2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Test Drive (The Car Guide)
Hardcore to the Mach.
Muscle car and pony car enthusiasts were sad to see Ford axe their beloved Shelby GT350 not long after the fabulous, 760-horsepower Shelby GT500 became the new alpha stallion in the Mustang lineup.
They can find solace in the return of the illustrious Mach 1, however. This new model inherits a few performance goodies from both the departed GT350 and the new GT500 as it takes the torch — and the celebrated V8 engine — from the limited-edition Mustang Bullitt.
The original Mach 1 launched in 1969, while the latest came in 2003. For 2021, Ford didn’t just put some kind of disguise on the Mustang and call it a day. The automaker has meticulously developed a car that excels on the track while costing a whole lot less than the Shelby models.
Muscle and Gusto
Engineers didn’t need to look far to find the perfect engine for the Mach 1. As mentioned above, they turned to the Bullitt’s naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8, which produces 480 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 420 pound-feet of torque at 4,600 rpm.
Then they had the brilliant idea to borrow the six-speed Tremec 3160 manual gearbox from the Shelby GT350, complete with the same oil cooler, but use the twin-plate clutch and short-throw shifter from the Mustang GT, the latter capped by a white cue ball shift knob just like in the previous Mach 1. A 10-speed automatic transmission is also available for you to choose, but why would you?
The stick shift comes with rev matching technology, which some drivers may appreciate, but there’s no button to quickly turn the function on or off. You have to scroll through various menus using the controls on the steering wheel and check the right box. It’s the same thing with the sport exhaust system, which produces a different sound based on the drive mode you select. Our advice is to activate Quiet mode before you start the engine to avoid waking up the neighbors (even if it’s really not that quiet).
(photo credit: The Car Guide)
