Ford Mustang Mach-E GT Rally: Sportversion mal anders

Whether the Mach-E deserves its “Mustang” nickname is still the subject of heated debate. The character of the electric crossover seems to be very far from that of the horse car that gave its name. But Ford is at least trying to sharpen the character of the long-legged, more than two-ton truck toward sportiness. The Mustang Mach-E GT Rally was announced at the Goodwood Festival of Speed ​​in mid-July 2023, which will mark the future flagship of the series. Ford works driver and former rally world champion Ott Tänak drove the electric car to the hill race at Lord of March Park while still wearing camouflage.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E Racing, which was developed for more than a year, was shown at the IAA in Munich without fading. With the raised design compared to the standard Mach-E-GT, a differently designed spoiler lip is visible. There is also a new attachment for the pull straps behind the rocker on the front apron. There is also a plastic insert in the stylized radiator grille, which accommodates two additional lights. The headlights also have new graphics. The vertical elements eliminate the kink in the upper area and the horizontal LED light line is now divided into three parts.

With guard rails and spoiler for Focus RS

Unlike the standard Ford Mustang Mach-E GT GT GT, the version of the rally has wheel arches with solid-looking plastic panels, which, if desired, flow into the water folds in the lower area. Sills and side roof pieces also have protective elements made of plastic. Films for door panels and wheel arches are resistant to stone damage. A roof spoiler in the style of the Focus RS towers over the rear. For the body, there is a choice of four color finishes at no additional charge and two at an additional cost. The stripes on the front hood and tail are color coordinated. The roof always has a glossy black finish.

Inside, the Rally version also looks slightly different from the familiar Mustang Mach-E GT. Ford keeps the basic design with a small horizontal driver information display and a large vertical infotainment touchscreen. White accents on the dashboard and steering wheel along with decorative stitching on the instrument panel, interior door panels and seats reduce the look. The sports seats also have white inserts on the backrests and “Mach-E Rally” embossing.

A more powerful Mach-E drive as usual

On the technical side, the Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally is based on the previous version of the GT. However, it comes with a new performance upgrade as standard (see the video after the first paragraph), which includes a new electric motor on the rear axle as well as a fundamentally improved and electronically balanced all-wheel drive train. This means that the power remains the same (358 kW or 487 hp), but the torque increases from a maximum of 813 to 950 Newton meters. This means the Rallye accelerates from zero to 60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 3.4 seconds – a tenth of a second slower than the standard GT with the performance upgrade. New covers protect the two engines against possible damage from below, for example from blasted gravel.

The Mustang Mach-E Rally also retains the capacity of a lithium-ion battery with 91 usable kilowatt hours (total: 98.7 kWh). However, the range drops by 48 km to 402 km compared to its lower sibling. The Mustang Mach-E GT Rally chassis features Magne-Ride shock absorbers, tuned springs and a 20-millimeter lift. It rolls on flat, white-painted rally-style 19-inch rims, which carry rugged Michelin tires. Cross-Climate-2 with size 235/55 R19. Behind the wheels are components of the Brembo brake system with red calipers and 385 mm discs on the front axle.

New driving mode “Rally Sport”

The Mustang Mach-E Rally is intended to provide the ultimate in fun with a specially executed “Rally Sport” driving mode, which is tuned and optimized especially for use on loose surfaces. In this scheme, the electronic control systems allow greater angles of movement and a more aggressive damping structure is intended to make cornering more precise. The more linear response of the accelerator pedal should also result in direct feedback.

In the USA, Ford has already opened the order books for the new Mustang Mach-E GT Rally – in Germany it will arrive on April 30, 2024. It costs at least $59,995 in the US (currently equivalent to around 56,400 euros). This makes it a good $5,000 more expensive than the standard GT with the performance upgrade. The rally version may also be more expensive in this country than the familiar Mustang Mach-E GT, which currently costs at least 77,300 euros – without the performance upgrade.