Ford CEO Jim Farley is on the Mustang teaser train once again. The Blue Oval boss dropped a darkened image on social media showing the outline of a Mustang grille. The text in the post confirms the photo is related to “what’s next for Mustang,” and the letters GT/CS are clearly visible. Ford aficionados will instantly recognize this as badging for the Mustang California Special. But there’s more to this teaser than that.
Conjuring our best private investigator inner monologue, we mentally shouted enhance! to brighten the image. Clearly, Ford was expecting old-school journalists to do just that, as numbers and letters appeared on the lower left once the settings were cranked to maximum. They read: 11/11/23 and 33° 26′ 23.8″ N, 117° 37′ 40.116″ W.
Obviously, something relating to the California Special is happening on November 11, just three days away as this article posts. And based on every mystery/action/spy film we’ve ever seen, we can easily identify the string of numbers as precise coordinates on a map. Running them through Google, we arrive at the Outlets of San Clemente, a mall located in the Los Angeles suburb of San Clemente. Presumably, this is where we will find the stolen diamonds new California Special.
What does that mean for Mustang fans? The California Special has long been an appearance package for the enduring pony car, often bridging a gap between the GT and Shelby trims. It first appeared in 1968, offering a pseudo-Shelby look for a bit less cash. Ford revived the option in 2007, just in time for the revival of the Shelby GT500 and lower-spec Shelby GT. In fact, the 2007-2008 Mustang Shelby GT started life as a GT/CS and went to Shelby’s facility in Las Vegas for further upfits.
Changes to the GT/CS aren’t always just aesthetic. Modest tweaks to the exhaust system, intake, and suspension tuning have been part of the formula in the past. Of course, we have no idea if the current car will offer any mechanical upgrades to accompany the visual package.
Going by the not-so-secret clues in the teaser photo, a debut on November 11 at this outlet mall seems likely. And since we’re talking about the Mustang California Special, it would be downright silly if Ford didn’t also take its latest steed to the 2023 LA Auto Show, opening to the public on November 17.
