Ford this week filed an application to reserve a name with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The name the company applied to reserve? Mach 4.
When it comes to Mach at Ford, there's a lot of history. There are of course the Mach 1 performance variants that have been offered throughout the model's history. Younger fans will make the connection with the Mustang Mach-E electric SUV.
And the next generation of fans may well come to associate the Mach name with something new altogether.
A Mustang sedan?
The first possibility is one that has speculated about for some time: a Mustang sedan. That idea has been thrown around at Ford HQ for the past 60 years. In fact, when the first-generation Mustang was designed, a four-door prototype was built. In 2018, the company reportedly even showed a concept to dealers before the project was shelved.
Last May, Ford Authority reported that Ford's top boss, Jim Farley, believed it was possible a Mustang sedan would eventually be offered, but only if it offered the coupe's level of performance and character.
Something Raptor?
The other rumor fuelling discussions is that the name Mach 4 could be linked to this off-road Raptor machine being studied at Ford. In January, Jim Farley told the Top Gear website that the company was developing something, but had no definite answers yet.
One thing's for sure: the reservation of the Mach 4 name is getting tongues wagging, and those tongues are likely to keep on wagging until we know what Ford intends to do with the name, if anything.
Because yes, it's possible Ford simply wants to control the name. But that would be surprising this time, as it's not used elsewhere and Ford isn't too likely to have it snatched away.
We'll see what's announced in the coming year.