No, it won’t be for the Mach 1. We just liked the photo.

On September 22nd, Ford held a joint press conference with Unifor, the largest automotive labor union in Canada. For reference, the Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX are currently manufactured in Canada, and the most recent Ford GT was formerly built there as well. Current-gen motors for the Mustang and F-150 are also built in Canada. At the September conference, Unifor attempted bargaining with Ford to increase their share in production and achieved a nearly $2 billion deal that would bring extensive EV vehicle production to Ford’s Oakville and Windsor plants among other gains.

So why is this important? Let’s look to Unifor’s official press statement, where they announced the following:

“Ford has committed to source new 6.X L engines to the Windsor Engine Plant and sole source 5.0L engine assembly and current component machining to the Essex Engine plant, along with any derivatives.“

The redaction of the engine’s displacement by Unifor is a clear marker that it is brand new, but this is still not very telling.

The real meat and potatoes is in the press conference recording. At the 1:45 mark, Unifor president Jerry Dias explicitly mentions a 6.8L engine. Then at 15:54, he is asked about the 6.8L engine again, and responds by saying “it will be introduced in 2022”. This indicates the motor, should it come into fruition, will probably be featured in the next-generation Mustang.

But the big kahuna comes in at 22:13, when a reporter asks Dias which vehicle the purported 6.8L engine will be used in. Without hesitation, Dias stated the engine will be used in “derivatives for the Mustang and the F-150”. Again, this alludes to the fact that the 6.8L engine would probably be seen in the next Mustang. Seems pretty telling too, especially since it’s coming from the man who worked out the deal with Ford himself. Nevertheless, Motor1 actually reached out to Ford for comment on the supposed new Mustang powertrain. Ford’s response? They “[don’t] comment on speculation and future products”. Hm.

This certainly can be considered speculation since Ford has not made any official announcements and Unifor is apparently trying to redact Dias’ comments as mentioned above, but unfortunately for them the playing field is wide open right now. With 4.8L Mustang engine rumors going back as far as 2016 and Ford’s recent history of downsizing displacement, the introduction of a 6.8L motor in America’s favorite pony car does seem to throw a wrench into things.

Should Ford release more information about this, Road’s Edge will cover it accordingly.