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The latest Ford Mustang EcoBoost RTR harnesses the power of the 500-horsepower Dark Horse, but with a more efficient engine featuring fewer cylinders.
The Ford Mustang refuses to die. Sure, it gave up its six-cylinder options before the 2018 refresh, but the model lives on with eight-cylinder and four-cylinder options. Now, Ford and RTR have come together to offer a swivel-eyed variation of the Mustang EcoBoost with DNA from the tire-roasting Dark Horse.
The Mustang RTR enhancement elevates the latest Ford Mustang EcoBoost RTR to new heights.
It’s 2015. Ford rolls out what it hopes will be a Swiss Army Knife Mustang, complete with a fuel-saving four-cylinder heart and turbocharged driving excitement. It’s the 2015 Ford Mustang EcoBoost, a 310-horsepower alternative to the six-cylinder models of the day. Fast-forward 10 years, and the Ford Mustang EcoBoost RTR takes the turbo Enviro-Stang to the next level.
Ford introduced its latest collaboration at the 2025 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) held in Detroit, Michigan. Given that the Detroit auto show is located less than 30 miles from the Flat Rock facility where Mustangs are manufactured, it provided the perfect backdrop for the debut of the new pony car.
Regrettably, Ford and RTR have yet to unveil the pricing or specifications for the new Mustang EcoBoost RTR, which leaves us to speculate. Based on RTR's past modifications, we can expect enhancements to the EcoBoost’s horsepower, a more rigid platform, and significant improvements in braking performance for the four-cylinder Mustang.
Better yet, RTR, which stands for “Ready to Rock” (not kidding), hinted that the new model would receive components from the range-topping Dark Horse. It’s not a ridiculous premise, either. The previous generation Ford Mustang Mach 1 benefited from a host of parts from Shelby Mustangs.
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Even in the absence of the RTR package, the newest S650 EcoBoost outperforms older V8 models by a significant margin.
The latest Ford Mustang EcoBoost RTR is set to deliver exceptional performance and more. However, even the standard Mustang EcoBoost holds its own. The 2025 version boasts an impressive 315 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque, thanks to its turbocharged 2.3L four-cylinder engine.
Although the EcoBoost engine can't be matched with the GT's six-speed manual transmission, the 10-speed automatic transmission allows the four-cylinder Mustang to reach 60 mph in a mere 4.5 seconds. This performance surpasses that of the previous generation's 5.0L Coyote V8 models. Nevertheless, the S650 variant falls short of the muscle provided by the sixth-generation EcoBoost Performance model.
