The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Will Be a Baby Shelby
The next few years will see the Ford Mustang go through quite a few changes. For one, it might offer a hybrid powertrain. But arguably the bigger news is, while the Shelby GT500 is staying, the GT350 and Bullitt trims are done after 2020. In their place will be the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1. And now, we’re getting a better look at what the upcoming muscle car will be like.
2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 pictures and details
It’s difficult to tell much, due to the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1’s current heavy camouflage. However, it is clear the Mach 1 will have some design updates over the base Mustang.
In the front grille, Motor Trend reports, are what appear to be circular air intakes or foglight brackets. It’s likely the former, as Ford calls the Mustang Mach 1 “the most track-capable 5.0-liter Mustang ever.” It also looks very much like the original 1969 Mach 1’s grille.
Those air intakes aren’t the only change, though. In the rear, the Mustang Mach 1 has a wing that resembles the current Shelby GT350’s. In addition, the 2021 Mach 1 will come standard with some, if not all, the upgrades found in the Mustang GT’s Level 2 Performance Pack, Car and Driver reports. The released images show the Mach 1 equipped with the Brembo brakes and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires found in the package.
The Level 2 Performance Pack also adds additional bracing, a larger radiator, limited-slip differential, and magnetorheological dampers to the GT. As of this writing, it’s unknown if the 2021 Mustang Mach 1 will get all those features. However, considering Ford’s track intentions with it, it’s not an impossibility.
The images seem to show a roll cage and Sparco race seats installed in the car. However, given that the camouflaged car is likely a test mule, neither will necessarily be available for purchase.
Ford Mustang Mach 1 vs. Shelby GT350 and Bullitt
Unfortunately, Ford has not yet released the 2021 Mach 1’s powertrain details. But considering it’s intended to slot between the Bullitt and GT350, Roadshow reports, its power output will also be somewhere in-between.
As Ford’s press release implies, the Mach 1 isn’t getting the Shelby GT350’s 526-hp 5.2-liter flat-plane-crank V8. Instead, like the Bullitt and GT, it’ll get a 5.0-liter V8. In the Bullitt, the engine produces 480 hp, 20 more than in the GT. The Drive estimates the 2021 Mach 1 will likely develop slightly more—about 500 hp.
In Car and Driver’s testing, the Bullitt managed to do 0-60 in 4.4 seconds, and the GT350 in 4.2 seconds. Figure 4.3 seconds for the Mach 1, then.
What we still don’t know
As of this writing, Ford hasn’t released an official reveal date for the 2021 Mach 1. The automaker will release more information in June 2020, The Drive reports.
Ford also hasn’t revealed how much the Mach 1 will cost. The current Ford Mustang Bullitt starts at $47,705; the Shelby GT350 stickers at $60,440. The Mach 1, then, will likely start somewhere around $50,000-$55,000.
It’s been 17 years since the last Mach 1 torn down the track. But the latest version is shaping up to be a worthy heir to the name.
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