Ford to Launch something new - "corvette killer"

[saleen367]

I can’t imagine Ford dropping a AWD hybrid/predator on us… I just don’t think they have it.

Excited to see still, I’d like to see some more displacement though.. why can’t we up the 5.0 to a 6.1 or something… and the 5.2 to a 6.3

Throw us some cubes… and cut frickn weight

Cubes would require the Godzilla platform, which could very well be the case if Ford developed an intake similar to the LS. Hood clearance is currently an issue. Steve Morris Engines is co-developing a new racing head, as well as engine packages for the Godzilla this coming year. Why now? Kyle (his son) was quoted as saying he believes they will see way more performance parts for the platform in 2026. If you read between the lines, are they telling us whats coming? Maybe
They are inexpensive, easy to work on and have endless config possibilities, much like the LS.

A larger coyote based engine would not fit into the Mustang platform in current form, so that essentially kills that idea. I also think that making the coyote architecture larger is counter productive to what makes the coyote great to begin with. Small bore/short stroke = RPM which the coyote loves. Add boost and its super efficient. Making it larger adds weight and slows down acceleration naturally aspirated. But the idea of a reworked engine bay, DOHC 7.0L would be a monster.

I doubt the whole mustang chassis will change, so that weight we hate will be already baked into the cake.

Either way, I believe we are getting something new and exciting.

A lot of these companies operating in niche markets need to stop focusing on making 1:1 competitors for cars in the exact same niche market, and instead make something that stands alone and on it's own.

Ford shouldn't make a _______ competitor, they should make a car that other companies look at and say, why aren't we making a Ford ______ competitor.

Farley might make your wishes come true;
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2025-08-20/ford-mulls-300-000-off-road-supercar-video

Sponsored

 

[robvas]

Anybody remember the Pantera from the 70s?
Powered by a Ford 351 4bbl Cleveland, and sold Lincoln dealers. I always thought that was Ford's stab at competing with the Corvette. It only lasted a couple of years. I got a little chubby and drooled every time I saw one.
Just thought I'd throw that out here.

They made them for a lot longer than that - they just only sold them through Ford for a couple years

 

[Jasonb543]

They already make a 5.4/5.5 coyote for all the GT3 cars, they can definitely do more with coyote

 

[robvas]

They already make a 5.4/5.5 coyote for all the GT3 cars, they can definitely do more with coyote

 

[Schwerin]

The escape is not gone, they just started calling it the Bronco Sport, around here I easily see 3 Bronco Sports for every Escape I see

Yeah, because dealers were told to push the Bronco and it's the new "cool" thing while the Escapes barely changed in 5years. Just like how Ford complained that the Focus and Fusion sales were starting to sag but they also were like 8yr old designs... of course they were sagging vs recently refreshed competition.

By that logic the Escape isn't gone because it's also the Maverick.... or the Focus is not gone as the Escape, Bronco Sport and Mavrick are all on its platform and until recently used the Focus ST 2.0T, and a lot of the AWD systems are based on the Focus RS. So why not just call them the Focus SUV, Focus "rugged' SUV and the Focus Pickup?

 

[kellyreno]

anyone got any insight on this? I'm hearing Ford will be releasing a car of a higher tier than the Mustang, but I can't confirm the gossip as of yet.

 

[Stage_3]

Does the C8 5.5L have CNC ported heads, custom N/A camshafts and raised compression as well?

If not, then I think the comparison cannot really be a comparison. It would have to be stock vs. stock. Just my opinion.

 

[saleen367]

Ford is Bringing Back a Mustang Icon at the Detroit Auto Show, But Which One?
Two new Ford Racing models are reportedly coming to Detroit, and one might be a legendary Mustang.
Jan 6, 2026 10:07 AM EST
By Sebastian Cenizo
Senior Editor, Autoblog

Key Points

• Two new Ford Racing models will reportedly debut at the Detroit Auto Show next week.
• Both Mustang Cobra and Mustang Boss names have been rumored.
• A new Cobra would be an ideal successor to the S550 GT500.

The S650 Mustang family is reportedly set to grow imminently, but how exactly is currently unclear. According to an unconfirmed report from The Supercar Blog, citing insider sources, Ford will use the Detroit Auto Show to reveal not one but two new Ford Racing models, and one of them “might be a Mustang Cobra or Boss.” The annual event begins next week, running from January 14-25, and it seems like the perfect place to showcase a new high-performance vehicle since the Blue Oval has already confirmed that its annual Ford Racing Season Launch will take place at the show, as will the reveal of both Red Bull teams’ Formula 1 liveries.

Ford’s Rebrand Muddies the Waters

Ford Performance recently rebranded as Ford Racing, encompassing both motorsports (see Mustang GT3) and roadgoing performance vehicles, so it’s difficult to tell if reports of a new Cobra might actually hint at a Cobra Jet racecar. Regardless, Ford CEO Jim Farley has said that the company is “investing a lot in Mustang,” indicating that more variants are in the works, and we’ve seen evidence of this with spy shots of what was may have been a new GT500. Might this development mule have been a Cobra or Boss instead? Time will tell, but we know that a new production road car will definitely be unveiled by Ford Racing this month. Teased in November, the announcement might foreshadow a successor to the Ford GT supercar, but with this new report from TSB, perhaps it hints at a new Mustang instead.

Why the Cobra Name Seems Primed for a Comeback

From 1993 to 2004, the SN95 Ford SVT Mustang Cobra ruled the roost as the top-tier pony car in Ford’s range, sitting above both the Mustang GT and the Mach 1 with its supercharged V8 until the S197 Mustang GT500 arrived for the 2007 model year. For the current S650 generation, the Mach 1 has effectively been replaced by the Dark Horse, so perhaps the GT500 name will now be dropped, making way for the Cobra’s return. As for the Boss nameplate, it was most recently seen on the 2012 Boss 302, where the GT’s 5.0-liter Coyote engine was upgraded with a forged crankshaft, ported cylinder heads, new camshafts, and a modified intake derived from the 302R racecar. In a nutshell, both Cobra and Boss were high-performance variants of the Mustang, with the supercharged Cobra most similar to a GT500 and the naturally aspirated Boss sharing principles with today’s Dark Horse. Therefore, we may be about to get a new Cobra/GT500 with a supercharger. Fingers crossed.

https://www.autoblog.com/news/rumor-ford-revealing-mustang-cobra-or-boss-detroit-auto-show

 

[saleen367]

Mustang Dark Horse Boss: What Engine Will Power The Upcoming Pony?

By Alex Luft

January 6, 2026 8:53 am

Ford is planning on bringing to market not one, but two Shelby-adjacent high-performance Mustangs. Details surrounding both models have been few and far between, and Ford - unsurprisingly - has been completely mum on the matter. Today, we'd like to explore what will power the less powerful of these two upcoming ponies.

Named Dark Horse Boss?
For the sake of sanity, let's figure out a way to refer to this Mustang, since Ford has yet to announce any details. That includes a name.

But first, this: when we say two high-performance Mustangs, we mean one that will roughly take the place of the S550-generation Shelby GT500, and a second that will be positioned as a replacement to the Shelby GT350. The more powerful, GT500-level car will likely be called Cobra, while the one GT350-level vehicle will probably be called Dark Horse Boss, a name Ford filed to trademark Dark Horse Boss a year ago, giving more credence to Ford Authority's exclusive report that The Blue Oval isn't planning on using the Shelby name on the high-performing Mustangs going forward.

Upcoming Mustang Dark Horse Boss (Shelby GT350 replacement)

Upcoming Mustang Cobra (Shelby GT500 replacement)


In summary, we believe Mustang Dark Horse Boss will build on the current S650 range topper, the Dark Horse, while also applying learnings from the higher-performing Cobra, thereby bridging the gap between the two models. Now to the fun part.
The Engine
To be a proper Boss over the Dark Horse, the Dark Horse Boss will need to get a horsepower boost. But how much extra power are we talking about, and how will it be achieved? All that remains a mystery, but we can certainly do some deductively rational speculation.

First up is the fact that Cobra and Dark Horse Boss prototypes began testing at around the same time, so it's likely safe to assume that both models have mechanical similarities. If the Mustang Cobra stays true to the GT500's heritage - as in, carrying a supercharged V8 - then it's safe to conclude that the Dark Horse Boss will feature a naturally-aspirated version of that same engine.

This brings up memories of Ford's 5.2L Voodoo, a rev-happy, wonderfully-sounding, flat-plane-crank V8 used in the S550-gen Mustang Shelby GT350 (and nothing else). Could the Dark Horse Boss simply use the Voodoo, while the Cobra is powered by a supercharged variant? That might sound feasible, but there's an issue with this logic, and that's the fact that the Voodoo - as great as it sounded - was not a very reliable engine, plagued with various balancing issues, especially during high rev and wide-open-throttle use cases. It's primarily for this reason that Ford never offered Voodoo as a crate engine, as Ford Authority exclusively reported in 2022. It's certainly possible that The Blue Oval has worked on addressing these issues for the Dark Horse Boss. But maybe Ford doesn't really need to do that at all.

Another possibility is that Ford simply scrapped the idea of a flat-plane crank altogether, simply opting to increase the displacement. A 5.4L V8 derived from the Coyote - much like the motor used in the Mustang GT3 - might do the trick. And while that 5.4L is a special engine not even manufactured by Ford, we could see this playing out as a possibility.

​

In fact, a spy video of a Mustang Dark Horse Boss prototype we showed you back in Augustpresented a unique engine and exhaust note that sounded more like a beefed up Coyote, rather than a flat-plane spinner motor. That same prototype also features additional cooling hardware, notably absent from the Mustang GT and Dark Horse on sale today, at the corners of the front fascia.

Notice the additional powertrain cooling hardware on the bottom front fascia (driver's side)

If a larger version of the Coyote does make its way under the hood of the Dark Horse Boss, how much power will it make? With the "regular" Dark Horse with its dual throttle bodies rated at 500 horses and 418 pound-feet of torque, a horsepower number in the high 500s and a bump in torque to the high 400s certainly sounds nice.

Of course, all this is speculation until Ford reveals (or at least confirms) the Mustang Dark Horse Boss. But something tells us that one of the two options described here is going to be the winning ticket whenever the details on this vehicle finally drop.

https://fordauthority.com/2026/01/mustang-dark-horse-boss-what-engine-will-power-the-upcoming-pony/

 

[broncoboy22]

Posted over on M7G. Seems legit to me, but with AI these days you never know. We’ll find out in a few days or less

 

[13GetThere]

Saw this, this morning.
https://fordauthority.com/2026/01/2...th-new-wheels-and-colors/?utm_source=fordauth

 

[broncoboy22]

Cleaned up version

 

[BrakeFade]

I love it

 

[falcongtho3]

Should be a Ford, not an SA reveal in two days.

 

[saleen367]

Sponsored