2024 Mustang GT S650 Prototype First SPY Sighting! 👀

[LSchicago]

Is Ford skipping MY 2023 now? Because last I heard, this was coming for model year 23.

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[fordmustangnerd]

She's dropped her camo!!!!

No, not S650, the test driver isn't wearing her mask today

Great the same s550 spytroll car again.....

 

[Twin Turbo]

Is Ford skipping MY 2023 now? Because last I heard, this was coming for model year 23.

This is a good question, which we've asked before but not really got a reliable answer yet.

However, a couple of sources are stating Ford couldn't produce a '22MY in calendar year 2023.

So, the two options as I see them:

1 - '22MY runs from Jan 2022 to December 2022. '23MY is skipped and Ford takes 2/3 months retooling for S650 with a March 2023 start of production (I don't recall a time when they've had that much downtime for a new model changeover though!)
2 - '22MY runs from Jan 2022 to September/October 2022, then '23MY (with zero changes) runs from Oct 2022 to February 2023......with a few weeks for retooling for S650/'24MY

 

[DeluxeStang]

Great the same s550 spytroll car again.....

Everyone keeps saying this, but I think that's the final s650 design. The front looks longer, the roof looks lower. The front looks different as well.

 

[Twin Turbo]

Everyone keeps saying this, but I think that's the final s650 design. The front looks longer, the roof looks lower. The front looks different as well.

Not unless it's keeping the existing headlamps. Ace Zoomed in.....

 

[Sivi70980]

Luckily it's easy for me to be patient as no matter what it looks like, I'll be sticking with my GT. But you guys are surely getting me hyped with all the speculation haha!

 

[shogun32]

And when you can order a new '22 for $1500 or alternatively 4% below Invoice, you're already within spitting distance of 1st year depreciation so trading in for a fresh hot MY23 isn't complete lunacy.

 

[shogun32]

1 - '22MY runs from Jan 2022 to December 2022. '23MY is skipped and Ford takes 2/3 months retooling for S650 with a March 2023 start of production (I don't recall a time when they've had that much downtime for a new model changeover though!)
2 - '22MY runs from Jan 2022 to September/October 2022, then '23MY (with zero changes) runs from Oct 2022 to February 2023......with a few weeks for retooling for S650/'24MY

I can't see them idling a plant for 3 months to retool on an otherwise unchanged car. I think we'll get an extra 9+ months of S550 production (till Sep/Oct of 2023) to tread water and let supply chain recover more fully (and 'bank' parts) before starting S650 production in Nov/Dec and hit full rate production in Jan 2024.

Mopar and GM have squat in the segment till 2025 anyway so Mustang would still enjoy a full year of 'new' product on the market. And since the same people buy Mustang/Camaro/Challenger/Charger if they shot their wad on a Mustang they are unlikely to turn right around and trade for the other brands.

He who has cars to sell wins this game.

 

[Ace]

She's dropped her camo!!!!

No, not S650, the test driver isn't wearing her mask today

She is literally laughing at the people falling for this prototype

 

[DeluxeStang]

Not unless it's keeping the existing headlamps. Ace Zoomed in.....

Maybe the main headlight lense is the same, or similar, but the LEDs are all new? I just genuinely don't understand why Ford would bother to apply such heavy camo to an s550. I've heard the working theory that some panels are from an s650, and they want to hide those. Fair enough, but two things, generally speaking, when a mule is usually the old bodywork, with a few new design components, most companies will only both to put heavy camo on those new parts. Secondly, usually when you're dealing with cobbled together mules like that, you can usually tell, because they look off. This doesn't, it looks like a completely finished design, not a Frankenstein prototype. So either the s650 is going to be a very similar looking car, or Ford put camo on s550s to mess with us.

 

[93-Oct Mayne]

It's all just a ploy to keep photographers occupied with a pure Gen 6, while a Gen 7 runs around the block

Better than the old banana in the tailpipe trick

Maybe the main headlight lense is the same, or similar, but the LEDs are all new? I just genuinely don't understand why Ford would bother to apply such heavy camo to an s550. I've heard the working theory that some panels are from an s650, and they want to hide those. Fair enough, but two things, generally speaking, when a mule is usually the old bodywork, with a few new design components, most companies will only both to put heavy camo on those new parts. Secondly, usually when you're dealing with cobbled together mules like that, you can usually tell, because they look off. This doesn't, it looks like a completely finished design, not a Frankenstein prototype. So either the s650 is going to be a very similar looking car, or Ford put camo on s550s to mess with us.

You do realize that two different cars have been photographed right? The one photographed on the track is clearly different from the existing car and this one on the street is missing those differences

 

[amk91]

Care to share lol?

It's clever bait and switch, but with time you'll see the real thing up close.

It's all just a ploy to keep photographers occupied with a pure Gen 6, while a Gen 7 runs around the block

It is a ploy, of some sort like this.

Yes they are. Seeing that first set of photos, but with an interior shot would be violating for Ford. This second vehicle is not a completed verification vehicle or the stage after it in my observation.

I'm still overthinking this

If.......IF the original spy shots at the test track were genuine and not an "official Ford leak"......then this camo'd S550 could be being used to divert attention away from the track where the real work is still being undertaken. Still seems odd though!

It's a clever trick. Show the actual car testing first, then use a parts bin unit to pwrmit shots up close.

None of the shots feel like they weren't "controlled".

Is Ford skipping MY 2023 now? Because last I heard, this was coming for model year 23.

This is correct from what I hear.

This is a good question, which we've asked before but not really got a reliable answer yet.

However, a couple of sources are stating Ford couldn't produce a '22MY in calendar year 2023.

So, the two options as I see them:

1 - '22MY runs from Jan 2022 to December 2022. '23MY is skipped and Ford takes 2/3 months retooling for S650 with a March 2023 start of production (I don't recall a time when they've had that much downtime for a new model changeover though!)
2 - '22MY runs from Jan 2022 to September/October 2022, then '23MY (with zero changes) runs from Oct 2022 to February 2023......with a few weeks for retooling for S650/'24MY

This is not quite it, but that can change. It will somewhat echo the Bronco and MY 2022. Production start in 2023, same MY release.

It's up to Suzy, if marketing a very new car as a same year model, halfway through will help or hurt perception.

Is selling a new 2023 in May viable? Those kinds of questions.

To me? I think it's viable.

Everyone keeps saying this, but I think that's the final s650 design. The front looks longer, the roof looks lower. The front looks different as well.

You can redo dimensions on a mule, to match production specs and even mix in parts from both old and new.

This is definitely a headscratcher, but not unheard of.

The first car is 100% S650, but for some reason this V8 spec car, is not 100% yet.

Or in my belief, Ford deliberately discouraged up close photography of the actual VP cars, likely built at Flat Rock and not at Allen Park.

The earliest prototypes using production body parts, are usually 40/50% mule and 50/60% production.

I can't see them idling a plant for 3 months to retool on an otherwise unchanged car. I think we'll get an extra 9+ months of S550 production (till Sep/Oct of 2023) to tread water and let supply chain recover more fully (and 'bank' parts) before starting S650 production in Nov/Dec and hit full rate production in Jan 2024.

Mopar and GM have squat in the segment till 2025 anyway so Mustang would still enjoy a full year of 'new' product on the market. And since the same people buy Mustang/Camaro/Challenger/Charger if they shot their wad on a Mustang they are unlikely to turn right around and trade for the other brands.

He who has cars to sell wins this game.

This is not in the cards at all really. The program at worst will arrive as an early 2024 model, currently is a 2023 model.

This idea of late 2023 or CY 2024 is not happening regardless of competition or no competition.

If that was the case, we wouldn't see anything testing right now, because they do not favor that anymore beyond the 10-14 month mark, ahead of expected launch.

At Ford post 2018, future vehicles are not to be seen testing more than 15 months before scheduled showroom launch, so the idea S550 continues that long isn't a possibility, unless new circumstances do occur, like in the case of the 2021 P702 F-150.

Due in summer 2020 originally, got delayed to December 2020 launch. First spy photos, were taken in May 2019, of a unit built at DTP and not even their pilot plant. Ford basically hid their pilot plant first prototype units during 2018 and early 2019.

Job 1 was Q2 of 2020 as February 1, 2020. By April 2020, fell behind.

I don't it's fair to be expecting Ford will automatically run into more problems in the coming months that further delay S650, because that's the only way S550 production will continue another 21 months.

As far as idling the plant? Well, it's happened in the past. As far I am concerned, maybe March 2023 is not a solid date. Production could easily be just Q1 2023, anywhere from January 2 to March 31, 2023.

Better than the old banana in the tailpipe trick


You do realize that two different cars have been photographed right? The one photographed on the track is clearly different from the existing car and this one on the street is missing those differences

This is correct. Very correct. The first is definitely not an S550 and production specs, just mispackaged most likely, as the majority of advanced prototypes for production development only differ in terms of packaging or equipment.

 

[because_murica]

Yes they are. Seeing that first set of photos, but with an interior shot would be violating for Ford. This second vehicle is not a completed verification vehicle or the stage after it in my observation.

The first car is 100% S650, but for some reason this V8 spec car, is not 100% yet.

This is correct. Very correct. The first is definitely not an S550 and production specs, just mispackaged most likely, as the majority of advanced prototypes for production development only differ in terms of packaging or equipment.

Are you suggesting the V8 car is at least representative of the S650 powertrain? Or is the V8 car a pure S550 (body & powertrain)?

 

[DeluxeStang]

Better than the old banana in the tailpipe trick


You do realize that two different cars have been photographed right? The one photographed on the track is clearly different from the existing car and this one on the street is missing those differences

Personally, I think they're the same car, but I could be wrong.

 

[DeluxeStang]

Are you suggesting the V8 car is at least representative of the S650 powertrain? Or is the V8 car a pure S550 (body & powertrain)?

It sounds slightly different, at least to me, so maybe it's a powertrain mule. I see everyone's point, the v8 mule looks more s550 like than the first mule. But again, just seems like an odd move to throw camo all over an s550 if it hardly has any s650 parts. At that point, but use the same level of mules we saw about a year ago if you're just going to test the powertrain.

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