What's all this about?

Ford has announced a new top model of the Mustang Mach-E electric SUV, and it's called the Rally. It'll be based on the existing GT model, but it will be even more powerful than that car is.

More powerful than the Mach-E GT?

Yep. Taken to the Goodwood Festival of Speed in camouflage, but now fully revealed at the IAA Mobility motor show in Munich, the Mach-E Rally will have 'at least' 487hp and 880Nm when it goes on sale in early 2024. The former of those figures is what the GT makes already, while the latter represents an increase of 20Nm - presumably why Ford says the Rally has a 'tuned' version of the GT's drivetrain. And raising the intriguing possibility that the manufacturer might just be being coy, and we could be looking at a 500hp-plus Mach-E here...

Good lord! But is it just speed, and no extra handling nous?

Hardly. The Mach-E Rally has 20mm higher suspension than a GT, complete with bespoke-tuned MagneRide dampers. Up front are 385mm brake discs with red-finished Brembo callipers, while a set of truly exquisite rally-style 19-inch alloys in gloss white are wrapped in Michelin CrossClimate2 tyres, specifically designed with a bigger sidewall and greater grip on loose surfaces. And then there's RallySport mode.

What's that?

It's a setting in the selectable drive modes, which sets the electronic control systems of the Mustang Mach-E Rally to a state where they allow bigger slides (yes, really), linear throttle response for better control, and more aggressive damping for better handling in loose corners. It's the first-ever appearance of RallySport mode and, to test it, Ford created a special off-road track at its Michigan Proving Ground. This was designed by veterans of the rallycross scene and the prototypes of the Rally were then beasted around this challenging circuit for 500 miles at a time by Ford's engineers and technicians, to ensure that the off-roading-fun Mach-E could withstand the rigours of some serious punishment in the rough stuff. What you're essentially looking at here is an electric mud-smashing cousin of the deranged Ford Ranger Raptor pick-up.

Very cool. As are the looks - can you expand on those?

Yes, at the front is a unique splitter lower down and then built-in foglights inspired by rallying, these sitting higher up to either side of the Mustang Mach-E's galloping horse emblem. The steel roof is painted black, while there are unique contrast body mouldings fitted round the Rally, as well as a chunky rear spoiler which is reminiscent of the old Focus RS. Six colours are available, with three of them being Grabber Blue, Eruption Green and the excellent Grabber Yellow you can see here, while the twin racing stripes running over the length of the car are standard fit. There are, of course, those aforementioned lovely white wheels, a detail which is repeated inside the Mach-E Rally - where gloss white is used for dashboard trims, the lower spokes of the steering wheel, the contrast stitching on the door cards and also the backs of the Ford-designed performance front seats.

Ooh, nice! But what about the key question: driving range?

Ah. Ford hasn't got a figure on that... yet. The car is due to go on sale early next year and the homologation of its one-shot range on a charge will be announced nearer that time, but the company has confirmed the Mach-E Rally will have the large 91kWh (usable) battery pack that the GT uses, so a similar range of around 310 miles officially ought to be quoted. No word on prices, either, although as a Mach-E GT currently costs £74,540 at the time of writing, you can probably expect the Rally to surpass that figure. Eesh.

Hmm, pricey. Any last words from any of the big cheeses at Ford?

How about some from the grandest fromage of them all, CEO Jim Farley? He said: "Mustang Mach-E Rally puts Ford's decades of passion for rally championships around the world right in the hands of our customers. It takes Mustang where it hasn't been before - to gravel and dirt roads. Inspired by true driving enthusiasts, a driving experience like never before for the pure joy of driving."

Matt Robinson - 7 Sep 2023