My brother and I are quite different. In appearance he is shorter, but physically much fitter; he can cycle the length of France in a couple of hours.
I am tall, yes, but puny, and can just about freewheel downhill to the Co-op in the village.
He has been a very successful medical professional, academic leader, and entrepreneur. In my lack of career, I have served meals, talked, and now write for you.
However, we are apparently indistinguishable from each other on the phone, so we must sound the same, and, of course, we share a surname and DNA.
The Ford Mustang is an all-American muscle car, and one I have an admiration for. I ain’t no cowboy but driving an Eco-boost version of the current model at the 2014 launch in the States, I found it dope (US slang for very good, excellent, attractive, exciting).
Alice and I were able to roll up to our club in the Mustang and impress the manager so much he was desperate to valet park it, then change into our jeans, put Bruce Springsteen into the CD player and be welcomed at the BBQ ho-down in Ridgefield town.
Yip, you know what your gettin’ into with a ‘Stang. A slice of Americana, as tasty as mom’s apple pie.
How much Mustang DNA is in the Mach-E?
Then Ford goes and produces a battery electric compact crossover SUV called the Ford Mustang Mach-E. And you don’t know what yer gettin’!
So how much Mustang DNA is in the Mach-E? Jumping into the saddle of the Mach-E I spot the Mustang trademark folds in the bonnet. Nice. A nod to the two-door horse relative. And then I think, yes, short seat squab, it’s a Ford all right.
That said, both Alice and I found the seats very comfortable, and the interior modern, light and airy. We felt this wasn’t just another SUV competitor; this rivals quality five-door cars from Germany.
Sure, I can get my mountain bike in the back, but the feel is more premier estate car than Chelsea tractor.
Arguably, the brash two-door brother is a one-trick pony. Not so for this bronco; think dressage, three-day eventing and show jumping. There are three driving modes: Whisper (calm and quiet), Active (balanced and engaging), and Untamed (exhilarating drive; man and road as one).
While Whisper means serene and soothing progress, Untamed is significantly different to the other settings in terms of how the car responds and drives. In short, this pony can do the school-run to NASCAR and everything in between.
Passengers were comfortable sitting in the back, even the ones behind me. And it’s fun, with electric door opening, moon roof and the electric whoosh of power delivery.
On the move I found it more intuitive to drive than a Tesla. A small information panel located behind the steering wheel carries enough driving information for me and negates the need to look across to the large screen.
No rev counter, though, as my favourite gauge is being consigned to history. Pleasingly the gear selector is in the traditional location, sadly without the Jaguar-Land Rover theatre of rising up on ignition.
Make no mistake, though, this is a very quick car. And a safe fast car. The all-wheel drive version I’ve been using was astonishingly competent around corners. The handling and road holding are so good the car flatters the driver.
Fit for the 21st Century
You don’t need skill to make rapid progress. Your own nerve is the only limiting factor, next to the speed limit of course. It didn’t feel as blisteringly fast as the Tesla 3 but, perhaps as a consequence, I found the Mach-E easier to drive smoothly than the Tesla, with less savage speed accumulation and reduction.
I’ve been driving the petrol 5.0 litre back-to-back with the electric, and without doubt the Mach-E is easier to drive quickly.
Out on the track during our photo shoot, the red petrol car, in the hands of it’s experienced owner was able to clock exactly the same speed on the back straight (after launching out of the corner and holding second gear) as he was able to clock in Mach-E.
This is a 21st Century Mustang. It’s a great car. Period. It’s also an electric car, for which fuelling brings its own challenges. The public charging network isn’t really here yet, that’s why I had my bike in the back, to cycle home from a rapid charging site after the closer two units were found to be not working.
If you haven’t got the capacity for quick charging on your drive or garage then no electric car should be on your shopping list. Yet. The range on the Mach-E is nearly there, and for 97% of my journeys it would work. I could be tempted and, surprisingly, so could my Porsche-driving brother.
Unlike my brother and I, though, the two Mustang brothers do not sound the same. You just can’t beat the aural pleasure derived from blipping the throttle on the 5.0 litre petrol car.
Yes, there is a “propulsion” feature which can be activated on Mach-E but, hey, Ford, you missed a trick here – where’s the iconic Bullitt film McQueen car noise option?
But fear not, Mustang lovers, when I pushed the right foot pedal too hard, deliberately, on a damp piece of tarmac, the Mach-E stepped out at the rear.
Yee haa, the DNA has made it down the blood line. Should we accept this Mustang brand extension? You bet!
Thanks to TrustFord Aberdeen who provided the Mach-E.
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