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When rumors of a turbocharged four-cylinder Mustang began to percolate earlier this year, Ford fans were naturally enthusiastic at the prospect of a revival of the SVO. Of course, this has not been the case. We received the Mustang 2.3L high performance package. It's a nickname that hits the mark, and honestly, it does not inspire much enthusiasm for a car that could take advantage of SVO's old love. A new report from Muscle Cars & Trucks offers a possible explanation as to why these three letters are not on the wings of the Mustang. The short answer is that SVO – which stands for Special Vehicle Operations – was not just a Mustang trim level.
Most Ford fans know this story, which actually begins with the 1979 Mustang Cobra. The Fox Body, which was new then, did not offer a V8, but a turbocharged four-cylinder 2.3-liter engine. 132 horses. Ford would later offer the turbo option on the 1983 Mustang GT, but it was in 1984 that the good SVO Mustang came on the scene. At 175hp, it offered much more power than the 'Stangs' turbo, but it also had a dynamically tuned suspension and upgraded brakes.
It was the product of Ford's Special Vehicle Operations Group, a Blue Oval engineering division created in 1981, which produced, among other things, race cars and racing components. In 1986 – the last year of the SVO – the four fuel injection turbo developed 200 hp. It was placed next to the 5.0-liter V8 for power and horsepower. in front of by manipulating.
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As Jim Owens, Director of Marketing at Ford Performance, explained, MC & T, the new Mustang 2.3L high performance pack was not developed by a special internal team.
"The high-performance group was the Mustang core team working on the Arizona Test Park weekends, removing the engine from the Ford Focus RS and turning it into a Mustang," Owens reportedly told MC & T. "It's a long way to answer the question of why the new high-performance Ford Mustang EcoBoost does not call SVO."
The explanation has some meaning, even if it sounds like a loophole. As for the current improved turbo Mustang, its engine might be different from the standard model (although slightly more powerful), but the modified suspension is the same as that found on the GT. It is therefore less special than the original. SVO was.
This does not mean that an SVO will never happen. Ford still holds the mark and a previous report from MC & T suggested that the automaker might have bigger plans for a lighter and more powerful four-cylinder Mustang. This is something we would like to see and, if that happens, it is better to wear an SVO badge.
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