Ford loves creating trim levels for its vehicles. The automaker's stable of variants includes Raptors, Tremors, and King Ranch. So it was only a matter of time before its electric cars were pulled into the fold. The first to experience this model growth beyond its GT is the Mustang Mach-E.
At the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Detroit automaker unveiled its rally-inspired, Mustang Mach-E Rally. Outfitted with rugged styling, off-road tuned suspension, and increased ground clearance the Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally is built for a strange world for the pony car, a world without asphalt.
"With Mustang Mach-E Rally, we’re providing our customers the freedom to venture off the asphalt and beyond the beaten path," Darren Palmer, Ford's Vice President of Electric Vehicle Programs and Ford Model e said in a statement.
Increased Ground Clearance Is Only Part Of The Upgrades
To build a Mach-E Rally that could handle navigating dirt roads at incredible speeds, the engineers at Ford had to tweak the suspension setup. The goal was to deliver a vehicle that felt at home not only flying through the desert at high speeds but could deliver a pleasant driving experience while traveling on the interstate to the owner’s next dirt-filled adventure.
At the heart of the vehicle is Ford's off-road-tuned MagneRide system. Magnetically controlled dampers can adjust the ride for off-road excitement or around-town comfort. We've seen this suspension on the 2023 Ford Mustang GT and Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition. On the Mach-E, it delivers adjustable suspension via drive mode selection. To finish off the connection to the road, Ford has also added an appropriate wheel and tire package.
The Power Of The Mach-E GT And Maybe More
Unfortunately, Ford isn't sharing horsepower and torque numbers just yet. The team is still tweaking power delivery to make sure the vehicle can handle dirt roads as a rally-inspired vehicle. What we do know is that the Mach-E GT Performance is the starting point for the Mach-E Rally. That vehicle's dual-motor EV outputs 480 horsepower and up to 634 pound-feet of torque.
The vehicle will likely ship with the same 91 kWh usable capacity battery pack. Just don't expect the see the 190 miles of range currently available on the Mach-E all-wheel-drive extended trim level come from this off-road beast. The Mach-E GT and Mach-E GT Performance have ranges of 270 and 260 respectively. Raising the Mach-E and adding tires that can handle dirt as well as the road will likely drop that range number even lower.
Mach-E Rally Price Predictions
Ford isn't ready to share pricing information. What we do know is that the reservation books for the vehicle will likely open up at the end of this year. Ford says that the Rally will go into production in the first quarter of 2024. As for what it'll set you back? The Mach-E GT Performance starts at $65,495. With the additional suspension tweaks and new wheels and tires, we're expecting this latest Mustang Mach-E will start at around $70,000.
Aggressive off-road electric SUVs haven't made their way into the market quite yet. This gives Ford an advantage for this in the market for a more eco-friendly way to tear it up on back roads.
If the Rally isn't your cup of tea, Ford plans on releasing other variants of the Mach-E in the future as it works to expand sales of the EV. Of course, they couldn't tell us more, but we're excited to see what's next.