My fast Ford loving friends all rave about the Mustang Mach-E GT. Now I know why

Introduction

Most EVs are fast. Even affordable electric cars with small motors and batteries are zippy, making them great at the lights and perfect for nipping out at junctions. But not all electric cars are fun – which is why the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT is a revelation. I’ve already reviewed the standard Mustang Mach-E but was very keen to try this souped-up edition, which isn’t a car for shrinking violets. Luckily, my test model was finished in the excellent Grabber Blue (£1,150, eek!), as opposed to the eye-popping yellow variant pictured here.

I thought the original incarnation of the Mustang Mach-E was very decent, but I love what Ford has done with the GT – namely the £2,250 Rally Pack, which adds cosmetic touches and tuned suspension to the £74,460 base car along with other fizz factors that turn the Mustang Mach-E into a real bundle of fun. Anyone, including my friends who are aficionados of Fast Fords, will find the GT has much in common with the good old days. This car drives like a proper Ford should.

The styling

I well remember the fuss about the Ford Mustang Mach-E when it originally came out, with many brand fans expressing their disbelief over using the name for an EV. Nevertheless, I’ve come to quite like the look of the Mustang Mach-E. At least it’s instantly recognisable against so many cookie-cutter Chinese rivals.

Of course, the Mach-E GT is even easier to spot with a choice of bold exterior colours, shouty decals and white 19in ‘look-at-me’ wheels. Adding some more attention-seeking edginess is the bulky spoiler that hangs over the rear window. The only trouble with looks like this, as is the case with the Ford Focus RS, is they attract the wrong type of other road user: being regularly raced down by wannabe Lewis Hamiltons is a tedious downside.

Those boisterous extra touches aside I think the body shape still looks good, from the smooth nose with that distinctive badge and enticing air intakes through to the swoopy roofline, which ends with a distinctive nod to the Mustang taillights of old. Cool little additions like the button-touch door entry, wonderfully practical door mirrors and a panoramic roof made the package complete.

Inside the Mustang Mach-E does feel decidedly American, especially when it comes to the seats, which are tailor-made for keeping bums comfy on multi-mile road trips across a US state or two. Elsewhere the space is very generous both front and back, boosted with a very usable boot and frunk space at both ends. Topping it off is the dashboard centrepiece – the huge portrait infotainment screen, which I’ll touch on in the tech section further down.

The drive

Without a doubt, the best thing about the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT is the way it handles, despite being quite lumpy in the weight department. Much of this was down to the rallycross tuned dampers, which made this a much better car to drive than the normal version. I thought the standard issue model was decent enough, but it did have a tendency to roll around a bit. This souped-up variant is an entirely different bag of tricks, even more so as there was a RallySport drive mode that instantly made me take a bee-line for any non-paved country tracks I spotted.

And, make no mistake, the Ford Mach-E GT is very fast, both off the line and at top speed, which peaking at 124mph, is quite enough for something so big and bulky. Interestingly, I felt it was more fun being threaded through around country curves rather more slowly where the handling prowess could be exploited more effectively. Nevertheless, the GT also behaved nicely on motorway journeys. My car had plenty of stopping ability too, thanks to the four-pot Brembo brakes, which were needed as a means of staving off the intense acceleration provided by the battery and motor combo.

This was the extended range model, with a 91kWh battery that provided me with plenty of range for a sizable journey to and from the airport, which I managed to make in one go. However, when pushed, the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT delivers performance that will shave quite a lot off the official 316-mile range. In fact, I’d say expect around 250 miles during real world usage. I felt this trade-off was more than worth it when I took the car on country roads where, as mentioned, the handling package really helped the EV come into its own. Charging at up to 150kW was respectable enough too.

The technology

One of the most distinctive features of the interior was the 15in portrait touchscreen, supplemented by a very good 10.2in digital instrument cluster. Just like the standard car, this delivered a quality user experience with distinctive graphics that never let you forget you’re driving a Ford. The colours and fonts looked really good, and the system also behaved impeccably during my time behind the wheel.

Being a top-of-the-line model, my GT boasted an excellent Bang & Olufson audio system, complete with ten speakers and a dashboard sound bar. Alongside everyday essentials that included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging pad, cool ambient lighting and 8-way electric seats, I felt like the kit levels gave me all I needed. In addition, the rear view and 360-degree cameras were useful to have as, despite quite a lot of glass, the view out the back was a little challenging in some parking scenarios.

Ford’s Bluecruise is another feature worthy of note as it offers useful level 2 hands-off driving assistance for motorway journeys across much of the UK, with the only downside being a monthly subscription is required. A bit like gym memberships – I think it’s worth it if you use it, especially for the intelligent adaptive cruise control that can keep a driver on the straight and narrow if the need for speed vibe provided by the GT edition isn’t easily harnessed.

Ford Mustang Mach-E GT verdict

I find it a little bit amusing that the Ford Mach-E GT is more than capable if it’s being driven off-road, because it’s actually perfectly suited to the UK’s crumbling road network thanks to the fab suspension. I found it a dream to drive during normal motoring. The icing on the cake was just how good it handled on the rough stuff or off the beaten track.

In the right spec and with the right options, the Mach-E GT becomes everything Ford fans love about this iconic brand. Except perhaps the price. Add in space and comfort plus a decent range capability and this is one of the best packages Ford currently offers from its reasonably limited EV portfolio.

Ford Mustang Mach-E GT technical specifications