
A 4-Door Mustang?
Last Updated June 24, 2024 | Meghan DrummondFord’s decision to eliminate all sedans and small cars except for the Mustang has had some interesting consequences. It seems that the Mustang family may be growing to include a whole herd of variants including, perhaps, a four-door Mustang?
At the same time that Ford unveiled the 2020 Shelby GT500 at dealer meetings, rumors began to circulate about the very real possibility of a four-door Mustang.
Depending on where you are in your life, the idea of a Mustang sedan either makes you scream in rage or glee, but there are a lot of reasons why a four-door Mustang makes sense. Whether you love or hate the idea, these rumors have enough meat to lend credibility to them.
Mustangs, as well as most muscle and pony cars, have restricted themselves to two-doors for a long, time, but this isn’t the first time Ford has thought about expanding the Mustang line to be a little more friendly to people who need four doors.
In 1965, Ford considered a four-door Mustang built on the Falcon platform. The problem? Well, it was just hard to make it look cool, and Mustangs are valued, at least partially, for their compactness.
Since then, nearly every muscle car platform has introduced a four-door version. The 2018 Charger Hellcat has four doors, and it’s impossible to look at that car and think that it doesn’t look cool.
Thanks to Ford’s continued engine improvements, it’s not only possible but likely that they could increase the length of the Mustang and still keep it full of the power and speed that Mustang enthusiasts expect.
Keep the Mustang and the Family
Look. Nobody enjoys bending the front seat down to try to wrestle a baby seat into the back seat of a sports car. Sure, it’s possible, but there’s a reason most people associate muscle cars either with child-free adults or empty nesters. Having an easily accessible back seat when you have kids is pretty much necessary.
By creating a four-door version of the Mustang, Ford’s ensuring that Mustang enthusiasts never have to spend an awkward fifteen-year period driving a beater while fantasizing about the pony that got away.
Would it Still be a Pony Car?
Well, no. Pony cars by definition have two doors. But frankly, the Mustang has outgrown the pony label a few times. Many of the GTs are considered muscle cars by enthusiasts due to their V8 engines, and as their precision and luxury features increase some are even claiming sports car status.
With an AWD and hybrid Mustang also in the pipeline, Ford’s looking to grow beyond the pony car label and make Mustangs a reality for more people. That means more Mustang enthusiasts, more Mustang love, and, in general, a lot of happy drivers.
That said, Ford isn’t going to abandon the things that have made it popular through the years. Even though the hybrid Mustang is promising a great deal of power, it’s unlikely to beat the Shelby GT500 in a straight speed test. Even though Ford may offer a four-door version of the Mustang, that doesn’t mean they won’t continue to offer a two-door version.
Ford’s vision for the Mustang seems to be expanding and including new options, not removing the current popular ones.
Rumor Sources
Though Ford has yet to substantiate the rumors of a four-door Mustang, leaks are coming from a variety of sources. All Jiyan Cadiz, Ford’s communication manager, would say is that “we are always on our game to keep Mustang exciting every year.”
Though that isn’t as good as a confirmation, it’s certainly encouraging. Sources have added that many of these rumors are coming from dealer meetings and events. In these meetings it has also been implied that the four-door Mustang would be less Toyota Camry and more Audi A7 or Porsche Panamera.
The biggest concern that enthusiasts seem to have has less to do with the styling of the car and more to do with the potential for a loss of power. Adding two doors means increasing the size and weight of the Mustang substantially, and in order to keep the same power Ford would need to find a way to increase the power of their engine.
Though Ford’s Coyote engine is not currently available in a turbo version, there’s really no reason it couldn’t be. As one of Ford’s modular engines, the Coyote is capable of adapting. A twin turbo layout could be possible. Certainly, a turbo V8 would give a Mustang sedan enough power to get even the most hardliner enthusiast a little bit excited.
Credit: Car and Driver Image Credit: Mustang 6G | Torque News | Motor1