Ford “Mustang” Mach-E 1400 Prototype

[VoodooBoss]

@yotah1 nice work on the video. I went to a preview of the Mach E and I liked the looks especially the rear of the car. I’m looking forward to driving one

 

[yotah1]

When the original promo video came out, there was some commentary that they didn't have the sound work out yet and that's why they sort of "hid" it during the video.

That's pretty much it. When I rode in it, the sound setup wasn't done yet so we had pure gear noise pretty much all the time. It was ok to be honest, and not as loud as in the promo video. I think they amped it up in the video to make a point, maybe went a little too far on that one

 

[Bill Pemberton]

Actually am pretty interested in the near future and my only complaint is how Ford is Marketing the machine. This comes from being in the trenches for years ( 30 years in the business ) and am disappointed Ford is following a quasi Tesla type of sales approach when Ford is a Leader ,not a follower. Waiting to build till someone orders is not conducive to the Ford approach and I sure won't order one without a solid trade in value. Consumers are not excited about committing and then not really knowing what their trade in will be , since no one is sure when the cars will get there - not on a conventional build shipping at present. I am not being a know it all, I actually worked under this same scenario for 20 years ordering Vipers , and it is tough when neither the Dealer or the customer knows when the car will be there. The only option is to trade in early ( not always possible ) or for the customer to take a risk on the possible trade? Build them and they will come , be bold , it is a great looking product --just my personal opinion.

 

[blacksheep-1]

I just hate to see Ford whoring out the Mustang pony car nameplate to try and sell SUVs, this reminds me of the time they tried to pawn the Mazda Probe off as a Mustang and people went nuts. It doesn't matter if it's an electric or not, and the fact that they have to have a fake driveline noise makes it even more bogus to me.
I would never be interested in one of these just because of the namesake alone, and the local Mustang club members feel the same way.

 

[Fat Boss]

The only option is to trade in early ( not always possible ) or for the customer to take a risk on the possible trade?

Bill- I wasn't aware this is an option. You're saying I could trade in my POS electric Focus now for "credit" and take delivery of a Mach-e when it comes in?

 

[Fat Boss]

Bill- I wasn't aware this is an option. You're saying I could trade in my POS electric Focus now for "credit" and take delivery of a Mach-e when it comes in?

Does anyone know if I can do that?

 

[LS291]

I watched the Jay Leno's Garage episode with the Mach-E in it. Let me save you 28 minutes of your life. He doesn't drive either the production version or the race version. It was nice to hear directly from Jim Farley. They cut in pieces of the promo video and every time they went to that, I actually had to turn the volume nearly off to prevent that ear splitting gear noise from giving me a headache. The only vehicle that has sounds worse are the unmuffled rotary engines that show up at Maple Grove Dragway or ATCO.

I'm all for people having choices. So if this is what others want, I have no problem with it. It's just not for me and I will speak with my wallet.

I have to agree with @blacksheep-1 , I am disappointed Ford chose to hijack the Mustang nameplate here. So many other good choices (Galax-E really stands out to me). But, with the decision making as of late (and the stock price), I understand the name recognition being needed to sell this product and drive focus internally.

 

[Fat Boss]

I put down a deposit on a Mach-E GT. I'll have it upgraded to the Performance Edition with the 634 foot pounds of torque when I put the order in.

 

[VoodooBoss]

When you get your GT I’ll drag race you in my Tesla.

 

[Bill Pemberton]

Sorry Fat Boss , I did not see your note till now. Feel free to always drop me a conversation if you have any other questions. Retired but still help friends or racers get to the right folks at Woodhouse Ford. Found out the other day they secured one more GT 350 ( 2020 ) , but that is the last they said they could get Ford to give them. I have one guy I go to for TMO members and I would have sent you to him on the Mustang Mach E, but asleep at the wheel on your note -- my bad.

 

[Ludachris]

When you get your GT I’ll drag race you in my Tesla.

 

[Fat Boss]

Sorry Fat Boss , I did not see your note till now. Feel free to always drop me a conversation if you have any other questions. Retired but still help friends or racers get to the right folks at Woodhouse Ford. Found out the other day they secured one more GT 350 ( 2020 ) , but that is the last they said they could get Ford to give them. I have one guy I go to for TMO members and I would have sent you to him on the Mustang Mach E, but asleep at the wheel on your note -- my bad.

No worries Bill. I think I'm just going to hold on to the Focus and trade it in when the E GT arrives.

And for sure we should drag race, Rick.

 

[blacksheep-1]

go 5 laps at Sebring and see who wins, we had the Porsche super zoomy hybrid there and after 3 laps it dropped about 150 HP.. it made a great handling Miata though

 

[Bill Pemberton]

Said it once before and I completely realize how hard it is to take a legendary name and make drastic changes. I was there kicking and screaming when Porsche said they were going to do an SUV and later a 4 door sedan , and..........................the Marquee has thrived. Though it is difficult for all of us to see the Mustang morph into something we find confusing, I pause and reflect and I have to give Ford Marketing kudos. For the Mustang to live years into the future, it hopefully will be it's own model, and the V8 and the car will continue in some similar chassis and build , supported by a full line of Mustangs , not unlike what Porsche has done. I do not believe in the common answer, " Yeh, but it is just a Ford, " because just a Ford has a racing history , model developments, production ideas, and more , that have arguably formed the basis for all of the automobile dynamics of the day.

Youth will help get some piped in vehicle roar into the electrifying machine , and our senses will all be calmed. The speed will sell many of us who are track rats, and I imagine in the years to come we will see the EVs circling the track quickly and for a long period of time. Funny, they dominated Autocross in 2019 so bad, that they pushed them up a Class.

Don't get me wrong, the ERAs ( as noted before ) we have gone through have been fun, but I believe the future will find new and exciting machines to pilot ..........

 

[blacksheep-1]

Let me be brutally honest, Ford has lost the youth market, they put their tail between their legs and run away like little *****es. Duntov was right in the 50s when he told Chevy they need to cater to the youth market, they did , and were wildly successful, Ford dithered around with the flathead longer than they should have, and then, didn't offer a modifiable V8 for years, first the Y block, then the FE, then the 260, then the Windsor, then the Cleveland and most of the parts would never interchange. GM built the 265, a solid engine that lived in it's basic form until the mid 90s with massive parts interchangeability and huge after market support.
I read somewhere, some place, long ago that the strategy is to build an affordable car for the youth market (read that as cheap, reliable, and sporty) then as the kid progresses through life would buy the next step up, a station wagon or sedan, then a Lincoln as life progressed. There was some statistical data that showed a person's first car will likely be their last car and they would tend to stay with the marque their entire lives.
Now Ford has given up the youth market, and with foreign manufacturers starting to build SUVs and pickups it's only a matter of time until they lose that as well if they keep the same strategy they have now.
This isn't all the manufacturer's fault, the clean air act on 1970 that forced domestic builders to adopt ill developed, overnight cures for emissions that made their cars pigs and unreliable, was part of the problem, the OPEC embargo was another, together they kicked the doors open for foreign manufacturers and the domestics have never fully recovered.
Just like this forced "electrics by 2035 is pretty much BS that is being forced upon us with absolutely no regard for market consequences, and as we have seen the idiocy of the "cash for clunkers" program that took away a great many of dependable, affordable cars that could have been sold second hand to those with less income or first time buyers. Government intervention, without consulting the manufacturers, is always stupid and benefits no one..... but I digress.
In any case the fact that Ford has abandoned the youth market will surely bite them in the ass 10 years from now, kids today grow up on Hondas, Subarus and Mitsubishis and then gravitate to their larger cousins down the road. (including SUVs and pickups) Ford needs to build an inexpensive, reliable entry level car that appeals to the younger kids and yes.. that they can modify, or risk losing the war. As good as the Ford Focus RS it was priced at over $40K seriously Ford, that's mustang territory, why would someone buy a $40K Focus when they could buy a used Honda and modify it themselves? or a used Mustang or Camaro?
Now you guys are whoring out the Mustang name, the vehicle that made the term "pony car" part of America's lexicon.. I bet Henry Ford, (and the Deuce) the guy that put America on wheels is crapping his pants right now.
I really think someone needs to walk up to your CEO and kick him right in the ****s

Feel free to pass this on if you know him.

 

[Bill Pemberton]

Well we can just politely agree to disagree , but seeing that the Mustang is the most popular " Sports Car " in the World, and I can state in our part of the Country , there are a lot of younger buyers getting Mustangs. Porsche guys flipped out when the brand expanded and many Mustang guys are also, but I think expanding the iconic name will keep the main focus around for many years. The Camaro is likely doing it's death knell in the very near future, and FCA can only remake the Challenger for so many years. Considering the buyers I was selling to before I retired , it seemed the youth market was reasonably served. They key is the younger market has only been a portion of the car's basis for years , as cost is the hurdle that has always been in the equation forever. The fact that Ford makes models/options so one can afford a Mustang in the 20s or low 30s , is indicative that Ford still views this group as viable.

I am personally hoping for a full Mustang branded Dealership in the Future, as this would portend a Performance line well into this Century, and I think that is something we all want? Granted some of the Performance may come as a Crossover, SUV, or other, but the Mustang will live on, I firmly believe , in the same manner as the 911 does.

Humans do not like change, and I know I have not been pleased or wanted certain things to happen over the years, but it seems the Automotive Industry continues to surprise me and others. I have easily forgotten my early machines and their perceived performance , when we now drive cars that would have been competitive in Trans Am , World Challenge or IMSA, just decades ago.

Understand Blacksheep's thoughts, respect his views, but after going from a 135 HP Datsun 2000 ( my first car ) to a 645 hp Viper GTS, it is hard for me not to believe the next decade or two will not bring even crazier automobiles?

 

[TMSBOSS]

Add some range and I’ll play. Torque on demand is something I could enjoy. Lower CG and the ability to “Refuel” from solar panels on the house could seal the deal.
For now it would have to be a local commuter. Time to recharge kills the idea of a modern electric track toy......for now.
Kicking the new CEO in the jimmies? Not sure that would fix much. He inherited the current situation. Reflecting back we also need to remember Ford was one of the last to switch to hydraulic brakes. That hesitation cost market share. Could/would delaying even more on EVs kill Ford? Do you want to make that call? Not me. It’s the future. Embrace it, biznitch about it or watch and see. I’ll watch and see. Range and recharge times are deal breakers for me for now.

 

[TymeSlayer]

I have fours cars in the stable right now, The Boss, a F-150, an Edge and a Hybrid Lexus for my wife. Do I need another car, no. Do I want another car, yes! The Boss and the F-150 aren't going anywhere and my 15 year old is driving the Edge but she wants a Jeep. We talked about EVs and Hybrids but she wants a Jeep. Now she's not every kid in America these days but I can say that not all "youth" some kind of fancy newfangled vehicle that strays from "my" norm. My wife would go to a full out EV and she likes this Mach-E but with her, the name doesn't puke out "luxury" with or without the Mustang badge. Thus the Lexus. I think Ford misses out on this in that even in her eyes the Mustang moniker will not translate to sales. The Mustang name will draw those who already love Mustangs but I certainly don't think it draws in the youth or those who are indifferent to a brand.

In regards to pipping in sound, I'm not sure today's youth see much value in this. Their future will be littered with roads packed with silent machines. It will become the norm and our antiquated, fossil burning pavement eaters will be frowned upon as our species die off.

Me? I would love all that instant torque in a Mustang but I want it to look like a Mustang. Give me something like this concept car below and I'll be adding a fifth car to the stable.

 

[blacksheep-1]

You got to get the kids on board if you are going to profit.. you can sell to upper middle class and wealthy all you want, but until you can bring in the future car owner, you will wither away. You also have to figure in that these days less kids are getting their licenses, they see cars as only a transportation conduit, America's love affair with the car is almost over, unless that is rekindled the auto industry and our sport faces a very bleak future. Go to any cruise in and you will see hundreds of ricers, all over the US this is happening, the domestics are few and far between and mostly owned by those in their 30s and above. Ford has to compete with major distractions impacting kids, and all the while their parents are telling them that American cars are second rate, because when they were growing up, they probably were, again it goes back to what the kid learns when he/she is young. I remember foaming at the mouth the first time I saw a 65 Mustang GT with racing stripes and I was 8 years old, that doesn't happen anymore, it needs to.

 

[blacksheep-1]

range is the key, give me a car I can drive at 75-80 mph across country for 350 miles, I can stop and in 5 minutes have the battery recharged and go put another 350 on it and I might be interested. I grew up on slot cars, so no noise doesn't bother me.
Also FWIW these hybrids and electrics pose some serious challenges for first responders when we have to cut someone out of a car