The Ford Mustang Mach 1 has arrived in South Africa! Since the South African introduction of the Ford Mustang back in 2016, the iconic sports car has been a huge success. Nearly 3 500 Mustangs have been sold in South Africa, giving Ford the lion’s share of the sports car market. In fact, the Mustang’s success is global and it’s been the best-selling sports car in the world for 6 years on the trot!
In 2019, Ford launched the Mustang Bullitt in South Africa which pays homage to the 1968 Mustang GT Fastback which was famously driven by Steve McQueen in the movie Bullitt. Only 55 Mustang Bullitts came to South Africa and all of them were quickly snapped up by local enthusiasts.
Now, in 2021, Ford is once again conjuring up the past by reviving the Mustang Mach 1 nameplate. The Mach 1 dates back to 1969 when it first went on sale.
We sampled the limited-edition, track-focused muscle car in Cape Town this week and here are some noteworthy facts about the car that you should know…
Only 90 Ford Mustang Mach 1 units were allocated to the South African market and each one of them is spoken for. The allocation includes 75 units equipped with Ford’s 10-speed automatic transmission and just 15 units equipped with a 6-speed TREMEC manual transmission. All 90 units are finished in Fighter Jet Grey paint finish which is enhanced with satin black and reflective orange stripes and orange brake calipers. The Mustang Mach 1 automatic carries a price tag of R1 203 800 while the manual Mustang Mach 1 is priced at R1 182 100.
Even though you can’t buy the Mustang Mach 1 as new right now, look out for used Mustang examples for sale on Cars.co.za!
Using the standard Mustang GT Fastback as a base, Ford created the Mach 1 to be the most track-focused Mustang to date. Visually speaking, the Mach 1 wears an enhanced upper and lower grille with the circular grill cut-outs being the most obvious visual differentiator. The model also gains a new front splitter and undertray as well as a single-deck rear spoiler and rear diffuser plucked from the Mustang Shelby GT500. Ford says that downforce has been improved by 20% as a result of these improvements. The Mach 1 rides on exclusive five-spoke 19-inch wheels in a low-gloss Dark Tarnish finish and they areshod with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 rubber. Numerous Mach 1 badges also highlight that this isn’t just an ordinary Mustang.
The Mach 1 is powered by the familiar naturally-aspirated 5.0-litre V8 but not only has it been modified to develop 7kW more than the standard V8 engine but it also features enhanced cooling to keep the Mach 1 fighting fit for sustained performance runs on track. Total output is pegged at 338 kW with maximum torque at 529 Nm.
Ford claims 4.4 seconds in the zero to 100kph sprint and during our drive of the Mustang Mach 1, we can vouch for its performance credentials. It piles on the pace at a furious but refined rate and the glorious sound of the Active Valve Performance Exhaust note is utterly addictive under full bore acceleration. This car gives the driver all the right feels…
It’s also worth mentioning that the manual Mach 1 is a touch slower in the sprint to 100kph with a claimed time of 4.8 seconds but its top speed of 267 kph is better than the 249 kph claimed for its automatic counterpart.
Mustangs are generally perceived to be blunt straight-line weapons and they’re not typically praised for offering fast, sharp and responsive dynamic cornering ability. The Mach 1, however, is arguably the sharpest and most responsive Mustang on the road thanks to a number of mechanical enhancements. These include a recalibrated electric-assisted steering, electronically controlled MagneRide adjustable suspension with stiffer front springs and model-specific anti-roll bars. The suspension’s subframes and toe-link components are also borrowed from the Shelby GT350 and GT500 in an effort to reduce squat, dive and lift under hard acceleration.
Ford has also fitted an uprated brake booster for sharper braking ability which is realised with 6-piston Brembo brake calipers. A limited-slip differential further ensures that the driver of the Mach 1 is able to exploit and extract the full performance capability of the engine and chassis.
We drove the Mach 1 in less-than-ideal conditions with lots of rain and wet tar so we weren’t able to explore the Mustang Mach 1’s full handling ability but steering and throttle response is definitely more lively compared to the standard Mustang GT. Also, the suspension isn’t overly firm which means the Mustang Mach 1 can be used as a daily vehicle too…
Apart from featuring Ford’s impressive 12-inch SYNC3 infotainment system, the Mach 1 also offers a host of driving modes including Sport, Sport+ and if you happen to be on a track, Track mode. Using Track Apps, you can record metrics such as acceleration, braking and lap times.
You can also set the tone for the Active Valve Performance Exhaust. If you don’t want to wake up your neighbors before you head out to work then the ‘Quiet’ setting would be most appropriate, or you can just keep the exhaust set to ‘Sport’, which is what we recommend. The saying “if it’s too loud, you’re too old” applies here…
You can have this 615kW Mustang in SA
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