Ford’s next supercar could leave the GT legacy behind – and take a page out of the Ranger Raptor's book – for a hybrid capable of tackling the gruelling Baja 500 off-road race.
Ford’s next supercar project could be something unlike anything the brand has ever done before.
Ford CEO Jim Farley shared his thoughts on the Bloomberg-produced Hot Pursuit! podcast as to what shape the next flagship Blue Oval model could take, and the results are unexpected.
Farley described his interest in what he believes is an untapped market, blending supercar performance with genuine off-road capability.
While recent cars like the Porsche 911 Dakar and Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato have blurred the lines between traditional supercars and rally performance, Farley wants to take the idea even further.
“I feel like the supercar market is completely overserved,” Farley said. “People are just buying these cars to invest as if it’s a stock or something.
“As an old-school car person, who’s an enthusiast, I’m more excited about what we’re working [on] off-road than I am on-road.”
Discussing projects like Ford’s track-ready Mustang GTD, Farley mentioned the need to create something different that would allow Ford to build a successor to the Mustang GTD without negatively impacting the value for buyers.
“There’s no Porsche of off-road, and I’m shocked that people don’t think about that, and I’m very interested in that,” Farley said.
Describing the on-road supercar market as well-served, Farley reiterated the fact that the off-road segment provides an open opportunity.
When prompted by the podcast hosts whether the future model could be an adaptation of the existing Mustang or Bronco, Ford’s CEO stayed silent, but shook his head at the mention.
Among the specifications that Farley has in mind, a 1000-horsepower (746kW) powertrain that is “partially electric”, suggesting it could be a high-performance hybrid.
Like a Paris-Dakar or Baja race car, Farley reeled off a wishlist of customisable driver settings, full height-adjustable suspension height and damping, and race-ready specifications.
However, he reiterated that it would not be a pick-up, nor a rock-crawler, but instead suited to high-speed sand and gravel running.
While he admitted that the product hadn't fully evolved into a feasible project, Farley closed off discussions by saying, “I’m thinking about it, and I’m thinking really deeply about it, and usually that turns into something. That’s all I can say.”
Kez Casey migrated from behind spare parts counters to writing about cars over ten years ago. Raised by a family of automotive workers, Kez grew up in workshops and panel shops before making the switch to reviews and road tests for The Motor Report, Drive and CarAdvice.
