When Ford announced their first dedicated battery electric vehicle (BEV) last year, it infuriated many combustion-vehicle lovers. While the vehicle in itself had quite a good set of specs, it was the name that many people did not agree with. Ford had named it Mustang Mach-E, and combining the pony badge with an electric powertrain was criminal. In the end, the Mach-E turned out to be a fairly good electric vehicle, even winning the North American Utility of the Year award. But it was more of a mid-sized family SUV and lacked the punch that the name Mustang warrants.
Enter Mustang Mach-E GT. Ford announced the details for this performance-oriented variant yesterday. And they also announced a GT Performance Edition. These two vehicles will specifically target the market that Tesla Model Y Performance currently owns. High power and insane acceleration timings for a vehicle that can seat 5 people and very good driving dynamics are the highlights of Model Y Performance. And that is exactly what Ford has targetted.
Mustang Mach-E GT Powertrain
The GT and GT Performance Edition (PE) variants will arrive this fall. And Ford has equipped them with an output of 480 horsepower and a new track driving mode. Both the vehicles house an 88-kWh battery pack and two electric motors, one on each axle. The all-wheel-drive setup gives an output torque of 814 N-m and 872 N-m in the GT and GT PE variants. The result – a 3.8-second acceleration from 0 to 60 mph (96.5 kph), and that’s for the base GT. The Performance Edition will do the same run 0.3 seconds faster.
Ford has given the Mach-E a total of three driving modes – Whisper, Engage and Unbridled. The two GT variants get an addition to these, which they call Unbridled Extend. This is specifically for track use. This new setting balances power output for ideal use on the track, while also adjusting traction and stability control. And of course, a louder propulsion sound will complete the on-track experience.
The base GT model will go 250 miles (402 km) on a full charge of the battery, while the Performance Edition will reach 235 miles (378 km). This is a bit underwhelming compared to Model Y Performance’s range of 303 miles (488 km). That figure is matched by Mach-E’s Extended-Range ‘Premium’ variant.
Mustang Mach-E GT Looks
The GT variant gets a carbonized grey grille with an aggressive-looking front end. In the center of the grille is an illuminated pony, and the entire vehicle has an aggressive lower fascia. Both GT variants sport new 20″ wheels (other variants have a choice between 18″ and 19″). The brake calipers have larger vented rotors for improving performance. The wheels are also wider than the non-GT variants.
The entire vehicle sits 10 millimeters lower than other variants. The body-color wheels arches and gloss-black rocker panels make it look smaller too. The overall shape of the vehicle remains more or less the same. However, the more aggressive front end and wider wheels may contribute to slightly worse aerodynamics. The rear end is also more or less similar, with just a revised diffuser and a new GT badge.
Inside, the design is also carried forward from the non-GT variants. The seats are Ford Performance seats with metallic stitching. The GT variants of other Ford models get copper stitching. The Mach-E GT also gets an aluminum instrument panel and standard magnetorheological dampers.
How It Compares with Tesla Model Y Performance
The base GT variant costs around $60,000, while the Performance Edition goes up to $66,000. This is before the $7,500 tax credit incentive. On the other hand, Tesla Model Y Performance costs $62,190. So the pricing is quite competitive.
Model Y has a power output of 462 horsepower and a torque output of 639 N-m. That allows the Model Y to sprint to 60 mph (96.5 kph) in just 3.5 seconds. It also has a range of 303 miles (488 km). So the GT Performance Edition can compete with the Model Y Performance in terms of being quick. The range maybe a little less, but then again, Tesla has its own issues, such as quality, as well.
One aspect of the GT Performance Edition’s powertrain is the default torque split. The GT variants get a 60:40 split rear bias, as opposed to the non-GT’s 50:50. This allows it to simply tee off the starting line. A recent test drive around Ford’s track in Dearborn provided these results. And for a 2.2-tonne vehicle, it handles really well around the corners of a test track. The overall low stance allows the vehicle to hug the road as much as possible. And the performance did not deteriorate with more usage of the battery. It remained pretty much the same at different battery percentages.
Our Opinion
I’m pretty sure Tesla is feeling the heat. Ford is a noted brand in the industry and it is capable of delivering really good performance. Better battery efficiency will help the GT variants compete with the Model Y for sure. And comparable performance figures between a Ford and Tesla can sway many people towards the former due to Tesla’s current quality issues.
