New Ford Mustang destined for Europe loses 52 horsepower

Strict emissions regulations weaken pony cars.

Increasingly strict emissions regulations are forcing car manufacturers operating in Europe to reduce cylinders and add turbochargers. As a result, the new car market in 2024 will be dominated by models equipped with 3-pot and 4-pot engines featuring forced induction. But the Ford Mustang defies expectations. Under the hood of this pony car is still the big old V8 engine, the familiar Coyote 5.0-liter naturally aspirated mill.

Now comes the bad news. British carmaker Ford has launched its seventh generation performance car with a significantly detuned V8. A standard Mustang GT produces his 440 horsepower, so he had to sacrifice 40 horses in order for the Blue Oval to comply with stricter laws. To make matters worse, torque was also reduced, with the engine only delivering 540 Newton meters (397 pound-feet). That’s 28 Nm (21 lb-ft) less than the older North American version.

2024 Ford Mustang (Europe)

Looking at the glass half-full, there’s still more power than what the previous Mustang originally had when it went on sale in the UK in 2015. Side note – The S550’s right-hand drive layout required a redesigned exhaust manifold to clear the steering gears, which negatively impacted peak horsepower. His UK-spec S650 is slightly more powerful than his earlier S550 versions, but later versions (from 2018 onwards) pack even more punch.

Numbers aside, those of us in the Old Continent should be grateful that Ford was able to release a V8 car during the downsizing era. It still packs plenty of muscle, but if you disagree, there are also more expensive dark horses.

The European flagship Mustang makes 448 hp and 540 Nm (397 lb-ft), which means it’s handicapped by 52 hp and 28 Nm (21 lb-ft). It can also be equipped with a six-speed manual gearbox, in which case the sprint to 62 mph (100 km/h) takes him 5.2 seconds on the way to 163 mph (263 km/h). Choosing the 10-speed automatic transmission gets the job done much faster in 4.4 seconds, but top speed is lower at 155 mph (250 km/h).

The new Mustang was introduced in Europe in September 2022, but the rear-wheel drive sports car will only go on sale now. In the UK, GT prices start from £55,585 and go up to £65,585 for the Dark Horse. At current exchange rates, that would be approximately $70,900 and $83,700, respectively. As expected, it’s much more expensive than its American counterpart, available from $42,710 for the GT model and $59,485 for the Dark Horse model. The main difference is due to the 20 percent value added tax (VAT).

At the top of the range, the Mustang GTD is scheduled to go on sale in the U.S. later this year or in early 2025. You’ll have to pay an exorbitant starting price of about $300,000, and you’ll need Ford’s approval to buy it. One. The company’s European arm hasn’t said whether it intends to sell a hardcore version with a supercharged 5.2-liter V8 producing more than 800 horsepower.