Ford is giving the Mustang one last go at muscle car life for the car’s seventh generation. That’s right; the 2024 S650 Mustang will be a front-engine, rear-wheel drive (RWD) platform with powerful engine options in typical pony car fashion. Moreover, spies recently caught a glimpse of a seventh-generation Shelby in testing. Could this be the next GT500 or even a Shelby GT? 

What Mustang model did spies see in testing?

According to recent photographs, the team at Shelby American, including Vice President of Production and Chief Test Driver Vince LaViolette, is testing a new version of the S650 Mustang. Although it wore camouflage, the lines are a dead giveaway for the latest pony car. 

A quick look at the muscle car’s grille and lower fascia is reminiscent of the S550 GT350, the track-ready sixth-gen Mustang with a high-revving tenor soundtrack due to its unique 5.2L Voodoo V8. Moreover, an aggressive ride height and vented hood suggest the car intends to be a sharper option than the upcoming GT. 

Still, without a prominent rear wing or ground-kissing splitter, it’s unlikely that this is the next GT500. Instead, it could be a successor to the GT350. More excitingly, it could be the return of the Shelby GT, a more accessibly-priced performance variation of the Mustang GT. A next-generation version of the Hurst-equipped S197 Shelby GTs could be a ground-breaking part of the Blue Oval’s muscle car lineup.  

Will the S650 have a Shelby?

The S650 lineup of Ford Mustangs will include a Shelby, but not yet. Instead, Ford will carry over the EcoBoost and V8-powered GT. Moreover, Ford will begin sales of its all-new Dark Horse performance variant. 

MotorTrend says the new test vehicle at Spring Mountain Raceway could be just about anything, especially since spy photos can’t confirm whether it has force induction or natural aspiration. 

Will there be a 2024 Shelby Mustang?

According to Ford Authority, a new Shelby GT500 is in the works for 2025. However, the seventh-gen variation won’t go on sale until 2026. As a result, the 2023 and 2024 Mustangs will go without a Shelby badge. 

Still, the previous generation enjoyed a few noteworthy Shelbys, like the GT350 and GT500. It’s almost certain that another version will arrive in Ford’s last conventional pony car. 

Will the S650 Mustang have a V8?

Fret not; even though the 2024 model year of the S650 Mustang likely won’t have a Shelby model, it will have several V8 options right from the beginning. For instance, the GT carries over the 5.0L Coyote engine, which now produces 486 horsepower with the performance exhaust. 

Moreover, the new Ford Mustang Dark Horse packs 500 horsepower into a taut, sharp spiritual successor for the S550 Ford Mustang Mach 1 and GT350. However, until a Shelby nameplate changes it, the lineup goes without a supercharged option. The last Mustang to feature forced induction was the 2022 GT500, which produced 760 horsepower from its supercharged 5.2L V8.  

What do you think of the new seventh-generation pony car? Tell us in the comments below!