The latest version of the famous muscle car is slated to go into production next year and appear for the 2023 model year.
Autosport believes that since Ford is an official manufacturer of supercars, it will prefer to have the new model run as soon as possible once the street version hits the market.
There’s a bit of a hiccup with timing as Supercars is currently set to roll out its new Gen3 regulations over the next year.
That said, we could see new Mustangs in supercars two years in a row – the Gen3 version of the existing S550 next season, followed by a Gen3 S650 in 2023.
The first new build will be by far the most significant for teams with Gen3 vehicles built on an entirely new chassis when compared to the existing vehicles of the Future / Gen2 Car.
The second would be a facelift on the same chassis, similar to the switch from the Falcon FG to the FG-X in 2015 or from the FG-X to the current Mustang in 2019.
Any change in shape would still require a VCAT process to homologate the Aero, with the total cost and effort of the conversion depending heavily on how different the new Mustang is.
The doubling can also be avoided entirely if speculation that the Gen3 rules will be delayed to 2023 is true.
There has been turmoil over the new rules for some time, with teams concerned that the project is behind schedule. There are also uncertainties surrounding key elements of the new cars, including engine specification and supply.
Supercars will meet with all eleven teams on Tuesday to clear the air on Gen3. The outcome could potentially delay the rules until 2023.
This is likely to be the last resort, however, as the series is adamant and the rules are being implemented as planned.
There was also talk that the start of the 2022 season could be delayed to ease pressure on teams in the off-season, although this has also been denied by supercars.
Ford is currently the only fully committed supercar maker to have returned after a hiatus in its support in 2019.
That was part of the Mustang program, which saw the hero two-door car draped over the existing Supercars platform.
The Gen3 chassis is better suited for two-door cars, with the Mustang slated to compete against the Chevrolet Camaro.
Currently, Chevrolet has its IP lit green so the Camaro can race, but it won’t be a full-fledged supercars maker.
However, Triple Eight, the GM homologation team, has a relationship with the GM Special Vehicles arm that has effectively replaced Holden in Australia.
In the final laps there were Chevrolet and Corvette hallmarks on the T8 Commodores.
