Back in January, Ford teased an all-electric, Mustang-inspired performance crossover that would supposedly take the historic Mach 1 name, even producing a video in which an Explorer and a Mustang appear to shack up in a Detroit warehouse for an electric night of, erm, procreation. Not all that surprisingly, core fans of the muscle car swiftly cried heresy at Ford’s apparent sullying of the nameplate, drawing unfavorable comparisons to what Mitsubishi did with the Eclipse.
According to a report by Automotive News, Ford’s electric SUV is still indeed happening but score one for the purists because it won’t be called Mach 1.
In an email to The Drive, a Ford spokesperson said, “The Mach 1 name captures the spirit of the new vehicle. Ford used it to gauge reaction from potential customers as part of our research determining the final name. The final name will be announced later.”
Speaking to Automotive News, Ford President of Global Markets Jim Farley said rather diplomatically, “We put [Mach 1] out there to evaluate it. There are pros and cons. I don’t want to handicap it at this point, but we got a very strong reaction from people.”
To give you some examples of what Farley is talking about, quickly perusing replies to Ford’s tweet above yields some pretty unhappy campers.
The original Mach 1 Mustang was introduced in 1969 and featured a matte black hood, upgraded suspension, a rear lip spoiler, rear window louvers, unique wheels and chrome exhaust tips. A second generation was produced from 1971 to 1973.
1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1
While the upcoming, electric Ford will no longer share a name with a performance Mustang, the muscle car will still serve as inspiration for the EV’s design. Automotive News reports that the SUV will bear the Mustang’s front-end design while offering utility more akin to the Explorer. Sort of like how the Lamborghini Urus resembles the Huracan and Aventador in the fascias but is obviously a much bigger and more practical vehicle.
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