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Bone Stock 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Does Quarter-Mile Runs, Almost Dips Into 11s

Ford has revived the Mach 1 moniker after almost 17 years, bringing forth the fifth iteration to fill the gap left by the exclusion of the GT350 from the lineup. And while the most powerful version of the first generation Mach 1 packed about 335 horsepower, today, that figure has gone up to a solid 480.
Bone Stock 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 at the Drag Strip 13 photos
Photo: Steeda
2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 At the Drag Strip2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 At the Drag Strip2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 At the Drag Strip2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 At the Drag Strip2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 At the Drag Strip2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 At the Drag Strip2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 At the Drag Strip2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 At the Drag Strip2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 At the Drag Strip2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 At the Drag Strip2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 At the Drag Strip2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 At the Drag Strip
The 2021 Mach 1 may not be as impressive as the Shelby GT350R, but at least it's considerably more affordable, as the standard version has a starting MSRP of $52,720 before tax ($1,195 destination charge). Performance-wise you would think it's not that impressive if you compare it to a standard Mustang GT, but it does have 20 more horsepower and 22% more downforce, not to mention a more aggressive overall look.

But the question is, how fast will it be in the real world? How fast will it be at the drag strip? The folks at Steeda were curious to know the answer to that last question too, and there was the only thing they could do at that point. If you'll dig up the information yourself, you'll see most sources mentioning that the new Mach 1 can do a quarter-mile (402 meters) run in about 12.5 seconds. But how accurate is that information?

Some of you may be alarmed by the fact that the Twister Orange Mach 1 they brought out for the test only has about 40 miles (64 km) on the clock, which means the break-in period was disregarded at this point. You could say that the driver shows some concern himself as he lines up for his run: "I wonder if this thing knew when it came off the assembly line that it was going straight to a drag strip to get hammered on."

2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 At the Drag Strip
Photo: Steeda
Before launching for the first run, we get to see the Mach 1 do a burnout in an attempt to bring the tires up to optimum temperatures. This might be its first-ever burnout, but just one of many to come. As the lights turn green, we get to see the car in action, and some of you might be annoyed that this comes with the 10-speed SelectShift automatic transmission. The Tremec 6-speed manual does have rev-matching included, and it comes at no additional cost.

The Mach 1 crosses the finish line 12.35 seconds later, with a trap speed of 115 mph (185 kph), which is not bad for its first-ever run. Although if you think about it, a 2021 Honda Civic Type R which has considerably less power should manage to do the quarter-mile (402-meter) run in just under 13 seconds. With Drag Mode engaged, the driver lines up for a second pass. There is some improvement to be seen, as he crosses the finish line in 12.01 seconds.

The exit speed is slightly higher at 117 mph (188 kph), and the driver seems to be impressed with how the gearbox handles the given situation. The third time's a charm, or so they say—the Mach 1 lines up for another run, the final one for the day. But the outcome is very similar to the second run, albeit the Mach 1 does show that it could be capable of getting high 11 seconds timeslips. And someone from Michigan has indeed managed to run 11.89 seconds just recently.

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About the author: Dragos Chitulescu
Dragos Chitulescu profile photo

The things Dragos enjoys the most in life are, in no particular order: cars, motorcycles, diecast cars, and drifting. He's seen (and driven) many vehicles since he started his writing career back in 2009, but his garage currently houses a 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC3S Turbo II and a 1999 Suzuki SV650-S.
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