Is The 2026 Ford Maverick GT Real?

In the automotive industry, when you hear the name "Maverick," you probably envision Ford's pickup, which was launched in 2022. Since it debuted, the Maverick truck has been increasing in popularity, with a total of 131,142 units sold in the U.S. in 2024. We spent time behind the wheel of this truck with our 2024 Ford Maverick review, and noted its base model is very affordable, and it sips gasoline, offering fantastic fuel economy.

However, the Maverick name first showed up on a 1970s era compact car. It was then also used for a rebadged Nissan SUV released in Australia, not unlike several other Ford models you didn't realize were rebadged from other brands. The first version of Maverick (the compact car) was Ford's answer to the increasing number of imports coming into the U.S. at the time offering drivers smaller, cheaper vehicles with better gas mileage. The more robust powertrain option in the 1970 Maverick was a 200 cubic-inch (3.2-liter) inline-6 that made 120 horsepower. The Maverick car continued up until 1977 with some models even offering an optional V8.

Fast-forward to today, and images of a new Ford Maverick GT muscle car have been circulating on social media, getting fans of the original hyped. Unfortunately, the pictures in question are all fake, created by artificial intelligence (AI) imaging tools.

While AI-generated images are getting better, they still lack certain details which are a telltale sign of fakery. For example, look for small specifics on the car, such as the Ford badge, or any lettering on the rear. Many AI image tools can create complex lighting, shadows, and reflections, but can't get automaker logos or text correct. Instead, you'll see distorted lines that perhaps upon quick glance might fool you, but close-up look nothing like they should. In the above image, notice how Ford is spelled "FOD," and Maverick is written as "MMAVENERICKR."

Another easy way to identify AI trickery is at work, is to perform a search for the vehicle on a video sharing platform like YouTube. One thing you might find, is that there are multiple videos touting the return of the Maverick car, but the vehicle itself looks completely different in each clip. If this so-called new car is releasing soon, why isn't the body and style of the vehicle consistent across multiple channels?

In 2023, automakers collectively used $12 billion on advertising. Armed with exhaustive market research data, these vehicle manufactures run many targeted ad campaigns simultaneously, competing for drivers' attention. With so much money and energy invested in marketing, Ford would want its vehicles clearly defined for potential buyers.

While it is common for the car industry to reuse model names from previous years and even borrow some from the competition, Ford likely wouldn't use the same moniker on multiple vehicle types that were currently in production. Considering Ford's Maverick became one of its most popular trucks, suddenly releasing a car that shared its name would potentially confuse buyers.

In addition, the process of developing a new car is lengthy and expensive. Developing a new car can take as much as seven years, with elements like brand-new engine designs (not borrowing anything from existing options) running between $500 million and $1 billion. Considering the Maverick truck is a successful model for the automaker, why invest all that money and risk into a new build from-the-ground-up with the same name?