2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Limits Power during Hard Acceleration

• We tested the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition, and it reached 60 mph in 3.7 seconds on its way to a 12.7-second quarter-mile at 101 mph.

• It was 1.2 seconds quicker to 60 mph and 0.9 second quicker through the quarter-mile than the standard Mustang Mach-E we tested, but the GT Performance recorded a lower trap speed.

• We noticed that the GT Performance started to severely limit power after about 80 mph, and was actually 2.1 seconds slower to reach 110 mph than a lesser Mach-E 4X.

Ford added the GT model to the Mustang Mach-E electric crossover to provide a more engaging driving experience and give it more of a reason to wear the Mustang badge. It claims that the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition—that's the one with 34 additional pound-feet of torque, summer tires, and magnetorheological dampers—will reach 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, which would put it close to the 760-hp Shelby GT500. It says the standard GT will hit 60 in 3.8 seconds. In our testing, however, the Performance Edition was closer to Ford's claim for the standard GT, requiring 3.7 seconds to reach that mark, and it was 0.9 seconds quicker through the quarter mile than the non-GT model, though we recorded a slower trap speed. This isn't exactly the performance we'd expect from a GT.

During our acceleration runs at the test track we noticed that, via a digital power and regen gauge displayed on the gauge cluster, the car was starting to limit power around 80 mph, which explains the GT's 2-mph lower trap speed. It also requires an additional 2.1 seconds to reach 110 mph compared to the next-step-down model we tested, an all-wheel-drive variant with the larger battery pack. We asked Ford why, and a spokesperson said that "the car is performing as expected" and reminded us that the "GT was designed around everyday usable performance for fun, not drag-strip duels or lap times." That's a rather strange cop-out on a car that has an Unbridled Extended drive mode that's for track use only.