Do these wheel-arch louvers foreshadow another high-performance Mustang? (Photo Credit: Mustang6g.com)

Thanks to everyone man, woman, and child having a smartphone, it is nearly impossible for auto manufacturers to keep their test vehicles a secret for too long. For those who can’t wait to see the latest and greatest updates to the Ford Mustang, they often turn to forums for leaked information.

Recently, a forum member, Jay159866, posted photos in a 2019 GT500 thread. Based on the information available users are speculating that these pictures show a new preproduction test vehicle, which looks a lot like the current GT350 with a few tweaks..

One notable feature that gave credence to this theory is the addition of wheel-arch louvers, which have yet to be seen on previous versions of current production vehicles. The speculation is that this could be the next-gen GT500.

Although the rear of the test car is exposed, the front end features plenty of camouflage making it difficult to discern which variant is being road tested. One photo shows little bit of what is hiding beneath the layers of padding; what is revealed on the exposed side are wheel arch louvers.

These louvers could be a styling feature, but they may have an actual purpose if they are being used on the performance versions, like the GT500 or another specialty model. If these louvers are functional, they are likely designed for aerodynamics or to aid in the cooling. Based on the visual performance cues such as the wheels and rear spoiler, it is likely they are functional.

Do you think this is the next GT500 or another new specialty model?