Those customers just skipped it, and went for the authenticity of the Coyote. The irony of all this is of course that Ford championed the EcoBoost engine in the S550 Mustang when it originally debuted because that was supposed to be the configuration that would be desirable in markets like the EU. Just how desirable is a Mustang with a V8 engine? Ford actually discontinued the sale of the baseline Mustang EcoBoost in the European Union last year and decided to exclusively sell the Mustang GT there, as well as the Mach 1, which also features the Coyote engine. Ford’s already had to reduce power in its Mustang GT and Mustang Mach 1 for this reason. Particularly, loud, powerful ones that so many people seem to enjoy. And yet this DOHC V8 will howl well into this decade with the S650 Mustang, facing an emboldened vigor from myriad policy makers on multiple continents that seek to do away with combustion engines. It’s since seen significant modifications since then, such as the addition of direct injection paired with its existing port injection fuel system (thus creating a “ dual injection” setup). Not exactly a “new” engine, the 5.0L V8 originally debuted in the S917 Mustang in 2010 for the 2011 model year.
The Coyote V8 in the Ford Mustang defies logic. But what about after? That’s a dilemma that the Mustang team has to solve. That will continue to be the case with the next-gen S650 Mustang that will go on sale sometime in 2023. It’s an icon, after all, and one of those reasons it’s remained iconic – and a muscle car for that matter – is the immutable fact that it maintains the option of all the drama, vigor and sounds with a V8 engine.
But Ford Motor Company insists on the carrying forward with the Mustang.
Dodge is discontinuing the beloved Hellcat engine family soon, and Chevrolet is sidelining the Camaro (again), and there really isn’t anything that’s set in stone to replace it. The muscle car as we know it is an endangered species.