FIRST^ LOOK
Intake
NEWSI OPINIONI GOSSIPR
eplacing the Bullitt for 2021 and
effectively replacing the GT350,
too, is the reborn Mustang Mach 1.
It’s to be the track Mustang for folks who
can’t swing the note on a Shelby.
As with the again-discontinued Bullitt,
Mach 1 gets just one engine choice—the
5.0-liter Coyote V-8. We’re told it’s not
identical to the Bullitt’s, though it is rated
at the same 480 hp at 7,000 rpm and 420
lb-ft at 4,600 rpm. This one shares its
intake manifold, oil filter adapter, and
engine-oil cooler with the Shelby GT350.
The Bullitt was only offered with a
Getrag six-speed manual. The Mach
1 gets the Shelby GT350’s Tremec
TR-3160 manual and short-throw
shifter along with its auxiliary oil cooler,
though the Mustang GT’s twin-disc
clutch is used. Mach 1 buyers can also
opt for Ford’s terrific 10-speed Select-
Shift auto, outfitted with an upgraded
torque converter and sharper sport-
shift programming. The manual also
gets rev matching for the first time on
this Tremac. A second oil-to-air cooler
improves cooling by 75 percent.The standard Mach 1 gets specially
tuned MagneRide shocks, a stiffened
steering intermediate shaft, unique
electric power steering calibration, stiffer
anti-roll bars and front springs, the brake
booster from the Mustang GT Perfor-
mance Pack 2, firmer rear subframe bush-
ings, and the rear toe links from the Shelby
GT500. Also hailing from the big Shelby: a
rear diffuser and rear-axle cooler.
The standard 19-inch “dark tarnish”
gray wheels feature a five-spoke design
evocative of the styled steel Magnum 500
wheels on the original Mach 1. Measuring
9.5 inches wide in front and 10.0 in back,
they’re a half-inch wider than Bullitt’s
American Racing mag-style wheels.
They’re shod in Michelin Pilot Sport 4
tires. The six-piston Brembo front brakes
from the GT and Bullitt and the Perf Pack’s
vented single-piston rear brakes were
deemed sufficient for Mach 1 track duty.
Upgrading to the Handling package,
offered only with the Tremec manual
transmission, buys the basic 20-inch
wheel/tire specification from the Shelby2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1
GT350 (10.5-inch front, 11.0 rear), with
dark tarnish web-mesh design wheels
wearing Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 meats.
Also included: unique wheel lip moldings
(to cover the larger tires), the GT500’s rear
tire spats, and aerodynamic upgrades.
The standard front splitter is unique
to the Mach 1; it’s larger than the Perfor-
mance Pack 1 splitter and is paired with
the rear spoiler from the Perf Pack 2. A
new underbody pan extends 20 inches
farther rearward than that of the Mustang
GT Performance Pack and features
various “underwing features” to improve
downforce and assist brake cooling—a first
for Mustang. Together with the diffuser,
downforce is improved by 22 percent rela-
tive to the GT with Performance Pack 1.
Upgrading to the Mach 1 Handling pack
buys an add-on splitter that’s larger than
the one on the Perf Pack 2 and trades
the rear spoiler for the Shelby GT500’s
spoiler/wing with Gurney flap. Ford says
this setup is good for a 150 percent down-
force bump relative to the GT PP1.
The original 1969–78 Mach 1 models
and the 2003–2004 reboot all telegraphed
their performance intentions with plenty
of graphic cues (stickers). The 2021
model will do the same. Also harkening
to the first-gen Mach 1 is a deep 3-D mesh
two-piece upper grille with two round
elements that evoke the inboard high-
beam lamps of the 1969 car. These are
blocked with blanking plates designed
for easy removal to improve cooling at
track-day events. A unique front fascia
optimizes airflow to the additional heat
exchangers and the brakes.
Mach 1 customers will be greeted by
logos on the sill plates, a new instrument
panel finish that evokes an “engine-
turned” swirl look called Dark Spindrift,
a white cue-ball shifter for the manual
transmission, a unique splash screen on
the 12.3-inch digital cluster, and a plaque
displaying the car’s chassis number.
Recaro seats will be optional, and standard
seats feature a horizontal accent
stripe.
Final pricing won’t be
announced until closer to the
launch next spring, but we
expect pricing like Bullitt’s,
which starts at $48,900.
Frank Markus