Is Ford planning a new 6.8 liter engine for the Mustang?

Well, this is certainly an interesting twist. Before you proceed, you should know that we currently have more questions than answers about this Mustang evolution, but one thing is for sure. The president of a major Canadian auto workers union said at close range that a Ford 6.8 liter engine is coming and that it will be used in the Ford F-150 and Mustang. However, as you can imagine, the problem is not fast as simple as that.

This news comes from a press conference held on September 23 by Unifor, the largest private union in Canada, part created by the former Canadian Auto Workers Union. The union negotiated manufacturing with Ford and struck a $ 2 billion deal involving manufacturing at various plants in Canada. During the 31-minute press conference, Unifor President Jerry Dias mentioned several times a new 6.8-liter engine that Ford would build at its Windsor plant.

In an official press release on the deal, Unifor continued to confirm engine production but stopped categorizing it as a 6.8 liter grinder or indicating its use. Here is the specific passage from Unifor’s press release:

The highlights of the deal include $ 1.8 billion to convert and build new battery electric vehicles in Oakville, including a crossover utility vehicle (CUV), and $ 148 million for Windsor powertrain systems. Ford is committed to supplying new 6th XL engines to the Windsor Engine Plant and supplying the 5.0L engine assembly and updated component machining along with any derivatives to the Essex Engine plant.

This is where it goes Really juicy. In the middle of the press conference, Dias specifically said the 6.8-liter engine would be used in “derivatives for the Mustang and F-150”. No, it’s not an endorsement from Ford, but we’re not talking about getting a tip from Bob’s uncle Jim, who heard about a new engine from his neighbor’s daughter who works in product development for an obscure Ford supplier. Given the source, this statement carries serious weight.

That still didn’t stop us from contacting Ford for an official explanation for both the Mustang and this new engine. Unfortunately, we were only told that the company is not commenting on speculation about future products. We try to classify a quote from a great union president and an official press release as speculation, but for now that is the story of Blue Oval and they’re sticking to it.

With that in mind, let’s look at the variables here. During the entire conversation, the nature of this engine was never revealed. It is probably a V8, but Ford once made a 6.8-liter V10. There are also rumors on the internet that it is a new pushrod engine similar to the 7.3, but again this was not mentioned anywhere in Unifor’s communications. Additionally, Unifor’s press release appears to be dipping Dias’s 6.8 liter quote, calling it a 6 instead.X.-Liter engine. That could mean there will be multiple configurations of the engine. And yes, it could also mean that Dias was misinformed about everything, making all of this a moot point.

If Ford plans a 6.8 liter engine for the Mustang, that grinder will likely not arrive until the next generation model. And because we can’t help but rush the rabbit hole, said Dias Derivate of the Mustang. Technically, the all-electric Mach-E is a Mustang derivative. Would it be difficult to imagine that Ford would build an ICE-powered Mustang SUV in the future? One big enough to warrant a big V8 with torque? Our avid minds really don’t want to go that route, but SUVs are everywhere and it’s not uncommon to fill them with obscene force.

If Ford offers us more information on this, we will certainly pass it on.