Ford Mustang: a Shelby GT500 for 2026 and a 4-door afterwards?
The Mustang is Ford's only remaining car, but it continues to attract a large number of enthusiasts with its various versions and configurations, ranging from the simple EcoBoost coupe to the beastly and exclusive GTD, via the GT and Dark Horse.
There have been two new Mustang-related developments this week, the first concerning the possible return of the Shelby GT500 in 2026 after a three-year absence.
A letter apparently written by Chapter 600 of the United Auto Workers and posted on reddit mentions that the Dearborn engine plant will add a shift towards the end of 2025 in order to increase production. And that would be specifically for a 2026 Mustang Shelby GT500.
No other information was shared, apart from the codename ‘Legend’ that the engine of the new Shelby GT500 would carry. Of course, Ford never comments on speculation or future products. In our opinion, it's far too early to get carried away, especially as the Mustang GTD is still fresh.
The Shelby GT500 was last marketed as a 2022 model with a supercharged 5.2-litre V8 producing 760 bhp, 55 less than the said GTD. Its replacement will inevitably gain in power, but how much? That's the big question.
The second development in the Mustang dossier this week concerns the four-door variant, which has been the subject of rumours for a number of years, including the publication of a sketch by a Ford designer in 2022 and the presentation of another sketch at a dealer meeting in Las Vegas in 2024. The big boss, Jim Farley, has even hinted at it.
The Ford Authority site has discovered that the manufacturer has just filed an application with the US Patent and Trademark Office to register the name ‘Mach 4’. It may not mean much, but this isn't the first time we've heard of a Mustang Mach 4. As the saying goes, two plus two makes four.
While the idea of a four-door Mustang is likely to offend purists - probably less so than the Mustang Mach-E electric crossover - it's logical to expect the car to retain a coupe silhouette, possibly with concealed rear half-doors, rather than transforming outright into a sedan.
According to Farley, such a Mustang will need to retain all the performance and attitude of the original. Can you believe it?
