If you freaked out a bit when Ford took the Mustang name electric with the Mach-E a few years back, don't fret: the company is still totally committed to a traditional two-door with V8 petrol power.
The seventh-generation Mustang has just gone on sale in New Zealand, and for Kiwis it's actually V8-only. The GT fastback and convertible ($92,990 and $99,990 respectively) boast an upgraded 362kW/567Nm version of the 5.0-litre V8 Coyote engine, while the new track-themed Dark Horse ($116,990, but already sold out) gets a further enhanced powerplant with 373kW/567Nm.
"We like to say that we're doubling down on the V8," says Mustang chief engineer Laurie Transou, who spoke to NZ and Australian media at a launch event for the car last week.
But the continued commitment to the petrol V8 is not despite the Mach E; it's partly thanks to the pure-electric Mustang 5-door, explains Transou.
"We're lucky at Ford that we've been very strategic about how we've planned our entire fleet, so that we have the flexibility to continue to offer the V8. It's an element that's very critical to the Mustang; customers love the V8, so as long as we can continue to balance the fleet [with low-emissions cars] we will continue to offer it."
The seventh-gen Mustang has no electrification at all, something that many traditional muscle-car fans surely revel in. But Transou says that's not essential to the V8's role.
"Electrification is very important when you think about CO2 and overall fleet balancing. Right now [the Mustang V8] is not electrified, but who knows what we’ll end up doing in the future?
"I think that the V8, whether it’s electrified or not, would be a standout powertrain. It would deliver amazing performance. But I don’t think it’s important whether it's electrified or not."