The New Ford Mustang Mach 1 Will Be A 5.0 Budget GT350
Although we were already pretty sure it was happening, Ford last week confirmed its all-new Mustang Mach 1. A few days on, we have a fresh batch of spy shots for the car, showing a much angrier front end than the test mule in Ford’s shots, sporting a seriously low-hanging front splitter. Approach those speed bumps with care.
‘Ford Icons’ boss Dave Pericak has promised the car would be “the most track-capable 5.0-litre Mustang ever,” and although we don’t have many firms details on how the Mach 1 will do that, Ford has said it’ll get “unique Mach 1 handling suspension” and bigger Brembo front brakes.
Although it’ll sit below the 350 in the Mustang hierarchy, it won’t be a poor relation to its big brother - the presence of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 semi-slicks proves Ford isn’t mucking about here. It’ll miss out on its big brother’s 526bhp flat-plane ‘Voodoo’ V8, of course, but we suspect the power gap will be narrowed via the use of the Bullitt-spec version of the 5.0-litre Coyote, which is good for 473bhp.
The GT350’s 5.2-litre V8 and the GT500’s fantastically-named ‘Predator’ eight-cylinder unit of the same size can’t be brought to Europe due to emissions rules, but the Coyote? That’s homologated and good to go. While the Mach 1 could technically come to Europe, however, it seems there are no plans to bring it here at present. Let’s hope Ford changes its mind.
By the looks of it, the Mach 1 won’t have to compete with either the GT350 or the Bullitt, with both notably absent from the recently leaked document which first confirmed the new Mach 1’s existence. This might give credence to the theory that the Mach 1 will merely be a very lightly diluted GT350 with the 5.2 swapped for a 5.0. From the latest spy shots, the aero profile for the newest member of the sixth-gen ‘Stang family certainly doesn’t look all that different to the GT350’s.
However it shapes up, it’ll be a welcome return for a name we haven’t seen on the Pony Car for 16 years. And also a surefire way to placate any Mustang fans wounded by the ‘Mach’ name being adopted for an electric SUV…
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
I just hope they will finally axe that ancient torque converter automatic transmission and only offer the manual or the GT500’s DCT. I’m not sure from the interior photo, but it looks a lot like the manual shift knob.
It’s the cueball shifter from the Bullitt, by the looks of it
It’s hardly ancient, it’s a 10 speed which shifts very quickly. All other major manufacturers still use TC autos as well.
I wonder when they will drop a new model tho.
They are doing pretty much the same thing Nissan is doing with the GT-R R35.
Facelift, after facelift, after facelift.
Mustang generations usually have a life cycle of 10 years, with the exception of the 2nd gen (1974-1978 - 4 years) and the 3rd gen (1978-1993 - 15 years), so this one can have around 2 to 4 years to go
the S550’s only been out for 6 years, though. The R35’s been out for 13. Hell, the mustang’s only had 1 facelift, the mach 1 is just the product of combining a bunch of parts from different trims to make a new one.
“While the Mach 1 could technically come to Europe, however, it seems there are no plans to bring it here at present.”
Why not?
Will Ford ever stop living in its past? Sad ….
That will be the best Mustang that isn’t the GT350, perfectly balanced and built to be a track weapon but not overpowered that you can’t enjoy it
Not sure why they decided to can the GT350 models?
It was a great car that fit perfectly between the Mustang GT and the GT500..
The Mach1 is just like the Bullet version of the Mustang GT ..
I feel the GT350 versions will be really missed by buyers that cannot afford a GT500, but don’t want a upgraded Mustang GT!
I think the gt350 was supposed to be a special limited edition so they don’t want to make too many and ruin the value. I think the Mach ! is getting gt350 suspension.
So, lemme get this straight. They went through all that effort and time to create the flat-plane crank Voodoo V8 in the GT350, only to use it in the one car? Ford, how in the world do you manage your finances?