new<\/em> “news.” There have been rumors of an off-road Mustang for years. In 2023, automotive sites believed that the Ford Mustang Raptor was coming in 2026. This didn’t happen, unfortunately.<\/p>\nDespite years of rumors and discussion about the off-road Mustang, Ford hasn’t revealed anything. Recently, we got Farley saying that the automaker wants to “democratize the rally car.” Is this a hint at the Mustang Baja’s existence and design?<\/p>\n
We’re grasping at straws here. We don’t even know if the name “Mustang Baja” is real.<\/p>\n
The craziest Mustang variants yet<\/h2>\n
The off-roading Mustang Baja may just be a fever dream. We could all be collectively fantasizing about this thing. There’s been no proof beyond claims that Ford has shown this vehicle to some dealerships.<\/p>\n
However, there are some crazy Mustang variants that were already explored in the past.<\/p>\n
Mustang Mach-E<\/h3>\n
When Ford unveiled the Mach-E in 2019, plenty of longtime fans were caught off guard. It’s a battery-electric crossover SUV, not a two-door coupe, and it doesn’t share a platform with the traditional Mustang.<\/p>\n
Ford leaned on the name anyway, betting that the recognition would help an EV stand out in a crowded market. The gamble paid off commercially, but it remains one of the most debated uses of the Mustang badge in the car’s history.<\/p>\n
Boss 429<\/h3>\n
Built in 1969 and 1970, the Boss 429 exists because NASCAR rules required Ford to sell a street version of its 429 cubic-inch “semi-hemi” engine to the public. The engine bay wasn’t designed for a block that large, so Ford had Kar Kraft modify each car by hand to make it fit.<\/p>\n
Fewer than 1,400 were built, and today they’re among the most sought-after Mustangs from the muscle car era.<\/p>\n
McLaren M81<\/h3>\n
In the early 1980s, McLaren partnered with Ford to build a small run of turbocharged Fox-body Mustangs under the McLaren Mustang M81 name. The cars featured a reworked turbo four-cylinder, wide-body fenders, and a price tag that rivaled far more exotic machinery.<\/p>\n
Only a handful were made, and the project never became the volume seller Ford hoped for.<\/p>\n
“Shorty”<\/h3>\n
Before the Mustang even launched in 1964, designer Vince Gardner took a pre-production convertible and cut it down into a short-wheelbase, fixed-head coupe. Known today as the “Shorty,” it toured the country as part of Ford’s Custom Car Caravan.<\/p>\n
It’s a strange footnote in the Mustang’s origin story, built and reshaped before the car it’s based on had even reached showrooms.<\/p>\n
Mustang E<\/h3>\n
Decades before the Mach-E made “efficiency” part of the Mustang conversation, Ford quietly built the 1969 Mustang E. It paired a low-compression inline-six with a tall rear axle ratio, all aimed at squeezing out better fuel economy rather than performance.<\/p>\n
Very few were made, and it stands as one of the strangest departures from the muscle car formula the Mustang was built on.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I remember seeing this silly rendering a few years ago of a Mustang GT on lifted, massive off-road tires. I … <\/p>\n
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