Does the 2018 Mustang remind you of Darth Vader? Ford says it should

By Albert Khoury Published May 7, 2017

2018 Ford Mustang — Image used with permission by copyright holder

May the Fourth and Revenge of the Fifth have passed, but we get excited for Star War-related news whenever we get it. And in the rare case when elements of the franchise are brought out into the real world, we get ecstatic. The refreshed 2018 Mustang comes into play here, with a new face that may bring to mind a certain heavy-breathing Sith lord.

Yes, it was revealed that the new Mustang takes inspiration from Darth Vader, particularly his helmet and mask, and the news comes straight from the horse’s mouth. Ford’s design manager Melvin Betancourt recently spoke to Autoblog regarding the background of this design.

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“When we were designing the new 2018 Mustang, the team wanted to make the new model look more aggressive, and one place where we found inspiration was one of the most famous screenplay villains of all time,” Betancourt said. “The angled nostrils and contours of Darth Vader’s mask became the inspiration for the Mustang’s new fog lamp scoops and front-end shape.”

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Interpretation is in the eye of the beholder, so not everyone may see what Ford wanted you to see. But keep in mind that carmakers can take influence from anything, they don’t aim to directly superimpose that image onto the vehicle. Strong and standout elements are taken into consideration, and the best designs subtly integrate these into the car’s natural curves, points, and surfaces.

Whether or not you see the Vader resemblance, the 2018 Mustang does appear more aggressive. The shrunken, angled headlights glare at the road ahead, and a gaping grille makes it look hungry for its next meal. The meaner look may be polarizing, but it’s starting to grow on us.

Regarding the homage to one of history’s greatest silver screen supervillains, it helps if the Mustang in question is decked out in Ford’s Shadow Black paint.

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