In 1979, Ford introduced a bold new idea to the muscle car world; turbocharged, four-cylinder engines. As the double whammy of high gas prices and restrictive emissions equipment killed the horsepower of big-displacement V8 engines. So Ford got fancy with the SVO Mustang, using a turbocharged version of the fuel-injected 2.3 liter Pinto motor. And it worked well enough to survive until 1984, when it disappeared for what many thought was forever.

However, history is known to repeat itself, and with the emphasis on going green and increasing fuel economy once again in the national spotlight, it may be time for the SVO Mustang to return. Motor Authority reports that Ford is indeed bringing the SVO back, using a bored-out version of the 237 horsepower/250 ft-lbs of torque 2.0 liter EcoBoost found in the 2013 Ford Taurus.

Back in “the day,” the Mustang SVO had a peak horsepower output of 175 ponies, with 210 ft-lbs of torque on tap. That was enough for it to keep pace with, if not beat, the V8-powered Mustang GT of the day. And Ford has delved back into turbocharging with a vengeance, unleashing three different EcoBoost engines thus far, in 1.6, 2.0, and 3.5 liter flavors. While we thought the 3.5 liter engine, with 365 horsepower and up to 420 ft-lbs of torque, made the most sense for a Mustang, Motor Authority reports that a bored-out version of the 2.0 liter EcoBoost will be the new Mustang SVO’s motor of choice.

The engine will receive a revised cylinder head designed, and be bored out to 2.3 liters…recalling those days of yore when the SVO first roamed the streets. With the Mustang’s 50^th anniversary right around the corner as well, a Mustang SVO (along with a Lincoln-based counterpart, finally) could hit streets as soon as 2015…if the rumors are true. And since Bill Ford Jr. recently let it slip that the Blue Oval is making a successor to the SVO, it is starting to look better and better every day.