The V8-Powered Mustang Is Here To Stay! "If We're the Only One on the Planet, So Be It!"

Once again, Ford's CEO Jim Farley confirms that the V8 Mustang is not going anywhere. "If we're the only one on the planet making a V8 affordable sports car for everyone in the world, so be it!" Farley says.

The Mustang enthusiasts have been under pressure for quite a while now, seeing rivals walk off the stage through the back door. The Chevrolet Camaro has its days counted as it goes on a break of undefined duration after the 2024 model year. The Chevrolet executives have been trying to convince everyone that they will hear about the Camaro again.

Gone is the V8 in the Dodge Challenger lineup as well. The last to roll off the production line was a 2023 Challenger SRT Demon 170 in Pitch Black with contrasting yellow wheels. The last Charge also saw the light of day at the Stellantis' Brampton Assembly Plant in Ontario, Canada, on December 22, 2023.

Dodge has announced no plans for the Challenger but is already working on an electric Charger that has been spotted testing out on public roads with no camo. The model should arrive in 2024 with a design similar to what the Charger Daytona SRT concept car sported.

Dodge initially only referred to an electric Charger, but reviewed the decision later on. To keep fans coming, the carmaker will also roll out a Charger powered by the V6 Hurricane that made its debut in the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer.

With all the downsizing and electrification in the muscle car segment, Ford could have very well chosen the same path for the Mustang, which remains a best seller in the segment.

The Blue Oval made the right move on time. They came up with the Mustang Mach-E. The crossover is going to keep the V8 alive and kicking in the lineup of its coupe/convertible sibling, as it helps offset the emissions of the models with internal combustion engines.

Furthermore, Ford is involved in motor racing. The Performance division has just announced the participation of the Mustang GT3 and GT4 in the 24 Hours of Daytona endurance race. There are Mustangs racing in NASCAR and there is the NHRA drag racer, which need the V8 engine in order to keep their position in the classes in which they race. “What other car in the world races on six continents on any given weekend? And that's because we have a V8 engine,” Farley explains.

In 2023, the Ford Mustang outsold the Challenger and Camaro once again. 48,605 customers purchased a Ford-branded muscle car last year, which represents a 2.2 percent increase over 2022.