If we think about it, 2011 was a simpler time. Half of the population didn’t yell “Fake news!” at every mention of, oh, climate change or any other existential crisis, NASCAR didn’t have , and LMFAO was teaching us all how to and , one song replay at a time.
That might explain why Ford hasn’t debuted an entirely new NASCAR Xfinity Series Mustang race car since bringing out the 2011 version, leaving it back in a time of less worry as its appearance continued to age on track. But just like the rest of us, Ford last week that the Xfinity Series Mustang is now up to date—or it will be, when the 2020 race season starts.
Welcome to hell, modern Mustang. It just keeps getting hotter out here, for some reason.
The new car in NASCAR’s second-tier will be the fifth new motorsports Mustang that Ford’s rolled out in the past year, the announcement said, and it was about time—the last time Ford unveiled a new Mustang for the Xfinity Series was eight full years ago. That 2011 race car has won several driver and owner championships in the series, starting with the year it debuted.
The old Mustang is one of those quirks you can’t help but enjoy, especially in a sport that prides itself on #aligning with the #brand #image, even if drivers are out there running Toyota Camrys and Supras with V8 engines in them. But the car is starting to look older and older on track, with its droopy sticker headlights and overall sad face conforming to its old body style—especially next to the more updated looks like the Supra.
Thus, the new look of the Xfinity Series Mustang will come around when the 2020 season starts in February, ushering us all out of 2011 for good. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad one, we may never know.
Party rock in peace, old Mustang.