Ford gives the Mustang a new spearhead. The name Mach 1 holds promise. To ensure that this happens, the wild horse gets a power boost to 338 kW / 460 PS and some parts of the Ford Mustang Shelby GT, including a grandiose manual transmission.
In Dearborn, the voice of the people is heard. Without much fanfare, Ford headquarters banned the four-cylinder from the Ford Mustang’s engine compartment. The demand is too low, it is said. This phenomenon is hardly surprising: a mere four pots in a thoroughbred muscle car is like a tofu patty in a hamburger. So now only twice the number of cylinders is working under the bonnet of the wild horse and in a very classic way without any forced ventilation. For this, the vacuum cleaner has two overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder and at least independent variable timing for intake and exhaust valves. But that ends with the newfangled odds and ends.
In order to free the airways of the nostrils, the engine has an induction system including a special intake manifold and 87 millimeter throttle valves. The fuel reaches the combustion chambers with the help of a combination of low-pressure central pipe and high-pressure direct injection. The result is 338 kW / 460 PS and a maximum torque of 529 Newton meters. More than enough to cause an uproar in the territory of BMW and Audi as well. “Mach 1 is the highlight for me. The best performance car we have ever built,” says chief engineer Matthias Tonn proudly.
When starting the eight-end, the octane number in the pilot’s veins increases beyond the 100 mark. Even when stationary, the vacuum cleaner snorkels so wonderfully archaic, so little politically correct and simply awesome. This is traditional engine construction at its finest. This is what an engine should sound like. We dive into the world of mechanical gears and have opted for the six-speed manual transmission, in which the Tremec TR-3160 transmission from the Ford Mustang GT Shelby replaces the Getrag MT82 manual transmission that was previously installed.
Even engaging first gear is a pleasure. The right hand grips the white ball at the end of the gear stick and the left foot steps on the clutch pedal, which is surprisingly easy and has a clear pressure point. Clack! The lever engages crisply and precisely. Accelerate, release the clutch and off you go. The Mustang Mach 1 starts moving in a relaxed and confident manner. Up on the country road, we tear through the corridors: clack, clack, clack ?? second, third, fourth. Short ways. Splendid. We change the driving mode. From normal, where the Mustang is absolutely suitable for everyday use, to Sport Plus. The wild horse instantly tenses its muscles and eagerly accepts every movement of the accelerator pedal. Now it’s the turn of the track / racetrack driving program and the Mustang finally mutates into a surface-to-surface missile. The virtual instruments are reduced to a speed range with a red area that only begins beyond 7,000 revolutions. A high-speed concept in its purest form. Yes, the eight-ender needs tours to develop its full power, below 3,000 rpm it is more cautious on the road. But then it gets down to business, wonderfully archaic snorting, snorkeling and greedily sucking, the unit does its work and pushes the coupé powerfully. The addiction factor is correspondingly high, and the background noise is never annoying. Take the AMG!
It continues. Every winding curve is a gift. Braking. Thanks to a stronger brake booster, the six-piston Brembo brake calipers grab hold of it. After just 32 meters, the Mustang should be at 100 km / h. Give in. The steering is tight, direct and tells us what the front tires are up to. That’s a good thing, because with its live weight of over 1.8 tonnes, the Mustang Mach 1 is not a light-footed athlete, but a classic muscle car with which you don’t pull yourself out of the sports seat even after long journeys, but which you also use can be faster on the road and put a smile on your face. Due to the variable MagneRide dampers, the Mustang never has rock solid suspension even in the two attack driving modes. Thanks to the chassis components from the Shelby GT, the Mach 1 pulls its course unimpressed and remains manageable even in ambitious cornering: You can also be relaxed and fast on this floor with enough safety reserves.
The improved aerodynamics also have a positive effect. In contrast to the automatic version, which is braked at 250 km / h, the manual version can continue galloping up to 267 km / h. On the other hand, in the standard sprint from zero to 100 km / h in 4.8 seconds, it is 0.4 seconds slower and treats itself to an extra sip of 13.6 l / 100 kilometers from the fuel bottle. Infotainment is not all the rage either, but for 60,800 euros you get a car that is fun in many situations.
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