

The Ford Mustang has now been in production for more than five decades, all the while, serving as a true performance car for the masses. This high-output Mustang also features a Selectable Power-Assisted Steering System (EPAS). The 2021 Mach 1 is also the benefactor of a specialty handling package, which comes complete with 305/30R19 (front) and 315/30R19 (rear) tires, as well as MagneRide dampers. Alternatively, consumers can opt for the purchase of a ten-speed SelectShift automatic transmission.
#Mustang mach 1 manual#
In its latest form, the Mach 1 features a 5.0-liter Coyote V8, paired to a six-speed manual transmission. Ultimately, the 2021 Mach 1, has proved itself every bit as worthy of carrying this storied designation, as any of the high-output pony cars of the 1960s and 70s. Taking the GT350’s place within the 2021 Mustang lineup would be a sixth-generation Mach 1. However, this news did not come without a silver lining. Ford had already unveiled plans to retire the Mustang GT350, once 2020 production drew to a close. It’s a car that not only celebrates the driver-it celebrates driving itself.Going into the 2021 model year, the Mustang community knew that the winds of change were just over the horizon. This rambunctious, rebellious nature of the Ford Mustang Mach 1 delivers what many auto writers like to call “the fizz.” It’s this “fizz” that takes a sports car from good to great.
#Mustang mach 1 full#
And Ford is committed to keeping the Mustang by keeping future iterations gas-powered, even as its direct competitors embrace full electrification. The Mustang Mach 1 plays the role of the rebel who tries to inject some fun into the day.

#Mustang mach 1 driver#
It communicates exactly what it’s doing, exactly when it’s doing it, delivering a heightened sense of exhilaration while allowing the driver to feel like everything is under control. But even at speed, this Mustang Mach 1 feels poised and composed. And through a fast, curvy road, this Mustang effortlessly responds to every input, maintaining its balance as you flick it from corner to corner. Driven at speed, all these upgrades work in harmony to practically slam the car into the asphalt. But what really demands attention is the grip. On a straight, open road the Mach 1 almost builds speed quickly, taking just over four seconds to accelerate from zero to 60. Its rear Gurney flap looks excessive, but when paired with the rest of the body, helps increase downforce by 150 percent when compared to a standard Mustang GT.
#Mustang mach 1 plus#
It boasts revised wheels, with stickier Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, plus the rear tire spats from a Shelby GT500. The visible vents are functional, directing air as needed to help with cooling. It may very well be the ultimate Mustang, taking the basic Mach 1 parts and adding a full complement of functional aero work, and then some. In drier weather, we took out the higher-spec version, the Mustang Mach 1 with the Handling Package. There’s ample tactile feedback to keep the driver feeling engaged, and it’s easy to keep the Mach 1 pointing in the intended direction. Even at low speeds, the Mach 1 provides a sense of occasion, with its visceral engine note, notch-perfect stick shift and deeply bolstered Recaro seats. Even with its advanced traction control systems, the Mach 1’s combination of high power, rear-wheel drive and high-performance summer tires mandated we take things slowly. Rain-slicked roads, low visibility and flooded streets plagued the experience. Our drive of the standard 2023 Mustang Mach 1 coincided with the arrival of record-setting rainstorms.

Not to mention the robust suite of suspension, brake and steering upgrades exclusive to the Mach 1. The rear subframe has been uprated with components designed for the Shelby GT500. A 10-speed automatic transmission is optional, but both of our Mach 1 test vehicles came with the Tremec 3160 six-speed manual and transmission oil-cooler from the Shelby 350. Its engine is the 5.0-liter V8 sourced from the Bullitt, rated at 480hp at 7000rpm and 420lb-ft of torque at a lofty 4600rpm. But the 2023 Mustang Mach 1 takes the best bits of each and combines them into one incredible whole. And though Ford seems to offer countless unique Mustang variants, there’s one version that stands head and shoulders above the rest: the Mustang Mach 1. It seems to fit in no matter where it goes, whether it’s in Hollywood or an underground car meet. Since its introduction in 1964, the Ford Mustang has continued to push the limits of design, performance, culture and subculture.
