Yahoo Autos 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally Is No Mere Show Pony
Tucked into the lush forest landscape of Washington's Snoqualmie Valley—on the site of a former sawmill you may recognize from cult TV classic Twin Peaks—is DirtFish Rally School. A gravel playground for rally racing enthusiasts, the facility is usually overrun by modified Subaru BRZs and WRXs, but we're here to sample a different sort of dirt-oriented performance vehicle: the electric Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally.
A former EV of the Year winner, the Mach-E has been a compelling option since it launched as a 2021 model, what with its competitive driving range, punchy powertrains, and exciting driving dynamics. The new Rally model—sitting just above the sporty GT at the top end of the lineup—is the latest edition aimed at legitimizing the Mach-E as a performance vehicle.
Like the GT, the Rally's dual electric motors provide all-wheel drive and a combined 480 horsepower and 700 pound-feet of torque. For some extra dirt cred, Ford installed underbody protection plates front and rear, while a revised front splitter improves the Mach-E's approach angle by a whopping 0.6 degree over a Premium model with 19-inch wheels (16.0 degrees versus 15.4). At the back, a rear spoiler that appears lifted directly from the discontinued Focus RS sits atop the crossover's liftgate.
Racing stripes, a unique highlighter-yellow paint job called Grabber Yellow, 19-inch rally-inspired wheels with Michelin CrossClimate2 all-season tires, and front-door graphics comprise the other not-so-subtle clues that the Rally is different from other Mach-E models. Ford has lifted the suspension an inch and made some tweaks to the bushings, anti-roll bars, and dampers to fortify the Rally for light off-road duty. It also gets the same adaptive magnetorheological dampers as the GT, allowing the driver to dial in a softer or stiffer ride depending on the task at hand.
Our first challenge is familiarizing ourselves with the Mach-E Rally's unique dynamics. The electric crossover hums quietly, lending a certain surrealism of its own to what is normally the noisy combustion-punctuated exercise of rally racing. Most of the noise heard here is limited to the sharp pings of gravel striking the underbody as we fishtail around a practice course.
Without the exclusive RallyCross drive mode engaged, the crossover's stability- and traction-control systems work against the driver to limit the fun. But with RallyCross turned on, the Mach-E Rally can easily be coaxed into lurid, muddy slides. A low center of gravity helps with mid-slide stability, and the motors' instant torque delivery makes blasting up to speed before the next corner a breeze. There being 700 pound-feet at the ready doesn't hurt either. After practice, we graduate to DirtFish's Boneyard course. With a little coaching (lift, turn, wait), we're able to quickly and confidently turn out laps. The Mach-E Rally's predictability comes in handy while sliding around a tight hairpin near the end of the run.
On the road, the Rally retains much of the Mach-E's agility and driving fun, while the revised suspension components and taller tire sidewalls soften the ride a fair bit. If you find the regular model too stiff, or live in areas of the country where frost-heaved roads and potholes are more common, the Rally offers a welcome respite from ride rigidity.
However, it's also here on the road where the Rally's enhancements introduce its primary downside: a lower estimated driving range. Despite having the same 91.0-kWh battery as the GT, the Rally's EPA-estimated range is 265 miles versus 280. And at $61,890 to start, the Rally is also the most expensive Mach-E you can buy.
Range-focused clientele would surely be eyeing the rear-wheel-drive Premium model anyway, which is rated for up to 320 miles of range when optioned with the same battery pack. But those who do take the plunge on the Rally will be able to charge quickly via a public DC fast-charger or the newly unlocked Tesla Supercharger network. We had a chance to try charging a Mach-E at a Supercharger station recently and found it quick and easy, although the feeling of being an uninvited stranger parked among Tesla dilettantes was hard to ignore.
Even with the slight reduction in driving range, we think Ford is onto something with the Rally given the current demand for ruggedness among otherwise normal roadgoing crossovers. The fact that the Rally isn't purely an appearance package and instead leverages some engineering solutions to present a unique take on performance strengthens the new model's value. Given the temptation it brings to whip virtually silent gravel-lot donuts, we might even go so far as to call the Mach-E Rally the one to buy.
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