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Ford Mustang "Turbo Hatch" Looks Like a Compact Pony

"A Mustang's front end fitted on a Focus, this is pure madness!" I hear you saying. Well, of course it is, that's what face swap renderings like this one are for. Yet, could there be more hiding under the surface?
S550 Ford Mustang hatchback rendering 25 photos
Photo: carfrontswaps/instagram
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For starters, we're looking at a pre-revamp Mustang front end, while the rest of the car is the RS range-topper of the now-retired third generation of the Focus - pixel tip to digital label Car Front Swaps for this exercise.

And, given the global appeal of the current Mustang, which mixes American and European styling trends, it’s no wonder the two parts of the image seem to go together rather well.

Interestingly, the AWD hot hatch and the pony/muscle car do share an engine, namely the 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbo-four, albeit with each machine getting its own spec.

A compact Mustang? This sounds familiar

The idea of a compact 'Stang might be just a visual stunt here, but, as the pony car lovers among you know, this concept has defined the second generation of the model, which entered production back in 1973 - catering to the needs of a market affected by the oil crisis, as well as by climbing insurance rates and stricter emissions and safety regulations, the label was reinvented based on the subcompact platform of the Pinto.

It's easy to look at the much smaller Mustang II, which didn't even come with a V8 in its first model year, and misunderstand it. However, the truth of the era was different, since the Ford sold over a million units in a five-year run, remaining among the top-selling Mustangs to this day.

The future

The Blue Oval is currently working to develop the next-generation Mustang, which should land in 2022, coming as a 2023 model. And while the spicy RS compact was expected to land this year, we might have to wait until 2022 or 2023 to see it.

Both models face somewhat similar challenges to those the Mustang II had to deal with, especially since the Mustang is now a global offering and emission standards are only getting stricter. In fact, this aspect is why Ford had to push back the release of the new Focus RS, as engineers are working on various ways to drop those CO2 levels using hybrid technology while retaining the playful character of the replaced model, which, among others, comes with a Drift Mode.

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About the author: Andrei Tutu
Andrei Tutu profile photo

In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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