio.
The bitter truth is that nothing can be done to improve sales in this particular segment. Ford appears to understand how bad things are, for it lowered the sticker price of the Mustang Mach-E and increased the MSRP of the Mustang. Weirder still, the Model E division lost a whopping $60k on every all-electric vehicle sold in the first quarter of this year.
Given these circumstances, Ford shamelessly hiked up the starting prices of the V8-engined GT and Dark Horse. It's not the first, and it's not going to be the last increase either. Back in February 2023, the Ford Motor Company wanted $43,090 (including the $1,595 destination charge) for the GT Fastback. Three months later, the build & price tool says that it retails from $44,090.
The $1,000 increase applies to the GT Premium as well. For the Dark Horse, customers need to shell out more than 60 large ones. The company's online configurator lists it with a starting price of $60,865 as opposed to $59,565 back in February 2023. The most expensive configuration is the Dark Horse Premium at $63,460 or $1,400 more than originally announced by FoMoCo.
Alas, the bad news doesn't end here. Certain options are drearier as well, with the Dark Horse Appearance Package now going for $1,500 as opposed to $1,250 before. Dearborn's favorite son has also tacked on a $495 increase on the Dark Horse Handling Package ($4,995 versus $4,500). And finally, the carbon-fiber wheels have gone up $500 ($8,995 versus $8,495).
Previously believed to enter production at the Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan on May 1, the seventh-generation Mustang has been pushed back. The latest distribution news bulletin states to be determined.
According to Blue Oval Forums member and moderator ice-capades, Job #1 is currently expected between June 5 and June 26. Neither date is set in stone, though.
With the Challenger going the way of the dodo after the 2023 model year and the Camaro following suit after a very short 2024 model year, the Mustang will soldier on alone in this once hotly-contested segment. Further down the line, the GT350 may be replaced by a GT3 racecar-inspired thriller. The GT500 is coming in 2025 for 2026 in two body styles, and there's also talk of a Mustang Raptor with all-terrain capability. Think of the rumored off-road variant as Ford's take on the Porsche 911 Dakar and Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato.
The bitter truth is that nothing can be done to improve sales in this particular segment. Ford appears to understand how bad things are, for it lowered the sticker price of the Mustang Mach-E and increased the MSRP of the Mustang. Weirder still, the Model E division lost a whopping $60k on every all-electric vehicle sold in the first quarter of this year.
Given these circumstances, Ford shamelessly hiked up the starting prices of the V8-engined GT and Dark Horse. It's not the first, and it's not going to be the last increase either. Back in February 2023, the Ford Motor Company wanted $43,090 (including the $1,595 destination charge) for the GT Fastback. Three months later, the build & price tool says that it retails from $44,090.
The $1,000 increase applies to the GT Premium as well. For the Dark Horse, customers need to shell out more than 60 large ones. The company's online configurator lists it with a starting price of $60,865 as opposed to $59,565 back in February 2023. The most expensive configuration is the Dark Horse Premium at $63,460 or $1,400 more than originally announced by FoMoCo.
Alas, the bad news doesn't end here. Certain options are drearier as well, with the Dark Horse Appearance Package now going for $1,500 as opposed to $1,250 before. Dearborn's favorite son has also tacked on a $495 increase on the Dark Horse Handling Package ($4,995 versus $4,500). And finally, the carbon-fiber wheels have gone up $500 ($8,995 versus $8,495).
Previously believed to enter production at the Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan on May 1, the seventh-generation Mustang has been pushed back. The latest distribution news bulletin states to be determined.
According to Blue Oval Forums member and moderator ice-capades, Job #1 is currently expected between June 5 and June 26. Neither date is set in stone, though.
With the Challenger going the way of the dodo after the 2023 model year and the Camaro following suit after a very short 2024 model year, the Mustang will soldier on alone in this once hotly-contested segment. Further down the line, the GT350 may be replaced by a GT3 racecar-inspired thriller. The GT500 is coming in 2025 for 2026 in two body styles, and there's also talk of a Mustang Raptor with all-terrain capability. Think of the rumored off-road variant as Ford's take on the Porsche 911 Dakar and Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato.
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