Twitters began flying in the last few days with rumors that Ford is going to bring back the Mustang SVO nameplate which was last seen in 1986 with a turbocharged 4-cylinder Mustang that has European breeding. The suggestion is that Ford’s Ecoboost’d 4-cylinder power plant finding it’s way between the frame rails is going to make more than 300 horsepower and needs a special marketing flair to help boost sales.

This rumor comes courtesy of Garage419 and Jalopnik, who have suggested that the return of the SVO comes from the 1980’s gas price crisis and emissions regulations, not much different from the conditions we find ourselves in come 2008.

The previous version of the Mustang SVO made 205 hp and include such upgrades as better seats, suspension, and a different external look/body panels. Some are suggesting that the new SVO could outperform the V8 GT due to it’s lighter weight and possibly better weight distribution. Garage419 says the SVO could be 500 lbs lighter than the GT.

Well, there is no way that’s possible. A 4-cyl with all of the turbo hardware (turbos, intercoolers, lines) is not going to weigh dramatically less than an aluminum block V8 (maybe 150 lbs at most).

As to the performance improvement, from me to you, the reader, I highly doubt this. Ford wouldn’t upstage the GT, and the lack of torque a small displacement turbocharged engine would produce would be hard to move a still heavy coupe weighing north of 3,300 lbs.