Photo: Ford
As you know from an internal document we’ve covered in April 2020, the Ford Motor Company is going to make a few changes to the Mustang lineup for the 2021 model year. Both GT350s will be discontinued in favor of the Mach 1, which is somewhat strange at first glance, but not surprising after further analysis.
Speaking to Muscle Cars & Trucks, the marketing manager for the Mustang explains that “Mach 1 is going to be global where GT350 was not. Global demand for the Mustang is huge,” and looking at the bigger picture, the new arrival also serves as the pinnacle of 5.0-liter Coyote V8 performance in the Mustang.
MC&T acknowledges that “the Mach 1 would squeeze the GT350 and GT350R too tightly against itself and the GT500,” which is a big no-no for this segment. As a brief refresher, sports cars aren’t doing too hot for a number of years now.
The health crisis made a mess of sales figures as well, and Ford is feeling the pressure as well. In the third quarter of 2020, the Blue Oval reported a decrease of 5 percent for U.S. sales and negative 17.67 percent for the Mustang. Only the Explorer, Ranger, EcoSport, Expedition, and F-Series posted encouraging figures, which goes to show that the automotive industry is walking on a thin line.
By losing the GT350 and the R-branded version, Ford is also pulling the plug on the Voodoo V8 flat-plane crankshaft engine. No crate version has been announced thus far, and the cross-plane Predator in the GT500 isn’t available to purchase standalone either. Be that as it may, is the Mach 1 worth considering taking into consideration?
The simple answer to that question is yes, of course! After a 17-year hiatus, the Blue Oval revived this nameplate with goodies from the Bullitt special edition as well as the GT350 and GT500 ponies. Scheduled to arrive at dealerships in the U.S. and Canada in the spring of 2021, the go-faster model also happens to feature the most potent Coyote currently in existence, packing 480 "projected" horsepower. Oh, and by the way, look forward to better handling than the Bullitt 'Stang.
MC&T acknowledges that “the Mach 1 would squeeze the GT350 and GT350R too tightly against itself and the GT500,” which is a big no-no for this segment. As a brief refresher, sports cars aren’t doing too hot for a number of years now.
The health crisis made a mess of sales figures as well, and Ford is feeling the pressure as well. In the third quarter of 2020, the Blue Oval reported a decrease of 5 percent for U.S. sales and negative 17.67 percent for the Mustang. Only the Explorer, Ranger, EcoSport, Expedition, and F-Series posted encouraging figures, which goes to show that the automotive industry is walking on a thin line.
By losing the GT350 and the R-branded version, Ford is also pulling the plug on the Voodoo V8 flat-plane crankshaft engine. No crate version has been announced thus far, and the cross-plane Predator in the GT500 isn’t available to purchase standalone either. Be that as it may, is the Mach 1 worth considering taking into consideration?
The simple answer to that question is yes, of course! After a 17-year hiatus, the Blue Oval revived this nameplate with goodies from the Bullitt special edition as well as the GT350 and GT500 ponies. Scheduled to arrive at dealerships in the U.S. and Canada in the spring of 2021, the go-faster model also happens to feature the most potent Coyote currently in existence, packing 480 "projected" horsepower. Oh, and by the way, look forward to better handling than the Bullitt 'Stang.
Google News