For its last model year before swapping to an all-new platform, Ford plans to offer the much-loved Mustang in a hot new shade of orange. Tangerine now pairs with the orange-adjacent, almost peach-like Chamois.
Apparently, customers can have their ‘Stang — downsized severely just in time for those recent OPEC shenanigans — in whatever flavor they desire ahead of Dearborn’s new Fox-bodied successor. T-tops, which appeared last year, can be had by any hatchback buyer, while the King Cobra joins the roster for those who find the Cobra II package too tepid.
Read on for more details.
If economy’s your bag, you’ll dig the returning 2.3-liter four-cylinder — a solid little powerplant that’s arguably carried more Americans to the supermarket this decade than any other mill in the FoMoCo barn. Pair it with a four-speed manual or three-speed automatic. A Cologne V6 displacing 2.8 liters is on tap to scratch the horsepower itch of those unwilling to move up to the extra weight and expense of a V8.
Those of you with stock in Sears and AT&T might want to pony up (get it?) for the value-added luxury of the Ghia hardtop, and for those who don’t, don’t worry — the Mach 1 also returns in hatchback guise for the new model year. Expect a $435 markup for that trim. However, if an even fatter stack of bills is burning a hole in your slacks, the limited run King Cobra’s your baby. Featuring the top-tier 302 V8 under its reverse-scooped hood, it tops the Cobra II with fender flares, a front air dam, a beefier suspension setup, and a rear spoiler. You’ll attract more stares than John Travolta walking past a hair salon!
Time will tell just how popular the Mustang’s looming replacement proves, but Americans have shown their willingness to give a downsized pony car with a potent horsepower history a chance. The Fox platform’s appearance beneath the latest compact sedans from both Ford and Mercury shows its promise, too. It just might be with us for a while!
Wait, hold on —
Sorry, or wires got crossed there. It seems the big news today is that the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT — not the ’78 Mustang II seen above — can be ordered with eye-catching Cyber Orange Metallic Tri-Coat paint.
Joining Dark Matter Gray, Rapid Red Metallic Tinted Clearcoat, Star White Metallic Tri-Coat, Grabber Blue, Shadow Black, Iconic Silver, and Space White in the Mach-E GT’s color palette, the new shade is a recipe for getting noticed, claims Janet Seymour, Mustang and Mustang Mach-E color & materials design manager.
“There’s a certain passion in Mustang customers who really want to show off their Mustang – especially those that look to make a bold statement,” Seymour said.
Color us impressed.
Deliveries should commence in late summer of next year.
[Images: Ford]
Hey, I liked the look of the Mustang II, but only in fastback style.
I still like the look of the II fastback. If I had the money to burn I would resto-mod one, the only real problem the II had was a lack of power and of course that is easy to remedy. A 347 stroker should do the trick.
“There’s a certain passion in Mustang customers who really want to show off their Mustang – especially those that look to make a bold statement,” Seymour said.
They why would buy this clearly-not-a-Mustang SUV?
Prediction: this color, while clearly awesome, will be least popular choice and thus discontinued.
Man that thing is ugly.
As for the 70’s Cobra, I was under 10 but I thought they were the coolest. Maybe because the Angels drove them.
King Cobra was the coolest, but then again, I was 7 or 8 at the time!
The Cobras look at least 85X better. But the above “notch” will likely be the more collectible in about a million years.
When the E Mustang was revealed, I did not like it.
Now, it’s growing on me fast. (Tho cant see myself buying one) Love the color.
I see a Tesla Model 3 with a grill. That said, any car that offers Grabber Blue can’t be all bad.
Hated Mustang2’s back in the day, but they’ve really grown on me over the years.
A “Tesla Model 3 with a grill”. OMG, is that where car design is going? I wouldn’t buy one unless I could get Sea Foam Green.
I would think that orange might be a little too, um, political at the moment
As long as the release date is after November 3rd it should be okay.
Huh? How so?
Don’t worry about it, teddy, we’ll wake you when it’s over
Now, now – be nice and tell him. It’s a political reference to Ronald Reagan’s hair.
Back in the late ’70s, a Mustang II with Cobra graphics showed up at an SCCA Solo II event. The owner of a well modified first generation Mustang scoffed, “That’s no Cobra. It’s just a garter snake.”
There are no such colors for Mach E on Ford’s website.
Lol, that Mustang II looks like they forgot to paint a clay mock up.
I think they always offered a color like this. Back when the all new 79 Fox body was introduced I knew someone who bought one in tangerine. When I was car shopping last year there was a orange mango base Ecoboost on the showroom floor.
Why does Ford feel the need to have a Mustang in competition against the BMW X6 GT and Mercedes GLE-class? Did they think that there was a hole in the market below those two for an awkwardly-proportioned and bizarrely-named electric CUV that only they could provide?
I don’t think it’s awkwardly-proportioned. Why do you assume those vehicles are Ford’s target competition? Their shapes? That means nothing.
Ford’s not in direct competition with either the BMW or Mercedes; referring to the the Mustang Mach-E as a downmarket competitor to those vehicles was tongue-in-cheek. To my eye, however, all three have similar shapes that are gawky, ungainly, and awkward.
Beauty being in the eye of the beholder, others – yourself included – may agree or disagree on its aesthetic merits as they see fit.
Mach-E is a perfectly good name, also calling it a Mustang is a travesty.
Time to get over it and move on.
I wouldn’t choose Iconic Silver simply because of the gross overuse and misuse of the poor word “iconic”.
Time to get over it, and move on.
I know how to fix it. Remove the blue ovals. Now replace with Kia emblems. You folks would be gaga over it.
Incidentally how many Telluride articles reference and show pictures of the first gen Sportage? What were the writers saying about their fairness in a recent column?
add- instead of orange make it brown or green.
My least favorite Mustang is the Mustang II. I don’t dislike the Mustang Mach E but I am concerned that Ford will dilute the Mustang brand by overusing it in the future.
I hated the Mustang II in the ’70s and still do.
As for the Mustang Mach E, probably one of those things that will be a turn-off at first but then gain acceptance.