2015 Mustang Won’t Be Retro, Says Ford’s Head of Design

The next-gen Ford Mustang arrives on the 50^th anniversary of the iconic pony car, and the pressure is on for Ford designers to produce a product that will please fans of the marque both inside and out. Ford’s design boss J Mays was on hand at the Frankfurt Motor Show to provide an update on how the model-year 2015 Mustang is coming along.

In an interview with Automotive News, Mays stated that the styling is “being locked down.” He also stated that the next Mustang will skip the retro look employed on the current generation.

“The challenge or the opportunity for 2014 with a 50th anniversary car is to not just look back over your shoulder, but to try to win all of the Mustang faithful yet bring the brand forward as well,” he says.

Like many of the recent products to come from the automaker, the next Mustang will be a display of the “One Ford” program. That means for the first time ever, the Mustang will be sold in overseas markets such as England, Japan, and Australia. Additionally, Ford’s design studios in Europe and Australia are contributing to the design.

“It has to look like a Mustang,” Mays said. “But you go down a list of things that might or might not be necessary to make the car look like a Mustang.”

Mays didn’t provide any clues on mechanical bits, though it’s widely assumed that the 3.7-liter V-6 and 5.0-liter V-8 engines should carry over since they are fairly new designs. One thing that won’t be making its way back, however, is the live rear axle, which should get the axe to make room for an independent rear suspension setup.

 

Source: Motor Trend