The Mach-E is an electric performance crossover while the Mustang is a pony/muscle car, one might aptly point out. Yes, but the Mach 1 derivative of the ‘Stang that came about in the late 1960s could’t get anywhere near 761 mph (1,225 km/h), which is the speed of sound in standard conditions, so the game was rigged from the get-go! On a more serious note, accepting the Blue Oval’s decision to integrate the Mach-E into the Mustang range may be more or less simple for each one of us. And this rendering aims to zoom in on the matter by bringing together the 1,400 hp prototype that is the Mach-E 1400 and a heavily restomodded 1971 Mustang Mach 1.
With its seven electric motors and the said four-figure output, the Mustang Mach-E 1400 makes for a brilliant way of bringing the street vehicle into an enthusiast’s heart. And, with its aggressive aero, digital artist Rostislav Prokop (@rostislav_prokop) didn’t even have to massage it for this widebody battle.
Back in 1969, Ford wanted a way to mark the Mustang’s growth from a pony car that could be had with Small Block V8s to Big Block muscle—it started with the ’67 revamp that reshaped the engine bay, increasing the distance between the shock towers by moving from the original compact Falcon bones to the mid-sized Fairlane platform. And the Mach 1 appearance and performance pack was such a big hit that it sent the GT straight into retirement.
In 1970, the Mustang once again grew (1971-1973 model years) for the same reason, with this naturally aslo impacting the Mach 1. And while the list of goodies brought by the Mach 1 package was reduced, this was still something to right home about.
Pick your poison
As for this particular Mach 1, the artist worked his pixel magic to make up for the five-decage gap between the two by completely reworking the muscle car. And his kit blends contemporary design standards with the retro look of the pony, while taking a page from the Mach-E 1400 book—you’ll easily notice the similarities, especially when it comes to the overfenders or the dive planes adorning the front apron.
The digital restomodding process of this 1971 Mach 1 also involves the light clusters. And while the headligths simply place LEDs in the factory clusters, the taillights have been completely revised, which might not be to traditionalists’ liking.
And while we’re talking about the posterior of the 1971 Mach 1, please note the generously-sized quadruple exhaust setup—the V8 is alive and well here, so you can go ahead and pick your favorite hooning machine.
The future
Returning to the idea of welcoming the Mach-E into the Mustang stable, consider this: sure, the Mach-E is a brilliant drive, but it can’t defy physics and with its weight and size being totally different to that of the two-doors Mustangs, this is obviously reflected in the driving experience.
However, since more stringent emission regulations are forcing automakers to push our beloved V8s away from showrooms, so the sooner we get used to the electric way of doing things, the better. And we can work on determining the industry to look more into ways of keeping internal combustion engines around for as long as possible, with synthetic fuels being a potential aid.
