Bojan Vrbnjak
What do the Gauls around Asterix have in common with the Americans from Ford? Both are successfully resisting the oppressive mainstream. While Asterix and his village friends have successfully resisted the superiority of the Romans, Ford continues to buck the current trend and stick to his best car - the Mustang. Of course with a V8 engine. Hallelujah!
Not much remains of the former glory of Mustang or Muscle cars. Chevy Camaro? It's gone. Dodge Challenger? Also history. Not to mention former legends like the Pontiac Firebird or the GTO. At least the Camaro and Challenger celebrated their departure with brutal special models like the 'Collectors Edition' or the 'Black Ghost'. Ford is celebrating something completely different, its commitment to the V8 muscle car!
Laurie Transou, global chief engineer for Ford's Mustang, says Ford plans to keep producing and selling the V8 engine for as long as possible. This decision is based on the belief that there is still a strong demand for powerful internal combustion engines. Ford Mustangs, especially models like the Mustang Dark Horse with a 5,0-liter V8 engine and the Mustang GTD with a 5,2-liter V8 engine, are very popular. These vehicles not only offer impressive performance figures, but also a driving experience that is appreciated by many enthusiasts. The fascination, distinctive sound and power of the V8 engine are aspects that electric vehicles cannot yet satisfactorily imitate, although of course the question arises as to whether this makes sense.
Another reason for Ford's decision to go with the V8 engine is uncertainty about future regulations. Although there are many announcements and targets regarding the banning of internal combustion engines, many of these dates have not yet been set or have already been postponed. Also, many car manufacturers and countries have set themselves zero-emission targets. These uncertainties give Ford the opportunity to continue to rely on proven technologies as long as there is demand and there are no strict regulatory requirements.
Ford also emphasizes that the decision to continue production of V8 engines is in line with the wishes of customers. As long as there's a demand for vehicles with V8 engines and manual transmissions, Ford won't let go of heartbreakers like the Mustang Dark Horse. This is also reflected in the decision to continue to offer manual transmissions, as these are popular with many drivers. Customers of many other brands can only dream about it. By the way, Ford is not the only manufacturer that has stuck with traditional engines. Other luxury and sports car manufacturers such as Pagani and Bugatti also continue to rely on powerful internal combustion engines. These companies claim that the demand for such vehicles remains and that they want to offer their customers what they want.
From a petrol enthusiast's point of view, Ford's philosophy can only be commended. In addition, it is not a bad marketing strategy to stand out as a fighter for the internal combustion engine. However, how to square that with electric-powered products like the Mustang Mach-E or Capri is another question.
