Ford Mustang Mach-E GT 2021 first drive

Yet another all-electric crossover wouldn’t normally generate ripples, but what about one that has more torque than a Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series, that will out-drag the Porsche 911 GT2 of the phenomenal 997 generation and, of course, that can seat more people than both cars combined? 

Given the same crossover also costs only what an Audi SQ5 with some options costs, it's worthy of discussion. This is the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT, which arrives to crown Ford’s range of electric family cars. It comes with four-wheel drive only, and while there exist lesser versions of the Ford Mustang Mach-E with two driven axles, those cars use a smaller motor at the front, whereas the GT totes the same powerful motor at both ends. The result is 480bhp with 634lb ft and one very carefully tuned ESP system, although there are other features unique to the GT.

The wheel and tyre package, which consists of EV-specific Pirelli P Zeros and intricate 20in alloys, is one of those features, but of even more significance are the multi-mode magnetorheological dampers and an upgraded Brembo brake set-up, which uses 385mm discs up front in an attempt to contain the monstrous 2198kg kerb weight. 

There are also increases in negative camber at both axles and a 10mm drop in ride height, which along with the blacked-out ‘grille’ (gone is the body-coloured panel) and chin spoiler give the car an unmistakable stance. In searing Cyber Orange, our test car looked genuinely punchy, although Ford’s stated mission goes further than aesthetics. 

Evidence of that can be found in a new drive mode known as Untamed Plus. It slackens the ESP intervention and also kills the short-term power boost function that can overheat the battery. The programme exists to make the GT more suitable for track driving, with freer handling and more dependable power output at the cost of lower peak power.

Overall, this car aims to solidly build on the encouraging dynamics of the regular Mach-E, rather than provide something purely for the speed junkies (although it absolutely does this, too, taking just 3.7sec to hit 62mph). The noble goal here is to make an everyday EV that’s really worth driving. 

On the road, though, the picture is mixed. Let’s start with the good bits. The Mach-E is quick – not quite embed-your-spine-into-the-backrest quick but quick enough to drop any VW Golf R or even Mercedes-AMG A45 at speeds of up to about 65mph, when acceleration begins to tail off. Throttle response is also predictably crisp in any of the driving modes but especially so in the dubiously named Untamed, which maximises performance and response from the dual-motor powertrain.