New 'Stang to share Falcon platform, supercharged mill?

A body of opinion is forming around the proposition that the next generation of Falcon and the 2014 Mustang will share a platform.

Speaking at the launch of FPV's new supercharged V8 Falcon range last week, several representatives of the blue oval's local go-fast arm said their new mill had drawn a lot of interest from the States, with a cross-Pacific tie up likely in the very near future .

And, as Mustang approaches its 50th anniversary, fans are increasingly aware the new model may indeed be something special so FoMoCo is keeping mum about what lies in store for 2014.

Speaking at the recent Paris motor show, Ford's group vice president of global design and chief creative officer J Mays alluded to some intriguing details of the next 'Stang's development, saying the future model will not be an evolution of the current design, instead stating that we'll see a "very cool Mustang" approaching 2013.

The iconic brand is however unlikely to solely adopt One Ford's 'Kinetic' design language, adhering to its own 'Mustang design language' -- a sentiment certain to see die-hard fans breathe a sigh of relief. May said the design team is fully aware of the expectations placed upon them with respect to "getting it right".

"With 2014 approaching we have got to take a jump forward (but) we can't lose the Mustang DNA, which is really important, but we've got to signal that Mustang has got another 50 years of life left in it," explained May.

"In order to do that we are going to have take a bit more of a stretch with the car, bring all of our Mustang faithful along with us, and I would be lying to you to say that it's not a daunting challenge, but the good news is that we've got a design team that's up for the challenge and we're on it."

May signalled that the future of Mustang's exterior design lies with the original Mustang's classic lines, referring to the '64 ½ and '65 models as the "absolute greatest" in the company's long lineage, adding that "everything was on track until about 1969 with Mustang" -- we couldn't agree more.

Referring to models thereafter as the "bleak years" of design, May's comments have us speculating that a throwback to some earlier design cues could be in the pipeline -- though perhaps better balanced with more modern styling, as per the 2005 model.

Best yet, with FPV's stunning new 5.0-litre supercharged Coyote increasingly likely to grace the engine room, a Falcon platform could keep our local rear-wheel-drive favourite safe for many years to come, Ford Australia boss Marin Burela telling the Carsales Network that the recent investment in the new eight- cylinder mill is the clearest proof yet of Ford's commitment to Falcon.

The sentiment echoes Ford's global boss Alan Mullaly's comments at Paris last week that Aussie car fans "will get what they want" where Falcon is concerned.

A video of the full interview with J May is included below.

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