CEO Jim Farley has poured water over that fire but hints at something special.
Ford CEO Jim Farley has confirmed to Motor Trend there are no plans in place to launch an all-wheel drive, Raptorized version of the Mustang following rumors of such a vehicle last month. We can't say we're entirely surprised by Farley's decision but this does not mean he's completely against an off-road high-performance machine.
In fact, he has something even more extreme in mind: “a purpose-built, supercar,” and not a current model converted to go offroad like the Porsche 911 Dakar and Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato. When asked if he was interested in something similar to these offroad supercars, his answer was emphatic.
“No! What I'm saying is, I'm always looking for what's next…”
Ford's sole supercar, the GT, will end series production at the end of the current model year. There's no chance its life will be extended, especially for something as niche as a Dakar version.
Ford will need a new halo model to replace the GT in the next few years or so, and going by Farley's statements, it's definitely possible he's looking at something for grueling off-roading, high-performance adventures rather than the track. We're all for this because this type of vehicle has the potential to save the supercar.
It would be fair to assume that this new supercar would be fully electrified, a technology ideal for going off-road due to the instant torque at the wheels.
Whatever Farley has in mind would be an entirely brand-new design, a vehicle packed with new technologies that could be transferable to other future and more mainstream electric vehicles.
Just imagine what Ford engineers and designers could learn from a fully electrified Dakar-style supercar that could be applied to, for example, the next-generation Bronco Raptor. As for the Mustang, chances are it won't become a pure battery EV for several more years, and, again, there are lessons Ford could learn from an EV Dakar supercar program.
Farley himself is an experienced race car driver and his enthusiasm for cool new models directly led to the current designs of the Mustang Mach-E and Bronco Sport. Under Farley, the Blue Oval has everything it needs to create something entirely different from anything it's ever done before.
Keyword: Ford Says Mustang Raptor NOT Happening But A New Supercar Could Be