New Ford Mustang Mach-E reinvents the rally-inspired road car | GRR
The Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally made its debut earlier this year at the Goodwood Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard – but back then, it was still camouflaged. Now we can see exactly how the new rough and ready performance Ford will look when it arrives in showrooms next year. A revised front bumper, additional lighting, a diffuser and Ford Focus RS-style rear spoiler all take the appearance of the electric crossover from school run to rally stage. Oh, and the white alloys look pure Escort RS Cosworth.
The transformation to Rally spec is more than skin deep. The suspension is bespoke to the model, riding 20mm higher than the Mach-E GT on special dampers. The suspension is aided by Michelin CrossClimate2 tyres that boast taller sidewalls than the GT’s. A performance car with higher profile tyres? This is clearly quite different to a regular hot hatch.
The new RallySport Drive Mode is designed for off-road driving, adapting the electronic control systems in favour of bigger slides and more aggressive damping for loose surfaces. Throttle response is more linear, too. Development of the Rally took place on a purpose-built rally course at Ford’s Michigan Proving Ground designed by rallycross veterans. Prototypes underwent 800km durability tests in this unforgiving environment.
The powertrain is borrowed from the Mach-E GT but with power turned up to 385kW and torque increased to 880Nm. There is no word on performance figures yet, but given that the Mach-E Rally is likely to do its best work in less than ideal weather and surface conditions maybe that’s not as relevant as usual.
Inside the car, the colour scheme picks up on the wheels, with white accents on the dashboard, lower spokes of the steering wheel, seatbacks and stitching on the doors. Exterior colour options include blue, black, yellow, green, white or grey, the last two being added-cost extras.
“Just a year ago, this was merely an idea, and what you see today is a testament to the passion and intense creativity of our Model e team,” said Donna Dickson, chief engineer of the Mustang Mach-E. “We have always explored new areas of performance, and the combination of a rally-tuned suspension, dual motor electric powertrain, and wicked styling makes the Mustang Mach‑E Rally a different kind of performance vehicle that will excite customers chasing their next adventure.”