The all-new Ford Mustang was unveiled last month, and while many components have been carried over from the previous model, Ford has made a big deal about the car’s new electric architecture. However, it turns out that the new Fully Networked Vehicle (FNV) could pose some serious problems for third-party modifiers.

Chief Engineer for the Mustang program, Ed Krenz, recently told Ford Authority that the new S650-generation Mustang will be “much more difficult” to tune as a result of its new FNV technology.

According to Krenz, the FNV system is encrypted to protect the driver’s personal data, making the car’s software almost impossible to access for third-party tuners. If the car detects that someone is trying to access or modify the vehicle’s code, the car can automatically shut itself down and prevent any kind of access.

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Installing upgraded third-party engine components will still be possible with the new Mustang, but owners probably won’t be able to tune their cars to take advantage of any hardware upgrades.

The locked-down FNV will be bad news for many third-party tuners, but Ford will probably try to capitalise on its customer’s thirst for more power. The American carmaker currently offers a host of manufacturer-approved tunes for the outgoing generation 2.3-litre four-cylinder EcoBoost Mustang and 5.0-litre V8 model, so don’t be surprised if the American carmaker offers similar upgrades for the upcoming ‘Stang.

The new Mustang isn’t the first American performance car to feature a locked-down electric architecture, as the current Chevrolet Corvette C8 also makes use of a similar system. The trend could spell bad news for many third-party car modifiers, but are big car manufacturers doing this intentionally to corner the market on tuning, or are they right to safeguard drivers’ data?

Next up, check out New Ford Mustang Is Going Racing Pretty Much Everywhere, Including Le Mans

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