Tuning the engines of the next Ford Mustang generation will be substantially more difficult due to software protection, Ford Authority reports quoting Edwin Krenz, Chief Engineer of the Mustang Project.
Reportedly, Krenz admitted that only authorized tuning shops will be allowed to upgrade the car. He stressed that the company did not intend to stop people from messing with their cars’ engines – rather, it was allegedly done to protect them from hacker attacks.
Krenz said software vulnerabilities could potentially be dangerous for cars and their drivers, which is why the latest Mustang takes advantage of a state-of-the-art architecture called Ford Fully-Networked Vehicle (FNV).
The FNV will also attempt to prevent theft of the personal information kept in the memory of the on-board electronic systems. He warned that any unsanctioned attempts to modify the software might lead to a full engine lock-up.
To sweeten up the pill, the company plans to release a number of special firmware programs for engines unlocking higher output modes. Only authorized tuners recognized as official Ford partners will get access to these. This approach will allegedly ensure the required level of cybersecurity.