The Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally Looks Tailor-Made for Sideways Gravel Action
Electric vehicle platforms and simple powertrain components make it easy for automakers to customize and modify a model’s performance characteristics without re-engineering significant portions of their architecture. That has ushered in a new era of speed, as companies have figured out that slapping more powerful electric motors and upgraded suspension components onto existing models is an excellent way to squeeze more revenue out of each design. Ford did it with the Mustang Mach-E GT, and now The Blue Oval has another beefed-up variant on the way.
The Mustang Mach-E Rally builds on the GT trim, bringing a twin-motor powertrain, making 480 horsepower and 650 pounds of torque. It gets MagneRide suspension and a 20mm (around 0.8 inches), along with massive 15-plus-inch front rotors with Brembo calipers. Ford equips white 19-inch classic rally-look wheels wrapped in Michelin CrossClimate2 tires that offer more sidewall for better grip on loose surfaces. More rubber also helps soak up impacts while bouncing around on the trail.
Beyond its lifted stance, the Rally gets several exclusive styling elements that set it apart from the Mach-E GT. Ford offers four no-cost colors: Grabber Blue, Shadow Black, Eruption Green, and Grabber Yellow. Two optional colors are available: Star White and Glacier Gray, and all Mach-E Rally models come standard with two racing stripes.
Black plastic cladding protects the lower body, and the Rally gets a unique grille design with inset fog lights. The SUV comes standard with protective film and underbody shielding to protect the motors. Ford also includes an easy-access front recovery point “should off-highway adventures get a little too spicy.” The Rally’s interior is similar to the GT and standard Mach-E, but it gets gloss white accents and performance seats with raised “Mach-E Rally” logos printed on the front buckets.
We don’t have an exact price or release date yet but expect the Mach-E Rally to start in the mid-$60,000 range. The SUV is scheduled for release early next year, though it will likely be challenging to get ahold of one for a while after its debut.
[Image: Ford]
Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.
Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
More by Chris Teague
Comments
Join the conversation
I like the wheels. They are something incredibly different from the standard two options (both available on other Mach Es) - either overly busy machined designs with black pockets or ugly plain black.
Despite the laughs and critical feedback, this will sell. Plenty of mountain bikers and other outdoor sports folks who‘ll snatch these up.