2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 marks the return of the Mach 1 nameplate with upgraded mechanicals and an exterior harking back to the past
Ford announced the return of the Mustang Mach 1 earlier this year officially for the 2021 Model Year as a limited edition model. The legendary fastback coupe made its debut during the golden era of muscle cars in the late 1960s. The American manufacturer says that the Mach 1 has a special place in Mustang history and it claims the top spot in 5.0-litre V8 performance lineup, appealing to the most hardcore Mustang enthusiasts.
The special edition continues the legacy of the Mach 1 that came to the forefront in 1969 and the following iterations saw improved performance when compared to the Mustang GT and was more attainable than Shelby and Boss variants.
It returned for 2003 and 2004 model years with uniquely handling suspension, larger Brembo front disc brakes, matte black spoiler and hood stripe. After seventeen years of absence, the new 2021 Mustang Mach 1 returns as the most hardcore track ready 5.0-litre Mustang ever, the title held by old generation Boss 302 Laguna Seca.
The latest model has the DNA of Shelby with an uprated 5.0-litre V8 complemented by vintage bonnet stripes and graphics harking back to the past. It comprises of round-shaped air inlets in the front grille, functional air scoops and much more.
As for the performance, it produces 480 horsepower, in a similar fashion to the Bullitt and it is paired with a ten-speed automatic transmission as an option while the purists can have a rev-matching Tremec six-speed manual transmission. It also gets several bits from the Shelby GT350 like the heat exchangers while the rear axle coolers, rear valence are borrowed from the GT500.
The front and rear sub-frames are also from the Shelby parts bin, as does the large 4.5-inch exhaust outlets. The suspension is also updated as Ford has tuned it to bridge the gap between the GT and Shelby. Besides being a limited edition, the Mach 1 will be sold across 50 countries. The interior comes with new splash screen for the instrument cluster, an exclusive Mach 1 shifter, unique sill plates and plaque chassis number, Recaro seats, etc.
