Test drive: Ford Mustang Mach 1, the best balance between price and driving fun

I hope I’m wrong. But the star of today’s test is one of those “critically endangered species”. Because at this point, it’s clear to everyone that all roads lead inevitably to electrification. It’s the only way to explain why Ford decided to use the name of the legendary American sports coupé for its electric SUV, the Ford Mustang Mach E. But that’s another story.

What is interesting, and I would almost dare to say at the same time surprising, is that today it is still possible to buy cars like this one Ford Mustang Mach 1. A true representative of American muscle cars, with which we have been able to live for a few days, forgetting about plugs, amps and volts… and enjoying a very special car for what it has represented in automotive history, and for what it is capable of offering in this edition. Without a doubt, a magnificent reinterpretation of the original Mustang Mach 1 that was presented at the end of the 1970s.

Of course, no less interesting is the price, if you could get one. Ford put the Mach 1 with a manual gearbox on sale for 62,970 euros, while with the 10-speed automatic gearbox the price rises to 65,970 euros. In the United States it has “natural” rivals, such as the Chevrolet Camaro or the Dodge Challenger.

But in our market, the few rear-wheel-drive coupés with more than 400 CV cost considerably more, such as a BMW M2 Competition, which exceeds 75,000 euros. Or much more, if we move on to cars like the Audi RS 5 Coupé, Jaguar F-Type Coupé, Porsche 911 or BMW M4 (although some of them have all-wheel drive), which exceed 100,000 euros.

As we will see later, it is true that the Mustang Mach 1 is harder to drive fast than its European rivals, but part of its charm also lies here. It also consumes much more fuel, although the price difference completely cancels out that initial disadvantage.

Ford Mustang Mach 1 vs Mustang GT: much more than meets the eye

Less than a year ago, Ford decided to bring the Ford Mustang Mach 1 to Europe, complementing the Mustang GT in the range. And honestly, if I were the owner of a GT -I know some- I would also have pulled my hair out. Because besides what it represents, the Mustang Mach 1 goes far beyond an exclusive trim and a plaque with the serial number on the dashboard. Let’s go into more detail.

The naturally aspirated V8 power of the Mustang, a true “rara avis” by not resorting to any kind of electrification or forced induction, increases by 10 CV in the Mach 1 thanks to modifications to the intake, reaching 460 CV, as in the Mustang Bullitt. Supposedly, this edition is focused on use in track sessions, and for this reason cooling improvements have also been included for the engine itself and the automatic gearbox, with additional radiators. There are also changes to the exhaust system, aimed more at making the sound even more full-bodied than at improving performance. But engine improvements would not be the main reason why I would pay the roughly 13,000 euros more that the Mach 1 costs compared to the Mustang GT, which already has plenty of performance.

To begin with, the mere fact of being a limited edition -no. 2249 in our test unit- already has a value, even if it is sentimental and hard to quantify. But Ford has also included modifications in the Mach 1 that improve its dynamic behaviour. For example, aerodynamic downforce increases by 22%, with the aim of improving stability at high speed and cornering. To achieve this, new grilles are used which, incidentally, improve cooling, along with a new front splitter and rear diffuser with specific fins.

The Mustang Mach 1 also receives a specific adjustment of the steering and suspension, with components taken from the Shelby GT350 and GT500. These include, for example, new front springs and anti-roll bars, and a special calibration for the MagneRide electronically controlled suspension, which comes as standard. A more powerful brake servo is also added, allowing the Brembo brakes with fixed six-piston aluminium calipers (the same as on the Mustang GT) to work better when “biting” the 380 mm ventilated discs at the front axle and the 33 mm ones at the rear, in this case with floating iron calipers.

To finish with the mechanical and exterior differences between the Mustang Mach 1 and the GT, the wheels are still 19 inches, although their width increases by half an inch (from 9 to 9.5 at the front and from 9.5 to 10 at the rear), keeping 275/40-19 tyres. On the Mustang Mach 1 these are Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, which fit perfectly with the sporty concept of the car.

By the way, of the eight body colours, it must be admitted that this “Fighter Jet Grey” suits it especially well. It is part of the “Mach 1” package, which costs around 2,000 euros and adds orange brake calipers, decorative stripes on the bonnet and sides, and Recaro seats with Ebony leather upholstery.

The Ford Mustang Mach 1 inside

If already from the outside the Mustang Mach 1 conveys a special feeling, with its almost 4.8 metres in length, a very long bonnet and a very muscular look, the interior does not fall behind. The huge door makes access to the interior easy, which is not as complicated as in other coupés even though the seats are positioned very low.
And no flat-bottomed steering wheel here: it is large and round, with the logo well placed in the centre that gives a certain retro style, although there are no shortage of four groups of multifunction controls, some of them a little confusing to use, as I will explain later. The 12.3-inch digital instrumentation adds a “tech” touch without detracting from the intentional design with a classic feel. I don’t know how well the standard seats hold you, but the optional Recaro ones are wonderful.

The multimedia system is the SYNC 3 already known in the Ford range, in this case with a 12-inch central touchscreen; of course, it is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Beneath the screen we find groups of buttons for operating the main functions. It is a pity that only some of them keep the aeronautical inspiration, mixed with others that we might find, for example, in a Ford Kuga or a Galaxy. Even so, the desired objective is achieved, and at the wheel of the Mustang one feels like driving a modern car… from another era.

Getting into the rear seats already requires a certain flexibility and willingness to make sacrifices: adults of a certain height (over 1.70 metres) will have problems not only getting through the gap left by the front seat backrest when folded forward, but also settling in comfortably, as there is no room to fit their feet under the front seats, which means these seats are only really usable by children. The boot, however, offers a more than reasonable capacity, just over 400 litres, although the loading aperture is narrow. On one side the subwoofer of the Bang & Olufsen audio system, which comes as standard, can be seen.

Fiddling with the Mustang’s controls before setting off “at a gallop”

Time to get into action, and the Mustang Mach 1 makes it clear right away that you are at the wheel of a very special car as soon as you press the start button and the engine starts to emit its first notes through the exhaust. While we try not to be hypnotised by the purr of the V8, we try to get a little more familiar with the controls; and it is not easy.

The instrumentation changes the way it presents information depending on the programme selected on the drive mode selector, which is located far right in the row of chrome buttons in front of the gear lever (the other three are for the warning, for ESP, and for switching between different levels of steering assistance). It is not the most logical position for a control you would use more often if it were better placed, for example on the steering wheel. Moreover, to switch between the different modes you have to do so through a menu that forces you to go through all of them, in the following order: normal, My Ride (configurable), Sport, Sport+, track, “Drag Strip” mode or Launch Control and snow/wet asphalt programme. That is, if you are in Sport and want to return to normal mode, you have to press the button five times.

On the steering wheel we have a “Mustang” button that gives access to a screen on the instrument cluster from which you can programme the My Ride drive mode, the exhaust sound (four programmes, from the most racing one for track driving, which makes the hair stand on end… to a “quiet” mode so as not to wake the neighbours), activate the stopwatch or a very “movie-like” function, which brakes and locks the front wheels when stationary to perform burn-outs, what we here call “burning rubber”.

There is a second configuration button, which in this case gives access to a menu for controlling the driver assistance systems, on-board computer… On one of the screens you can check data of little relevance to driving, such as the temperature and pressure in the intake manifold, the temperature of the cylinder heads or the air/fuel ratio.

Driving impressions of the Mustang Mach 1

Initially, the Mustang Mach 1 does not drive very differently, nor does it transmit very different sensations through the steering wheel compared with the Mustang GT. They say at Ford that the roar of the V8 in the exhaust mode that is activated by default on start-up is clearly more noticeable, but for me either of the two awakens my most “track-focused” instincts. What is noticed straight away, and we will go into it in more depth later, is that it feels a bit more precise at the wheel and seems to lean less in corners. I’m sure in track driving at the limit more differences come to light, but I haven’t had the opportunity to check.

In any case, the absolute star of this car, history and styling aside, is the V8 engine. It does not have that low-rev “punch” of other supercharged engines, but nor is it that in normal use you have to keep an eye on the gear selection, especially in the automatic version, which takes care of everything. But from around 5,000 rpm up to the fuel cut-off (in Sport Plus mode and with the gearbox in manual position it does not shift up when reaching maximum revs, around 7,600 rpm) its response and its roar win you over. It climbs in revs so quickly and so forcefully that suddenly the cut-off surprises you -or the shift to a higher gear, depending on the programme chosen- when it would seem the tachometer needle could keep moving towards a still very distant end…

The tested version was fitted with the 10-speed automatic gearbox with torque converter. I am a real advocate of automatic gearboxes even for very sporty cars, provided it is a good gearbox; and this one is. Not only does it shave 0.4 seconds off the 0-100 km/h acceleration of the manual version, stopping the clock at a spectacular 4.4 seconds; it also homologates lower consumption. And although it is not quite as quick or as precise in responding to the paddles on the steering wheel as some dual-clutch units (the first that comes to mind is the Porsche PDK gearbox), it matches the V8 and its characteristics perfectly.

However, in a car like the Mustang I find it more “authentic” to choose the six-speed manual Tremec gearbox, with that hard feel that reminds us the Mustang is a “muscle car”. Moreover, it has a -switchable- system to simulate heel-and-toe when downshifting, and it also allows you to change up without lifting off the throttle.

As the kilometres pass, the Mustang Mach 1 surprises you, and it does so for the better. Or rather, for much better. The jolts from the rear axle when crossing expansion joints or speed bumps, and that strange sensation when you move at low speed in a car where you sit very far back and with a lot of bonnet in front of you, make you think about how hard it will be not just to link, but to actually trace the bends. But the Mach 1 gets better the more you demand of it. The transmission is too abrupt on some downshifts, and it is best to arrive with your homework done and not be caught with the car unsettled in the middle of a corner. For this reason, and because if the asphalt is not in very good condition things get complicated, the Mustang Mach 1 demands more of the driver than other European sports cars.

But this is part of its charm; were it not so, it would not be a Mustang. A character-filled sports car that could even be used as a daily car, with the limitations in manoeuvrability imposed by its size and turning circle in town, the limited space in the rear seats… and its thirsty V8 engine, which can leave its range below that of many electric cars. Indeed, it is not easy to get below 15 l/100 km on average in normal use, or to approach double that figure when driving spiritedly. But who cares? Certainly not the driver of a Mustang.

Photo gallery Ford Mustang Mach 1

Technical specifications of this car

CoupeFord Mustang6 versions · from 62,405 €