CEO Jim Farley wants a partially electric halo car that would top the brand’s 4×4 lineup.
A price of over U.S. $300,000 is expected, similar to the current Mustang GTD.
The CEO says he wants to win Dakar more than Formula One, which the automaker is also getting back into.
After the Mustang GTD, Ford’s next halo supercar could adopt a decidedly more adventurous personality.
Indeed, the company’s CEO, Jim Farley, said in a recent podcast appearance that he wants Ford to make an off-road capable supercar that could compete in the famously demanding Dakar rally.
The executive envisions a “1,000-horsepower, partially electric, totally digitally enabled” supercar that would be capable of going anywhere.
We don’t know much more about the powertrain, but one possibility is that this electrified setup could be based on the 5,2 L supercharged V8 found in the Mustang GTD, where it makes 815 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque without any help from electricity. Four-wheel drive is expected to be included since models with a similar vocation are so equipped.
Indeed, while Farley says no one has “ever built a supercar for gravel, high-speed sand, dirt”, this formula seems quite similar to that of the Porsche 911 Dakar and the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato.
Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato | Photo: LamborghiniThis remark could mean Ford wants to go even further than these two rugged supercars in terms of performance and off-road capabilities.
The automaker’s CEO views this possible future product as sitting on top of the Ford four-wheeler range, above the Bronco Raptor and F-150 Raptor R.
Since it is described as a supercar and not a truck, there is a good chance that this model will be part of the Mustang family, perhaps as a more capable companion to the track-focused Mustang GTD.
Like the brand’s current halo car, the price for the desert-ready supercar is expected to be north of U.S. $300,000, which means production should be quite low.
Ford Mustang GTD Becomes Fastest American Car On The Nurburgring
Since Ford is only making 300 units of the Mustang GTD, we can expect similar numbers for the off-roader, if it makes it to production.
In parallel, Ford is working on a return to Formula One as a technical partner to RedBull Powertrains starting next year. This will be the first time the company has been directly involved in F1 since 2004.
Interestingly, Farley says he wants to “win Dakar way more than Formula One”, which suggests the possible off-road supercar will be a serious effort aimed at besting the competition, rather than being just a toy for millionaires.
Source: Automotive News
