2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E Prototype Goes Fast, Drifts, and Does Donuts
Could it be a toy for Vaughn Gittin Jr. or Ken Block?
The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E in GT spec is sure to be a hoot with 459 horsepower and 619 pound-feet of torque. But it looks like Ford and/or one of its stunt-driving cohorts is working on a Mach-E that's even more fun than what customers will be able to buy. A video posted to YouTube shows a stripped-down Mach-E with a variety of modifications drifting and doing donuts. It was all taken at North Carolina Center for Automotive Research according to Jalopnik and Road & Track.
It's quite obvious that it's a Mach-E, as the whole body between the pillars is present, albeit without glass and trim. It also appears to have the low, floor-mounted batteries of the upcoming electric crossover. And when the driver steps on it, it emits a loud whine somewhere between R/C car and jet engine. Major modifications to the car are present, though. The front has ditched the factory MacPherson strut suspension in favor of a custom upper and lower control arm design, probably bolted to a custom subframe. The rear lacks a hatch, and in its place is a bunch of equipment that might be cooling equipment for the batteries and motors. And we do believe it has two motors, since it's clear this car is all-wheel drive from the smoke coming off the front tires later in the video. Speaking of tires, they're extremely wide with thick sidewalls.
Looking at the car, we highly doubt this will be a production model. Rather it seems like a one-off track car to be used at exhibitions and for publicity. There's a good chance it's being developed with a stunt driver or drifter that works closely with Ford, the most obvious choices being Ken Block and Vaughn Gittin Jr. Supporting the possibility of Vaughn Gittin Jr. is that Jalopnik reports his company RTR has worked on projects at North Carolina Center for Automotive Research, and Road & Track believes that the truck in the background is an RTR-modified Ford F-150. Of course, Ken Block is a world-renowned stunt driver and was even featured in some of the Mustang Mach-E's debut material, so either seems possible. Regardless of who gets the car, we can't wait to see it.
