2015 Ford Mustang Could Weigh 10% Less - Cost 10% More

While Ford Motor Company has done a pretty good job of keeping information on the upcoming 2015 Ford Mustang under wraps, insider information suggests that the next generation Mustang could weigh more than 10% less than the current models while also costing some 10% more.

The folks at Edmunds recently spoke with an obviously unnamed source familiar with the 2015 Ford Mustang project and this secret informant had a whole lot to say about the next generation of the longest running car in America. Most notably, the 2015 Mustang will be smaller and lighter – improving both performance and efficiency – but it could also see a price increase in the area of 10% depending on the trimline and options chosen.

First up, the most enticing piece of information on the 2015 Ford Mustang is that the engineering and design teams are looking to cut weight in a big way. Allegedly, the team is looking to lighten up the next generation Mustang by a minimum of 400 pounds so compared to the current generation Mustang, the 2015 models could weigh roughly 12% less than the outgoing models. That means that the 2015 Mustang will offer better performance with similar drivetrains while also being substantially more efficient.

Ford Motor Company plans to hit this new lower weight for the 2015 Ford Mustang in a variety of ways with the first being smarter use of the available materials. We are not likely to see ultra lightweight materials such as carbon fiber or other non-metal composites but we are likely to see a greater use of aluminum and high strength steel – which will make the car lighter without reducing structural integrity. The 2015 Mustang will also be designed from start to finish with weight reduction in mind so we can expect to see a departure of any components that add weight but do not add any measure of safety or performance. Ford has introduced high strength steel in other new models and that high tech steel allows for use of less material to achieve the same results. For example, using high strength steel in the body structure of a unibody vehicle like the 2015 Mustang allows the company to use less metal to construct the body. Since less metal is used, the car will weigh less but since high strength steel is used in place of “normal” steel – no structural integrity is compromised. Also, using more components like the hood, the door shells and the trunk lid out of aluminum allows the company to cut unnecessary weight from the Mustang.

The other way that Ford will make the 2015 Mustang lighter is be reducing the overall size of the vehicle. Mind you, the new Mustang will still offer the same relative proportions but we can expect the new model to be around 15 inches shorter with the changes being made mostly to the overhang areas in front of the front wheels and behind the rear wheels. The result would be a car that is roughly 173 inches long compared to 188 inches for the 2013 Mustang. Edmunds’ source also suggested that the 2015 Mustang will be about 6.5 inches narrower, with a width of just 67-68 inches wide. It is this decrease in size that may not sit well with consumers as the Mustang is already a fairly tight car inside so cutting 15 inches from the length and almost 7 inches from the width could have a negative impact on interior space. However, for those drivers who don’t care about interior space (since Ford will likely work to make sure that there is as little impact on actual functional space as possible), this new lighter Mustang will offer performance and economy like nothing the market has seen.

The downside to this report is that when the 2015 Ford Mustang is introduced, it is going to carry a higher price than the current models. The source explained that the price for lower end “base” models including the lightly equipped V6 and GT Coupes (non-premium package) will likely not increase by much but the loaded up models could be quite a bit more expensive. In fact, the price of a fully loaded Mustang could cost as much as 10% more than the current Mustang. What that means in actual dollars and cents is that where a heavily loaded up 2014 Ford Mustang GT Premium costs roughly $42,910, the 2015 equivalent would cost upwards of $47,000. That seems like a whole lot of cash for a Mustang GT but it would still be less expensive than a Dodge Challenger SRT8.

Source: Edmunds