Road Test Review: Ford Mustang Mach 1

Sunday, 11 July 2021

Ford's mighty Mustang Mach 1 is here, so now Kiwis can get their hands of the Mustang made from Shelby GT350 and GT500 bits.

FORD MUSTANG MACH 1
Base price: $97,990
Powertrain and economy: 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V8, 345kW/556Nm, six-speed manual, RWD, combined economy 13.9L/100km, CO2 319g/km (source: RightCar).

Jet Fighter Grey with orange highlights – the Mustang Mach 1 leaves you in no doubt of its intentions.

Vital statistics: 4787mm long, 1915mm wide, 1379mm high, 2720mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 382 litres, 19-inch alloy wheels.
We like: Naturally aspirated V8 sound and power, awesome looks, manual.

The classic Mach 1 badges are everywhere and the new car effectively pays tribute to the original.

We don't like: Drinks petrol, safety rating, tech feeling a bit dated

The Ford Mustang Mach 1 has been an icon of the early Mustangs, often touted as the best of the generation. Now, Ford has made another one, calling it the fastest Mustang around a track ever to come to New Zealand.

Shouldn’t that be one of the Shelby models?

Only the ‘Jet Fighter Grey’ Mach 1 gets the orange highlights. It’s the only one to get orange brake calipers too.

Ford never built those in right-hand drive, so sadly we never got them. The Mach 1 would probably still give a slightly older GT350 a run for its money though, considering the upgrades Ford has given it.

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Besides some seat highlights and a Mach 1 build plate, it’s pretty much Mustang as usual inside.

There’s the engine from the Bullitt special edition, which bumps power to 345kW thanks to modifications like an Open Air Induction System, intake manifold and 87mm throttle bodies (coincidentally shared with the Shelby GT350), recalibrated software, and a new, throatier exhaust with 4.5-inch tips.

Nope, those circular features in the grille aren’t functional in any way.

Other Mach 1-specifics include a bunch of aerodynamic changes to create 22 per cent more downforce than the standard Mustang GT, thanks to a new two-piece upper grille, new lower grille and splitter, and new side grilles, as well as a rear diffuser design shared by the Shelby GT500. There’s also a cooler for the mechanical limited-slip differential, another cooler for the transmission and yet another cooler for the engine oil.

There’s also a longer undertray that incorporates dedicated fins that direct cooling air to the brakes.

Those big exhaust pipes aren’t just for show – the Mach 1 sounds magnificently angry!

The MagneRide suspension has been specially tuned to work with stiffer front springs and anti-roll bars. The GT350 and GT500 also donate their subframes and toe-link components – Ford says this gives the Mach 1 the “sharpest Mustang steering responses in yet in New Zealand”.

So this is sort of a bridge-the-gap performance model between the GT and the Shelbys?

Exactly right, and Ford describes it as so.

As a result of all those changes, this is a fast, loud car. The new exhaust should be standard on every Mustang – it sounds utterly phenomenal. Instead of modes like Quiet, Normal and Loud, think of it more being Loud, Louder and Loudest.

The tester had the beautiful six-speed Tremec manual transmission as well, although you can buy the Mach 1 with Ford’s ten-speed automatic as well. The manual has rev-match functionality which blips the engine on the downshift (more fantastic noises) and holds the revs there to ensure smooth gear changes, but it also gets no-lift shifting, which feels extremely weird the first time you do it.

It seems to only work at above roughly 5000rpm, and it's as simple as flooring the throttle, kicking the clutch in (right foot still buried in the carpet) and changing gears. The car cuts the throttle to reduce RPMs then lets it all back in when you let the clutch out again. It’s more designed for use around a race track, but it certainly makes motorway on-ramps disappear quickly.

I also discovered that if you rev the engine right out – and this V8 will really rev, with a redline of 7500rpm – and shift normally, you get a fantastic whip-crack through the quad pipes before the cacophony starts again.

In terms of power delivery, it’s very different to a V8 from Germany, all of which are turbocharged these days. The rejigged Coyote V8 develops torque later, owing to the lack of forced induction, but the power curve is much more linear as a result. Power comes in strong and steady, in such a way that you might not notice the speed has crept into triple digits.

Just try and ignore the fuel consumption gauge – it’s a bit of a buzzkill.

How do the other new bits and pieces feel?

Unfortunately, I couldn’t drive the Mach 1 on the track, but on windy back roads those upgrades are much appreciated. The steering has especially improved. There’s still a deadspot in the middle when cruising, but it’s much less noticeable than I remember and the accuracy through the corners is beautiful. It’s still not quite on the level of the Germans, but most people won’t be left wanting.

Standard-fit Recaro seats support you nicely without being difficult to get in and out of and ride quality is easily tolerable thanks to the adjustable suspension. I left it in Normal mode for most of the time as it absorbed the worse parts of the road without upsetting the car while still offering a good amount of firmness. This is easily the best-handling Mustang I’ve ever driven on regular roads, so on a proper race-track, it should be a bit of a monster.

That grille… Is it entirely functional?

No, and that’s annoying. The circles in the Mach 1’s nose don’t do anything, but it looks like the plastic covering can be levered out. I can’t help but feel like Ford could have piped in an intake or something, or perhaps given them some DRLs like the RTR Mustang.

But despite that, it’s hard to find negatives about this car. I’ve said before that recommending a V8 in 2021 is tough, and I stick by that, but on the other hand, the go-faster yobbo in me is saying this is the only (and probably last) way to get a naturally aspirated V8 with a manual transmission. And it’s less than $100,000.

I will say that the tech feels dated now. The touchscreen is responsive but fairly small and, thanks to that new grille, the Mach 1 doesn’t have adaptive cruise control. Thankfully, it still has autonomous emergency braking and lane-keep assist, so it can keep the three-star ANCAP rating.

Any other cars I should consider?

Well, you’d have to expand your search a bit because if you want a manual V8, the Mustang is about your only option. If you are open to new ideas, there’s the Toyota GR Supra ($99,290) which is less powerful but lighter (and automatic and not a V8).

In terms of manual V8 muscle cars – well, there really aren’t any anymore. GMSV has dropped the more expensive Camaro, while Dodge has never offered a factory-backed option here (and doesn’t even officially exist here anymore anyway), while all the Aussie options are also long gone.

The Europeans alternatives are WAY more expensive (and generally not available in manual forms) and, while the RHD Corvette is coming here, it will start at $154,900, essentially leaving the Mach 1 in a segment of one. A brilliantly addictive, thoroughly exhilarating segment of one, that is.