By Otsile Kadiege

Ford South Africa has confirmed that only 90 units of the exclusive Mustang Mach 1 will be allocated to Mzansi.

Exterior design

The new Ford Mustang Mach 1 gets its own front lip with a new fascia, lower valence, and grille. The hood dawns the classic Mustang racing stripes with a modern touch. A modern set of the classic Mach 1 Magnum 500 five-spoke wheels are available, but a performance edition with optional wheels will be offered. The GT500 wing with Gurney flap will also be offered, along with a range of low-gloss badging, low-gloss Magnetic stripes, and orange Brembo brakes. 

The Mach 1 will not come with a Shaker scoop air intake on the hood this time around. Ford indicates that for this new model, a open airbox and trick inlets supply plenty of air to the engine. The 90 units that are destined for South Africa are painted in distinctive metallic Fighter Jet Grey with the Appearance Package as standard.

Interior design 

Inside, the Mach 1 orange seatback accents, a Dark Spindrift instrument panel with aluminium accents, new door sill plates, an updated splash screen on the 12.3-inch full LCD instrument cluster, Mach-1-branded door-sill scuff plates, and engraved badging on the instrument panel that displays the vehicle’s unique chassis number to reinforce its special, limited-edition status.  

Performance 

The performance of the specially calibrated 5.0-litre V8 engine produces 338 kW and 529 Nm. Mach 1 buyers that desire the most engaging driving experience can select the high-performance 6-speed manual transmission derived from the Shelby GT350. Alternatively, there’s Ford’s high-tech 10-speed automatic. Both transmissions receive numerous performance, cooling and calibration enhancements that are specific to the Mach 1.

The Mach 1 features the latest MagneRide adaptive suspension, new performance-oriented electric power steering calibration, stiffer sway bars and front springs, an upgraded brake booster, a rear sub-frame with stiffer bushings and a rear toe-link from the Shelby GT500 to further improve ride and handling. As expected of a track-focused Mustang, the available Drive Modes includes a Track mode, and Track Apps with Launch Control.

Pricing and availability 

Timing and pricing for the Mustang Mach 1 in South Africa will be confirmed at a later stage.