It’s hard to believe that we’re already at the end of February, and that the next-generation Ford Mustang is only months away from being revealed. Alas, that means the 2014 Ford Mustang will be the last of the S197’s, and Ford isn’t exactly sending this chassis off with a bang. The 2014 Mustang has just two new color options, and a couple of appearance packages available for its last year.
But as it turns out, the new FP6 and FP8 appearance packages for the Mustang V6 and GT, respectively, add some subtle exterior enhancements that make a big difference to the outgoing model. We’re going to miss this generation Mustang.
In 2011 Ford gave the S197 Mustang a new 3.7 liter V6 and 5.0 V8 engine, as well as some visual tweaks that really improved the Mustang’s look. Ford made a few more changes in 2013, and for 2014 Ford is making available these affordable new looks packages. Both the FP6 and FP8 packages add black mirrors, body-color window louvers, and a gloss black spoiler. The Mustang V6 gets black 18-inch wheels, while the Mustang GT gets black 19-inch wheels.
For some odd reason though, the FP6 package cannot be matched with the Mustang V6 Performance Package. Most likely this has to do with the wheels, and the fact that the FP6 package costs just $795 compared to the $1,995 of the Performance Package. Regardless, Mustang buyers can put this kit together themselves through the Ford Racing catalog with the bigger brakes and upgraded suspension of the Performance Package.
Still, we can’t help but feel like the S197 maybe deserved one more special edition, as a final sendoff to the greatest generation Mustang yet. The 2015 Mustang has big shoes to fill.