Ford Vows The V8 Mustang Will Never Die (Until It Does)

“If we’re the only one on the planet making a V8 affordable sports car for everyone in the world, so be it." Per Motor1, Ford CEO Jim Farley said these words to journalists at a media event last week. Farley said that thanks to EVs like the Mustang Mach-E and the F-150 Lighting, Ford is able to offset the emissions of its V8-powered vehicles so that it can keep making them in perpetuity. Or at least, so long as Ford’s EVs continue to offset the V8’s emissions and satisfy legislative requirements.

Farley was speaking at an event in Charlotte, North Carolina marking the launch of Ford’s 2024 race season. There, the CEO directly tied the Mustang’s Coyote V8 not only to Ford Performance’s racing successes but also to the Mustang’s ubiquitous presence on the street and the track: "What other car in the world races on six continents on any given weekend? And that’s because we have a V8 engine.”

Ford’s current Mustang is just about everywhere in the racing world. This year, it (and the V8) will be competing in the Australian Supercar Series, NHRA drag racing, multiple endurance racing classes, and NASCAR. Of course, on the street, the Mustang is the last Pony Car standing. Dodge has officially ended production of its V8-powered coupes, and the Chevy Camaro has not only languished in sales for years but is now also dead and gone.

Farley put it best: "Mustang is going to celebrate its 60th anniversary coming up here. A lot of our competitors have left. They’ve come and gone. We never did that. We’ve always been there with Mustang. 60 years, and it’s changed over time. We have EcoBoost, we have the Dark Horse now, and we’re going to continue to invest.”

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