The American icon known as the Ford Mustang has evolved through six generations so far, not counting the Mach E. The current S550 generation of the Pony car is coming to an end and the 2024 Mustang, internally dubbed S650, is on its way. While we may see a production version as soon as April 2023, the next-gen Mustang is still being developed and under heavy camouflage. With that being said, test prototypes have started appearing on public roads, and YouTube channel, TFLnow presents the latest (so far) spy footage of the S650 Mustang prototype.

It’s hardly news that, in terms of proportions, the seventh-generation Ford Mustang will not be vastly different than the outgoing, S550 model. While we are yet to see the car "naked", renderings are already showing it to be little more than a facelift. However, looks can be deceiving and one key difference, compared to the current model, will be the hybridization aspect. A few months ago, Powertrain engineer, Pedro Maredei, who is involved in the development of the S650 Mustang, shared a post on LinkedIn, which confirms the introduction of hybrid powertrains.

While it will, likely, be seen as a controversial move by many Mustang enthusiasts, the familiar, 2.3-liter EcoBoost and 5.0-liter Coyote V-8 will still be around, albeit as part of a hybrid powertrain. There was speculation that the 2024 Mustang will ride on a variation of the CD6 platform, which underpins the 2019 Ford Explorer. This, however, will not be the case and the S650 Mustang will likely ride on a modified version of the S550 platform.

The host from the video seems to be paying extra attention to the number of exhaust tips, which would likely give away, which of the two engines - the EcoBoost or the Coyote – the new Mustang is equipped with. We don’t have any estimates for the power output or weight of the S650 Mustang, but in both cases, they are bound to be more than on the current model.

The 5.0-liter Mustang GT is expected to boast at least 500 horsepower (368 kilowatts) and close to 500 pound-feet (678 Nm). Unfortunately, the curb weight for the same version is expected to be in excess of 4,000 pounds (1,814 kg) and even more for the convertible, which will likely arrive later.

Despite Ford CEO, Jim Farley, talking about Ford wanting to be an enthusiast-centric brand, despite moving forward with electrification, it will be interesting to see how the current Mustang platform, which we've known since 2014, will handle the extra components and extra weight of the hybrid powertrain. Despite the current Chevrolet Camaro being scheduled for retirement, after 2024, its Alpha platform has proven to be the most performance-oriented of the Muscle car trio and will pose a threat to Ford’s pony car for at least another year.