Bill Ford Gave Mustang Mach-E Name His Stamp of Approval
Photo: Ford Motor Company
Mere days into the existence of the all-new Mustang Mach-E, plenty of folks are big mad about the fact that the all-electric SUV is officially part of the Mustang family. They wouldn’t be alone in their skepticism — Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford was initially not a fan of bestowing the hallowed Mustang name upon the Mach-E. But then he drove it.
“I certainly wasn’t sold at the beginning — far from it,” Ford said on Sunday according to Automotive News. “They came to me and said, ‘We really think we can make this Mustang-inspired, really Mustang-like.’ I said, ‘You guys aren’t telling me you want to call this a Mustang.’ No one would say yes, but nobody would say no, either. I said, ‘No, I’m sorry, I don’t want to hurt the brand. This is not going to be a Mustang.’”
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Team Edison argued that the performance of the Mustang Mach-E was up to par enough to earn the name of the legendary pony car. With 332 horsepower and 417 lb-ft of torque, the base Mach-E would be more powerful than the Porsche Macan — not to mention the Mustang EcoBoost. The Mach-E GT and Mach-E GT Performance Edition would be even more impressive at 459 horsepower and 612 lb-ft of torque, putting it in league with the Porsche 911 GTS in the 0-60 mph sprint.
But for all the numbers Team Edison threw at Ford, he had to try it for himself. After taking a prototype out for a lap, he came out with one thought: “[I]t had to be a Mustang.” Presumably, his test lap came before he promised at a luncheon in February that the EV would “go like hell” ala the car that won Le Mans.
Bill Ford is said to own 35 Mustangs, and he told presenter Idris Elba on Sunday that he plans to be the first in line to get a Mustang Mach-E.
“It doesn’t replace the Mustang car I love,” Ford said. “It’s an addition to the family, and it’s a really important one.”
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News Source: Automotive News (subscription required)
Photos: New Ford Mustang Mach-E
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