There’s a new version of the Mustang Mach-E aimed at going fast in the dirt, and honestly, it rules. Ford could have just as soon made the new Mach-E Rally as simple as a set of wheels, some cool bumpers, and a badge, but it decided to pull out most of the stops and make a vehicle that could actually handle some laps in the dirt. Back in 2022, the engineering team took a Mach-E GT from the test fleet, put some wheels and off-road tires on it, and went sliding around a field at the proving grounds. That was something of a proof of concept for the Mach-E Rally, and let’s just say it worked.
Engineers at Ford have spent the last two years developing the Rally into a competent off roader. They even cooked up a new 500-mile mixed-surface torture test for the rally machine, which it apparently passed with no issues. I’m not sure I could torture any of my cars for 500 miles at speed and expect them to still be running at the end. That test is “the equivalent of ten years of monthly rallycross racing.” I’ve seen rallycross eat cars up in an 8-round season, so that’s pretty intense.
Here’s more about the course from Ford:
What began as a grassy, unused field at Ford’s Michigan Proving Grounds is now a fully built, rallycross testing course. Before shovels hit the dirt, the team attended rallycross events and interviewed drivers to ensure that the course was a true analog of real rallycross racing environments.
After plotting out the twists and turns, Ford’s engineers completed a full computer-aided engineering (CAE) analysis of the course, mapping elevation, expected speeds, timing, and more. Armed with sensors and measuring equipment, the team used this technology to ensure that not only did the course have the look and feel of a rallycross race, but that the data backed it up.
It’s hard to believe, but the Ford Mustang Mach-E has been roaming the streets for nearly four years already. The Blue Oval somehow settled on a rally-ready model as the direction it needed to go in. It won’t compete directly with the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato or the Porsche 911 Dakar, but if you like those cars and want to carry more than two people this is pretty much what you pick, right? It’s a practical family CUV that likes to play in the dirt.
“We tested in numerous different weather scenarios and temperatures with conditions ranging from muddy to dry – typical of what rallycross competitors might face,” Chris Berchin, Ford off-road attributes engineersaid, “Likewise, the surface is dirt of varying composition, allowing for different traction scenarios.”
Ford more or less started with the existing Mach-E GT as the basis for the production Rally model, too. With 480 horsepower from a pair of electric motors, a 0-60 sprint of 3.4 seconds, and an estimated range of 265 miles, the platform is a strong one to start with anyway. From there the Ford Model E engineers added a “rallycross-tuned MagneRide damping system” and gave the car an extra inch of ground clearance. The Rally model also gets some 19-inch rally-inspired wheels with more Michelins that boast a taller sidewall and more loose surface grip.
Would you take one of these out for a run at your regional rallycross event? I am willing to bet that, given the right tires and the right driver, it would clean house.