Mustang Mach 1: As close as you’ll get to a track focused Mustang in Europe
No this is not the EV SUV. It’s a big misconception I’ve heard a lot over the weekend. So what really is the Mustang Mach 1? And is it any good?
So the Mustang Mach 1 is still the classic fastback bodystyle we all know and love. No, the Mach 1 does not come as a convertible. The Mach 1 sits above the GT and below the GT350 (now out of production) and GT500 in the pony hierarchy. It also bears hommage to the amazing Mach 1 from 1969. What does this all mean in terms of what you get? Let’s run it down.
Sharp looks
Whilst the Mach 1 isn’t the top dog in America, it is the top dog over here in Europe. Visually it needs to stand out compared to the “regular” Mustang over here. And luckily it does. First and foremost, the thing you’ll instantly recognise when seeing the car come up in your rear view mirror, is the iconic grille with the lights in them. Well, they’re not actually lights but it’s a nod to the original Mach 1. The lower front fascia is also completely different. The chin spoiler is a lot deeper and more aggressive whilst the side intakes have also grown to allow for more cooling.
At the back it’s a little less pronounced, well not really because the diffusor is a lot more aggressive, I mean just look at the massive quad exhausts. They’re lovely, and so is the sound that comes out of those. But we’ll get back to that in a minute.
There’s multiple Mach 1 badges around the car but the most prominent design feature on the Mach 1 is the Mach 1 Design Package. This features the Fighter Jet Grey paint as seen here, and the unique black and orange hood and side stripes. And finally orange accents throughout the exterior.
Performance to back up the looks
Now we’re getting to the really good part. As you know, every manufacturer in Europa has to deliver on average CO2 emissions across the range. This is the reason the Ecoboost was dropped. For some reason or under some exemption, the 5.0L V8 GT was allowed to stay and we’re very thankful for that.
The cross-plane V8 has been tickled and produces 460 hp naturally, just as you’d want your American V8.
This is hooked up to a Tremec six-speed manual (out of the GT350) or in our case the 10-Speed Automatic.
This all is pretty minor stuff until now but the Mach 1 has a purpose to fulfil. And that’s to be good at other things than driving in a straight line. Yes, I know what you’re thinking, shocking.
The Mustang Mach 1’s suspension is hooked up to the former GT350's front and rear subframes and features Ford's latest version of magnetorheological dampers. To translate what this means, I’ve borrowed Nick for a moment:
This type of damper is a regular shock absorber with the addition of an electromagnet and a special type of damper fluid. The main task of the damper is to decelerate the vertical movement of the wheel, therefore maintaining contact with the road. It does this by moving a piston with tiny fluid passages through the damper fluid. This movement is restricted (and thus decelerated) by the viscosity of the damper fluid. Among other manufacturers, Ford’s MagneRide uses a magnetorheological damper fluid that has tiny ferromagnetic particles in it. When the electromagnet is actuated, it creates a magnetic field. This magnetic field aligns the magnetic particles in the damper fluid in such a way that the particles greatly contribute to the viscosity of the fluid. Now, the viscosity of the fluid that has to pass through the passages in the piston is affected by the intensity of the magnetic field, resulting in a fully adjustable damper characteristic.
The Mach 1 also gets bigger diff and transmission coolers, 6-piston Brembo brakes,… It’s basically to track prep this car as best as possible.
Okay but what does all this tech talk translate into?
It results in a much more pokey engine, combined with the 10-speed automatic, you would not believe how fast this beast rips through gears. The induction sound from the revised air intake really livens up the car and makes you wonder why other manufacturers don’t access more of the sound from there? Of course there’s the burble of the quad exhaust to balance the whole sound experience beautifully. Bonus feature is that this exhaust has valves which operate in 4 different modes for all your enjoyment as well as keeping the neighbours happy.
I do want to come back to the transmission because it’s one of the biggest love/hate relationships I’ve had with any gearbox in the last few years. Push the car and it’s unreal how fast it downshifts multiple gears, how fast it changes cogs on upshifts. Not what I expected from an automatic transmission with 10 (!!) gears. However what I also didn’t expect from an automatic transmission was how jolty it would be on normal driving. It almost felt like someone who just learnt how to drive was changing gears from time to time. Sometimes it would just start to roll back massively by itself whilst you’re in a forward gear.
So now what you’ve really been waiting for. The handeling. The Mustang is a big car and the first time you’re driving it, you can really feel that. You get used to it quite easily but it still remains a big car. Most of that feel comes from the intimidating long front hood. And coming in just under 1.800 kg, it’s not the lightest kid on the block either.
But okay enough of bickering on this kid. Because once you start driving it, you can immediately feel the MagneRide do its work. Under normal driving the ride is very forgiving and doesn’t throw you around all too much. But as you toggle the switch to the sportier modes of this V8 beast, the suspension firms up, the steering becomes heavier and the exhaust louder. It really ticks all the boxes.
And the grip is amazing how it pulls through the corners, both front and rear grip actually. This is especially nice considering the brutal V8 that really likes to punish the rear tires. Steering feedback is better than compared to the GT but it isn’t the greatest. I also think it would’ve been nicer if the steering wheel was wrapped in alcantara.
And ultimately the combination of a naturally aspirated V8 Mustang with proper cornering capabilities is something everyone can love in a day and age where it’s all about electrification.
So is the Mach 1 worth the extra cash?
The Mustang Mach 1 is a seriously capable car and whilst packing the punch, the intake and exhaust sound cannot be matched in this segment or even the segment above. It doesn’t sacrifice on creature comforts of practicality which makes it a win in my book. Build quality is solid but interior feel is still miles off from the premium segment. Hey what am I complaining, this car isn’t really competing on price with those guys but in performance it’s giving them an ass kicking. The 10-Speed should be good for day to day in theory but I found that to be the obvious, the 6-Speed TREMEC is known to be marvellous.
This is the most complete Mustang that Ford offers in Europe, skip the GT. Just on name alone, you want the MACH 1.
