With only one true electric model on the market, the verdict on whether Ford knows how to make normal EVs or not is still pending. What it does know, however, is how to have fun with the very not normal ones it has already built.
Many people are still reluctant when it comes to battery-powered cars, so putting together a show car that can demonstrate what this type of propulsion is a very good idea. Volkswagen has the ID.R, which it used to demolish the Pikes Peak hillclimb course and the Nordschleife, and even though the German one-off hyper sports car has plenty of accolades to its name, we'd argue it's still Ford Performance's creations that come out on top.
That's because they seem to take themselves much less seriously than the Volkswagen EV while still offering very serious levels of performance. The two EVs in question are the Mustang Mach-E 1400 and the Mustang Cobra Jet 1400, each powered by many motors (four for the former, seven for the latter) capable of delivering a combined total of 1,400 hp. However, while that may sound as though they are like two drops of water, that couldn't be further from the truth.
The Mustang Cobra Jet 1400 was developed with one thing in mind and one thing only: to perform at the drag strip. Meanwhile, the Mustang Mach-E 1400 is a much more versatile machine that can accelerate hard as well, but it can also drift, for instance, or go really quickly around a track. Not to mention it looks unbelievably cool with that big wing and low stance.
But the Ford Performance pair of EVs is here to drag race over the quarter-mile, which obviously puts the Mach-E at a disadvantage. Yes, it has all-wheel-drive to the Cobra Jet's rear-wheel-drive, and its racing slicks aren't that far off the other car's drag radials. Still, it's all about the way the cars are wired to deliver that power, and we already know the Cobra is an 8-second car whereas the Mach-E is an unknown quantity when it comes to its quarter-mile time, but it surely can't be as fast.
Joey Logano, the Mach-E's driver for the day (and NASCAR Cup driver by trade), knows it too well, so he tries (and succeeds) to steal the start for the first race. It makes absolutely no difference as the Cobra Jet 1400 catches up in an instant and sets off into the sunset for a final time of 8.47 seconds to the Mach-E's 10.488 seconds and a trap speed of 167.95 mph (270.28 kph), over 31 mph (50 kph) greater than its opponent's.
The second race has a much closer finish. However, it's not because the Mach-E found some previously lost power reserves—no, it was all down to the Cobra Jet struggling for grip. Bob Tasca III, a man who drives funny cars for a living, has no problem keeping things under control until traction is found again and he can safely deploy the EV's entire might.
The difference this time is measured in hundredths of a second (10.712 seconds for the drag machine, 10.788 seconds for the Mach-E), though the trap speed gap is still quite massive (158.84 mph/255.14 kph to 134.54 mph/216.52 kph). Hit that play button below for all the action, and make sure you bring a set of headphones. They might be electric, but they sure aren't quiet.
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