Remember when people rioted across the streets of the internet when Ford announced it was going to use the Mach 1 name and what has now debuted as the Mach-E? Well, a new video – on that has since been taken private – posted by CJPonyParts, suggested that the Mach 1 name was going to be applied to a new Mustang once the Mustang Bullitt is killed off in 2021. Details were scarce, and the video is now AWOL, but here’s what we think we know.
The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Will Be Powerful
According to Ford Authority and Carbuzz, who actually saw the video, the Mach 1 was said to offer more horsepower than the base Mustang GT.
The Mustang Bullitt is also said to be at the end of production in 2021, which will leave a gap to fill. It sat between the GT and Shelby GT350 with around 500 horsepower, just 26 ponies less than the GT350 with 526 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque. With all of this in mind, it’s not out of the question for the new Mach 1 to be just a bit more powerful than the soon-to-be-discontinued Mustang Bullitt.
However, Ford could take things one step further and position it between the GT350 and GT500, something we assume would push it closer to the 600-horsepower range to keep things even between the two Shelby models. It was said that the new Mach 1 would share some components with the GT350 and the GT Performance Pack Level 2, so this theory actually holds water to some extent.
The new Mustang Mach 1 Might Be Electric!
Remember that all-electric Form Mustang Lithium on display at SEMA 2019?
With that said, the Webasto setup in the Mustang Lithium concept was good for 900 horsepower and more than 1,000 pound-feet of torque. That’s not going to happen – instead, the Mustang Mach 1, if it does turn out to be electric, would probably share a lot of powertrain components with the Ford Mach-E electric SUV. } The GT Performance model pumps out 459 horsepower and 612 pound-feet of torque, so it’s really not that far off from what we expect from the Mach 1 – a few tweaks here and there and it could easily move closer to GT350 power range. Electric range for that model would probably be somewhere in the 250-mile bracket, though, so range would be somewhat limited.
So how does that bit about borrowing parts from the GT350 and GT Performance pack fit in with an electric mustang? Well, the Mach 1 has to look the part of the performance car, so you can bet it will borrow some of the aggressive DNA from the GT350 (not all of it, as it will probably sit just below it) and the styling found in the GT Performance Pack Level 2. I’m talking about the wheels, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Tires, Brembo Brakes, and – maybe – the aluminum instrument panel.
Final Thoughts
Sure, the Mach 1 EV theory is a little out there, but Ford does have a functional, production-ready electric drivetrain and the electric drivetrain would be able to give the Mach 1 the performance it needs to fit in the lineup without needing too much work from Ford Engineers. With the Mustang Lithium already built and displayed, they even have something to work with in terms of packaging, assuming there’s any similarity between the Mustang Lithium and Ford’s new EV powertrain.
I’m still not sure how I really feel about the idea. I guess a big part of me wants the Mach 1 – coming back after a 15-year hiatus, by the way - to feature the same 5.2-liter flat-plane crank V-8 from the Shelby GT models. Hell, a part of me even wants it to sit at the 600-horsepower mark between the GT350 and GT500. But, the future is electric and, if the Mach 1 name is going to be used, and it certainly will be used again, I’d prefer it to at least be used on a muscle car- even if it’s electric. An electric Mach 1 muscle car will still be 100 times better than a Mach 1 SUV, and Ford’s already seen how badly that was received, so this is really the only option if the name will ever be used on an SUV.