To be honest when Ford unveiled the Mustang Mach E, it felt like sacrilege to the Mustang name. Not only because it was electric, but a Mustang SUV? No, thank you. Now though, we are happy to report that the Mustang department is back to business as usual. The Mach 1 has been an iconic moniker in the Mustang lineup since it came around in the late ‘60s. It has appeared as a variant on a lot of iterations of the Mustang until Ford killed the moniker off in 2004. However, Ford will revive the Mach 1 this year and they’re making some bold claims about its performance too.
In terms of styling, the pictures released by the company show a camouflaged unit but it isn’t too hard to spot some unique details. At the front the Mach 1 will get a fairly aggressive bumper and two very distinct circular air intakes on either side of the galloping Mustang logo. The rear shows off a large spoiler, raked at quite an aggressive angle which should help with downforce on a racetrack. The sole picture of the wheels shows off 19-inch rims wrapped in track focused Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber.
Details are scarce but expect the Mustang Mach 1 to be faster than the GT models, while still not being as quick (or expensive) as the Shelby lineup. “Mach 1 has always been that bridge between base Mustangs and the Shelby models,” says Ted Ryan, heritage brand manager, Ford Archives. “From a style and handling perspective, the original Mach 1 managed to stand out as unique, even in the Mustang lineup – and as the name implies, it could really move.”
The return of the Mach 1 is much awaited among the Mustang cult as well as the car enthusiast community as a whole. The company says we will get our first look at the Mach 1 “this spring”, but we’re already transitioning into summer. However, the increased number of spy shots suggest a reveal date will be announced sooner rather than later.