Why This Mid

The second-gen Ford GT started life based on a Mustang as Project Silver. We've turned the tables in this mid-engine Mustang on steroids!

The story of how the second-generation 2017 Ford GT came to be is pretty wild. It was first planned to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Ford Le Mans victory with the original Ford GT40. The idea began a few years earlier with a race car based on the humble Ford Mustang. When Project Silver, as it was known, was killed off by top brass, a group of engineers went rogue and came up with the mid-engine formula. It turned out to be too good to end up on the cutting floor. The rest is history.

A decade later, we’re turning the tables and turning back time. This 2024 Ford Mustang mid-engine concept designed by 3D artist extraordinaire Rostislav Prokop gives us a look at what could have been. This mid-engine Mustang combines elements from Ford's Halo supercar and everyone's favorite modern muscle car. The result? Perhaps the meanest-looking grand tourer that never was.

Updated May 2023: A mid-engine Ford Mustang opens up a sea of opportunities for the iconic American performance car. Apart from transitioning from a muscle car to a cool sports car, a mid-engine Mustang will also pose a serious threat to the C8 Corvette. We have updated this article with details on how our mid-engined Mustang can hit the C8 Corvette where it hurts the most!

Related: Why We Can't Stop Obsessing Over The 2017 Ford GT Supercar

The seventh-gen Mustang, set to go on sale in the US in 2023, sharpens up the ‘Stang styling we know and love. More aggressive and squared off, the all-new Mustang doesn't hold back its punches in the styling department.

In this exclusive HotCars render, the Mustang gets turned up even higher. More aggressive touches are all over the bodywork, but of course, the main attraction is the shift in proportions. From the long hood of the classic muscle car silhouette to shifting the glasshouse further towards the front axle for a more swept-back look to the rear.

It's the sort of change that you can't unsee once you see it. The biggest giveaway is the gaping air intakes on the sides, just ahead of the rear wheels. Smaller details like the aero-gaps in the C-pillar leading to the engine, for a flying buttress-sort of effect, play into the mid-engine Ford GT vibe. The rear windshield you’d expect to see lead into the deck instead gives you a peek at what's powering this mid-engine pony car.

Our best guess is that this mid-engine Mustang could end up as the most extreme one in the model lineup if Ford really wanted to differentiate things. That could warrant the extra cooling afforded by the otherwise confusing vented hood up front. An extra set of radiators up front for extreme, heavy-duty track work makes sense - to really take the fight to whatever future Chevrolet C8 Corvettes can throw its way.

Related: Here's Why The Future Of American Muscle Cars Looks Bleak

Going by the success of the C8 Corvette, you would think Ford would be onto something if they actually put all those old plans into action. But dig a little deeper, and it may not seem as feasible. And definitely not as simple as making a mid-engine Mustang concept virtually.

There's no denying a huge gap exists between, say, a $50,000 Mustang and the near-half-a-million dollar Ford GT. But a mid-engine Mustang may not be the right car to fill that spot. Even a $100,000 Mustang off the lot may be a bit of a tough sell unless it delivers supercar-rivaling performance. The motorsport-derived Ford 3.5-liter EcoBoost from the GT likely won't be making it under the hood in the interest of packaging and cost.

This means a mid-engine Mustang will likely have a Coyote 5.0-liter V8. Or the supercharged 5.2-liter Predator V8 from the Shelby GT500, with 760 hp and 625 pound-feet of torque, if we're dreaming. Those numbers are healthy enough to grace any mid-engine sports car. So even if a mid-engine Mustang is a little heavier than most, it should make for jaw-dropping, accessible performance.

But unfortunately, given how wide the Ford Mustang range needs to be, it will never make sense for Ford to make a mid-engine Mustang, even as a range-topping model. So, for now, all we can do is think of the what-ifs and how we would top this concept.

Related: Why We’d Love A Mid-Engine Ford Mustang To Become Reality

With the 2024 Mustang Dark Horse already on the table, we know a track special is next on the menu. We imagine a mid-engine Mustang to be the highly-anticipated Shelby Dark Horse but on steroids packing the Predator V8. Because nothing screams performance and handling more than a mid-engine layout, as any serious sports car or supercar maker will tell you. Or like the Chevrolet C8 Corvette Z06 has proved.

But what about a more 'mundane' mid-engine Mustang with more accessible performance? Well, the picture is clear with a mid-engined Mustang Grand Tourer that can glide at 180 mph for miles without breaking a sweat. So, using the right V8 engine with oodles of torque, a mid-engine Mustang has the force to stand up to the likes of the Porsche 911 and McLaren GT in touring prowess.

But on home turf, it is going to be the Chevrolet C8 Corvette's arch-rival. It will start an epic new battle between the greatest mid-engined American sports cars. Even if Ford painstakingly puts its 5.0-Liter Coyote V8 at the rear of a Mustang, it will still be more than enough to make the 6.2-Liter V8-powered C8 Corvette sweat.

Funny enough, the Ford Mustang itself was dreamed up as a mid-engine layout sports car but turned into a front-engine pony car. Which then ended up being every man's "supercar" and one of the world's longest continuous-running nameplates.

On the other hand, the 2017 Ford GT started life as Project Silver, based on the front-engined Mustang. Which eventually turned into the super-expensive, $450,000 Halo supercar — the fastest car that the Blue Oval builds. A mid-engine Mustang would bring it full circle.

From playing with HotWheels to tracking his race toy, he's come a long way. A penchance for translating his automotive hijinks and geekery into the written word comes in handy every now and then...