The S550 Mustang has scarcely been on the road for 18 months, and already we’re hearing the first rumors about the seventh-generation Mustang. A recent posting by Mustang6G.com reports to show that Ford is moving up its timeline for the next Mustang.

It’s widely known that Ford plans five to seven years ahead on its models. So while the S550 Mustang is in production today, it makes sense that Ford engineers and designs are already thinking into the next decade about what the Mustang will be.

According to Mustang6g, the seventh-gem Mustang, codenamed S650, is being moved from a production build date of January 2022, to a production date of May 2020, likely making it a 2021 model instead of a 2023. Mustang6g is speculating that this may be in response to the performance numbers being offered by the new Camaro, and some of the complaints lodged by Mustang loyalists regarding the S550 (sixth-gen) Mustang, including its larger size and weight over the previous S197 generation.

Mustang6g is telling us that its sources say a key focus of the S650 Mustang will be weight reduction. Extensive use of aluminum in the body in chassis will likely be a key to Ford dropping pounds off the Mustang. This would not only improve performance, but also fuel economy, likely keeping the Mustang in-line with upcoming EPA regulations.

No word yet on what will power the seventh-generation Mustang, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see the EcoBoost four cylinder become the primary engine, with some type of mid-level V6, and a Mustang GT with a V8 under its hood. Given that we’re still the better part of four years before this car is even in production, and possibly 3 or more before we see a press reveal, the fact that there’s no details yet is not surprising. We’ll keep you posted as more info leaks out. Until then head over to Mustang6g and check out the thread.