Mustang Rare: The 1967 Ford Mach 2
One of the more awesome Ford projects of the 鈥?0s never made it to the production line, but that doesn鈥檛 prevent us from drooling over it today. Here鈥檚 the story of the Mach 2, the Mustang-based mid-engine GT. You could say that Ford鈥檚 Total Performance program of the 1960s was an embarrassment of riches. For car enthusiasts, there was almost too much to take in, with multiple campaigns in drag racing, NASCAR, Formula 1, and Indy cars, not to mention the Cobra and the Ford GT. With so much going on, a few of the Dearborn automaker鈥檚 projects have nearly have slipped into obscurity. Take for example the 1967 Ford Mach 2, a fascinating mid-engine, two-seat GT that was actually based on a production Mustang floor pan. Designed by the crack Ford studio team headed by styling vice-president Gene Bordinat, the Mach 2鈥檚 exterior sheet metal was thematically similar to a number of Ford projects. Simulated air intakes in the rear deck give away the engine location, and you can see bits and pieces of the Bordinat Cobra, the Cougar II, and even the production Ford Mustang.
Look closely: That鈥檚 a 鈥?5 Mustang rear bumper beautifully integrated into the Mach 2鈥檚 Kamm-effect tail. As difficult as it is to imagine, the Mach 2 was a Mustang underneath, too. Ford based the mid-engine, V8-powered GT on a production Mustang floor pan鈥攁 鈥?7 convertible, to be exact, which was selected for its reinforced rocker sills. Engineering and construction was handled by Kar-Kraft, Ford鈥檚 performance contractor, where the staff installed a small-block Windsor V8 and a German ZF four-speed transaxle in the rear of the chassis. Front suspension was production Mustang, too, to keep the production costs low, with disc brakes at the front and Galaxie drums at the rear. Curb weight was said to be just 2644 lbs. Unfortunately, we know how this turns out. The Mach 2 program, as delectable as it was, was not approved for production and both prototypes were reportedly destroyed. The story doesn鈥檛 end quite there, however. When Semon 鈥淏unkie鈥?Knudsen became president of Ford in 1968, he brought with him Larry Shinoda, his favorite GM stylist. Shinoda revamped the Mach 2 concept with longer, sleeker bodywork (below) and space for a 429 CID big-block V8. However, this vehicle, known as the Mach 2C, never made it past the studio glider stage. The DeTomaso Pantera was already in the pipeline by then, and there was no need for a second mid-engine, low-volume sports car in the Ford family of cars.
The length of the electric car is 4712 mm, the wheelbase is 2984 mm, the height is 1597 mm. The Mustang Mach-E's interior has lost most of its analog controls. Instead, there is a 15.5 鈥?vertical display of the multimedia system. And the dashboard is a 10.2 鈥?horizontal screen. I note the substantially redesigned interface of the proprietary Sync 4 platform. The system looks strict, but at the same time stylish. There is wireless support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, several options for voice assistants (Ford's proprietary, Google Assistant and Siri), a dark theme. On the central screen, I also highlight the analog twist, which so far is only responsible for playing music. Among other things - wireless charging for smartphones, USB-A and USB-C ports (for front and rear passengers), customizable interior lighting, Bang & Olufsen acoustics, panoramic roof. The luggage compartment is 402 liters. But more interesting is the front compartment of 100 liters. It is completely plastic and can be washed even from a hose, thanks to the presence of a drainage hole at the bottom. Therefore, it is possible to transport some dirty things in it, or, for example, to fill in ice and put soft drinks. Go to technical specifications. Ford Mustang Mach-E will be offered with two battery options: Standard range (75.7 kWh) and Extended range (98.8 kWh). In addition, customers will be able to choose models with one engine (rear-wheel drive) or with two power plants (all-wheel drive). Engine power - from 258 hp (standard version) up to 465 hp (GT version). The power reserve for various configurations varies from 337 km to 482 km. Charging with a maximum power of 150 kW (115 kW in the basic versions) is supported.
The Ford Mustang Mach-E, despite the branding, is not a sports car but a four-door electric SUV. It鈥檚 a huge leap, even for a company as big as Ford: The Mustang muscle coupe is now available as a four-door, all-electric SUV. But is the Mach-E, which debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Sunday night, really a Mustang? Bill Ford says it is. It鈥檚 very different from the original, next-generation all-electric vehicle that was based on the Ford Escape and designed to be built on Ford鈥檚 new architecture. 鈥淭hat excited nobody,鈥?says the CEO of the Ford Motor Company. Then the company鈥檚 designers approached Ford with a concept that was very 鈥淢ustang-like. The Ford Mustang Mach-E was introduced on Nov. 17, 2019, at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Many muscle-car fans will disagree, but it鈥檚 too late for that. The Mach-E debuted on Sunday, and Ford says it鈥檚 part of the Mustang family. There have been rumours for a while of an electric Mustang in the works, as there are for almost every vehicle these days.
And Ford already made an appearance at the Specialty Equipment Market Association show in Las Vegas earlier this month with an electric coupe concept. Nobody expected the Mustang to re-emerge as an SUV, though it makes sense, given Ford鈥檚 abandonment of most of its production cars and its focus on more popular - and profitable - SUVs and trucks. The Mach-E is an all-electric SUV, more of a squat crossover than a true off-roader. It shares several design cues with its iconic coupe namesake, including a long hood, aggressive-looking headlights and wide haunches over its rear wheels. 82,995. There will be rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive versions, as well as regular battery and (heavier) extended-range battery versions. The Mach-E does share styling cues with its namesake, including a long hood and aggressive headlights. The slowest to drive will be the RWD extended-range Mach-E, which has a 98.8 kilowatt hour battery and will have a zero-to-100 km/h time 鈥渋n the mid-six-second range.鈥?However, it will have the longest range, at about 475 km. The shortest range will be the regular 75.7 kWh battery AWD, with an estimated range of about 325 km/h.
