The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2022 - Issue 31

bitecars Moving into the EV sector, Ford adds the high-performance Mustang Mach-E GT and GT Performance to the standard Mach-E. Jada Brookes look at Mustang’s history and the new line-ups. S ince the early 1960s when Lee Iacoc- ca, vice president and general man- ager of Ford, envisioned a sporty youth-market car based on the com- pact Falcon, the Mustang, named after a US World War II fighter plane, has proven to be an innovative pony car that catapulted the American marque onto the sports car map. The 1965 convertible and notch- back Mustang were introduced at the World’s Fair on 17 April 1964 to instant acclaim, with the fast- back joining the line-up as a late 1965 model. What contributed to its success was the plethora of options that enabled buyers to configure their Mus- tang into anything from an economical runabout to a weekend race car. From then, the new mod- el increased in size in the engine, horsepower, car length, width and weight. In 1974, the marque re- duced its capacity in answer to concerns that the car had gotten too big. The 1974 Mustang II, avail- able in a notchback or hatchback, had a choice of a 2.3-litre four-cylinder or a 2.8-litre V6 engine. The 1979 Mustang, also available in notchback or hatchback body styles, had a 2.3-litre four-cylinder in naturally aspirated 88 hp and turbocharged 132 hp, and also 2.8-litre V6, 3.3-litre I6 or 4.9-litre V8 engines; the latter was replaced with a 4.2-litre V8 for the 1980 and 1981 model years. Jump forward 35 years, the latest iteration of the Mustang was re- leased as a 2015 model with an independent rear suspension, a 300 hp V6, 435 hp V8 engine and a 2.3-litre turbocharged to celebrate its 50th anniver- sary. Four years later, Ford announced a new four-door electric crossover to be marketed as the Mustang Mach-E. What Drives This Power Model?  There was a time when the Mustang Mach-E GT was considered the fastest SUV on the road when it was introduced in late 2021. However, its acceler- ation record of 3.7 seconds in 0-62 mph has been shaved by Aston Martin DBX707’s 3.3 seconds. This muscle drive features a 465 PS, all-wheel drive and battery-electric powertrain for drivers ready to take full advantage of the performance benefits of all-electric driving. It has a top speed of 124 mph and produces 830 Nm of torque to the front and rear axles. The standard 88 kWh extended-range battery pro- vides a targeted WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure) pure-electric driving range of up to 310 miles supported by Intelligen- tRange. This innovation accurately predicts how much range drivers have by using past driving be- haviour, weather forecasts and crowdsourced data from other Mustang Mach-E vehicles. Joining the GT is the prototype Mach-E 1400 delivering more