The new Mustang Mach-E Rally is Ford’s off-roadiest performance EV yet

This new Mach-E Rally is what you’d get if you could cross Ford’s highest-performance Mustang Mach-E electric SUV model, the GT, with the company’s discontinued Focus RS rally sports monster. Ford initially revealed the Mustang Mach-E Rally at the Goodwood Festival of Speed ​​in July, but is announcing more details today. The vehicle is scheduled to be built in early 2024 (yes, this is not a one-off performance), with deliveries to follow “shortly” thereafter.

The Rally isn’t the size of a hatchback like the Focus RS, but additional suspension upgrades, protective underbody armor, and added tuning allow it to tackle dirt roads in a similar fashion. Ford says it has put the Mach-E Rally prototypes through “500-mile rally-cross simulation durability tests” to ensure they can survive off-road adventures. The automaker also added extra armor for the dual engines to protect them from dirt and rocks, plus a film on the door trims and fender arches to protect the paint.

Ford says the Mach-E Rally is expected to be priced similar to the GT Performance Edition, around $65,000, though final pricing won’t be announced until closer to production time (and possibly subject to price fluctuations). .

Spec-wise, the 2024 Mustang Mach-E Rally is similar to the GT Performance Edition. Both are capable of making 480 horsepower, but Ford is aiming for faster 0-60 mph acceleration to get the Rally past the 3.5-second GT Performance. And the Rally gains a little more punch with its twin-engine layout that targets 650 pound-feet of torque.

As an electric vehicle, the Rally gets the same range as the Mach-E GT: 250 miles on a single charge. That’s with the same usable 91kWh battery found in current extended-range Mach-E vehicles, which have an EPA-estimated range of 290 miles on a single charge for AWD versions. Ford isn’t concerned about range, however, as it shares that the average daily distance Mach-E customers drive is about 30 miles. And Ford CEO Jim Farley has feelings when it comes to really big cars and really big batteries.

You can fast-charge the Rally up to 150 kW max (just like the other Mach-E models), but Ford made changes to decrease the Rally’s overall DC fast-charge time from 10 to 80 percent state of charge in about 36 minutes (compared to about 45 minutes about him standard range Mach-E).

The Rally will continue to have a CCS Combo connector on board despite Ford and other manufacturers adopting Tesla’s connector, now known as the North American Charging Standard (NACS). Ford EV customers are scheduled to get CCS to NACS adapters in 2024, but details are still scant.

The Rally’s suspension is raised about 20 millimeters compared to the GT and includes specially tuned springs and MagneRide shocks to help you grip on those bumpy dirt roads. And it gets 385-millimeter front brake rotors and red Brembo calipers behind white 19-inch alloy wheels for better stopping power.

The interior of the Rally has some minor updates that remind you that you are driving a special Mach-E. The dash features subtle gloss white accents and the lower spokes of the steering wheel are finished in gloss white. Additionally, there are extra contrast stitching on the interior door trim and the seats are stamped “Mach-E Rally” along with bright white seat backs. There’s no need to look up while in the vehicle, as the Rally doesn’t feature the panoramic glass roof found on premium Mach-E trims.

The Rally’s interior technology, including the 15.5-inch touchscreen, is the same as other Mach-E models. But the software includes a new RallySport driving mode that allows for more steering for bigger slides, linear throttle response for better control, and better damping for better cornering handling. For daily drivers, this can translate to better traction on snowy and rainy roads. It also helps that it comes with Michelin Cross Climate2 all-season tires that have grooves in the sidewalls and directional tread.

Ford is also including a 90-day trial of its latest BlueCruise hands-free driver assistance system (version 1.3), which users can purchase or postpone until later. Ford claims the updated version has improved lane change assist, lane repositioning and better overall performance in cornering and driving in tight lanes.

There’s an additional set of lights at the front of the Rally, two circular fog lamps on the nose that Ford says are rally-inspired. Color options include grabber blue, shadow black, rash green, grabber yellow, star white, and a new glacier gray.

Fans who miss the Focus RS will love the Rally-inspired winged spoiler, and fans of the old-school Mustang can continue to lament how far the electric SUV has strayed from the source material.