While GM transitions to EVs, Ford is keeping one gas-powered muscle car alive. The 2024 Mustang GT may be the last of its kind.
Fans of the American muscle car are happy to know that Ford Motor Company has a holdout out in the transition to electric motors. Since the future of American muscle cars looks bleak, the 2024 Mustang may be the last gas-powered one on the market.
Although Ford’s electric vehicles are having a greener impact on the world, the automaker understands its customers. It knows that there’s still room for gas in the Mustang Family. Ford appeals to both sides of the Mustang world with the electric Mustang Mach-E and the Mustang GT Fastback and Dark Horse, both 5.0L V8s with 480 to 500 HP.
Who’s Ditching Electric Muscle Cars?
All major car manufacturers are transitioning to electric. Dodge and Chevrolet are discontinuing their gas-powered iconic muscle cars in 2023, the Challenger and the Camaro. General Motors plans to offer only EVs within the next 12 years. Ford is transitioning as well. It hasn’t announced the end of its internal combustion Mustang engine, but the change is inevitable.
That is why the 2024 Ford Mustang range is such a gem. It’s the last of its kind. Possibly Ford’s grand finale in a strong legacy of gasoline-generated power.
The legacy of the Mustang started when it was exhibited at the 1964 World’s Fair. The first-gen Mustang is a highly collectible muscle car, and the last gas-powered Mustang is sure to be just as popular. Ford has not announced an end to gas-power, and it currently boasts that it is still expanding its fuel-powered muscle.
Some car buffs like Gas Monkey’s Richard Rawlings are hesitant to jump on the EV excitement bandwagon. He has questions about how green the production of EV batteries is. Believing that EV is the future, he’s happy that he won’t have to sacrifice performance. However, the push to get EVs into production immediately could harm the environment. Slowing down EV production could allow time for better technologies with less environmental impact.
Why Did Ford Keep One Last Gas Guzzling Mustang?
Ford kept its gas-powered muscle for old school Mustang fans who want to hear the authentic roar of an engine. They aren’t against technology. In fact, you can make the engine rev from the key fob. The 2024 Mustang models have a new electronic drift brake, which is a hand brake that converts to a drift brake when in drift mode.
The vehicle also has a dual screen display for instruments and infotainment. Ford is not backward when it comes to performance either. The new chassis on the 7th gen Mustang is lighter and stronger. The vehicle performs better than the 6th generation because of consistently improved design.
What do old school Mustang fans want? They want the smell and power of burnt fuel and rubber. They want to hold on to the knowledge of combustion engines and the artistry involved in honing performance. It isn’t that electric vehicles don’t have similar engineering goals or knowledge requirements. It’s simply that the engineering is so different, and so quiet. It’s not the same for people who grew up as grease monkeys.
A mixture of nostalgia and innovation is all that traditional Mustang lovers can tolerate. The gas-powered 2024 Mustang model reflects the new and the old in its design elements.
“We’re adding a modern edginess to heritage-inspired design,” said Chris Walter from Ford Motors according to a 2022 CNBC article.
And that’s what gas power is these days. It’s modern but based on historical successes that car lovers came to know in earlier Ford Mustang models. People who love their Mustangs love authenticity. Artificial exhaust sounds don’t satisfy the ears of muscle car lovers despite their on-point mimicry of real engine noise. They want the real deal, not an imposter.
Ford’s Electric Mustangs Are High-Performance Vehicles
When Ford does eventually transition to all electric muscle cars, the old school gas lovers may be surprised. Richard Rawlings is okay with the transition to EVs, as he sees the transition is not a trade-off for speed. It will eventually be the better performer.
The Mach-E GT can go 0-60 in 3.8 seconds and has 428 lb-ft of torque. It also has a range of 270 miles, and the Unbridled Extend Drive Experience can broaden that range. Its retail price starts at $63,995.
The EV Mustang has AWD with two motors, one on each axle. This provides an additional performance boost and improves traction.
Still, people say the Mach-E isn’t a real Mustang. An electric-powered muscle car just isn’t a muscle car. If put to a race, the gas-powered GT would probably win. But it would be a close race.
Drivers looking for the long-lived power of the muscle car aren’t often ready to make the change to electric no matter how powerful they become. This is one more reason to be thankful for Ford’s delay in the complete transition to EV Mustangs.
