Skip to main content

Rumor has it that Ford will build a tuned Shelby edition of the new Mach-E

The new Ford Mustang Mach-E has been one of the more polarizing announcements to come out of Detroit in some time. Purists are so adamantly against a four-door Mustang that there is a petition being circulated to ask Ford to change the name. Others are happy to have an iconic name like Mustang brought into the electric vehicle (EV) world, even if it is not a two-door pony car. Now, rumors have spread that applying the Shelby badge might be in the works.

Ed Krenz, Ford Performance chief program engineer, is rumored to have said he was looking forward to applying Shelby characteristics to the Mach-E. Ford is neither confirming or denying the rumor, but it brings about several interesting questions. First, would the late Carroll Shelby approve of his brand on an electric car? Second, would a Shelby version of the Mach-E help quell some of the critical comments regarding calling a non-pony car a Mustang? Third, is the technology out there to make for a complete day at the racetrack without running out of juice before lunch?  Krenz apparently has some work cut out for himself and his team.

This car is basically about a week old — no one aside from Ford employees has even driven one yet. So, how can car enthusiasts be so divided over this Mustang in such a short time? Change in the car culture world has never been easy to sell, — these are people who know what they like and no one can convince them differently. Brand loyalty and, more deeply, model loyalty are going to bring about rancor for anything new.

While those who rode in the Mach-E at the recent SEMA Show in Las Vegas report it to be impressive, one thing is for sure: A Shelby Mach-E — if, indeed, there is one coming — is several years away. The technology to make a EV good at the track and in commuter traffic is going to take some serious science and engineering. If Mach-E sales fall flat, will Ford even be willing to throw vital research budget dollars into a car that is not selling? Only time will tell.

Editors' Recommendations

John Elkin
Worked for many off road and rally and sports car publications throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Decided to go look for a…
Most Ford Mustang Mach-E reservation holders go for extended-range battery
2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E and 2020 Ford Mustang

The Ford Mustang Mach-E is one of the most anticipated new cars of the upcoming year. Treated to a glitzy unveiling at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show, the First Edition of the new electric car sold out in a matter of days. Now we have more information on what the first production cars will look like, and when they will arrive.

The Mach-E First Edition was listed as sold out on Ford's website by the end of November -- shortly after order books opened November 18. Ford finally confirmed that reservations for the First Edition are full, without saying how many First Edition cars it plans to build. Customers can still place reservations for other models. However, as the name implies, First Edition models will roll off the assembly line and into customers' driveways first.

Read more
Ford could build its next Mustang-inspired electric car on Volkswagen bones
Ford Mustang Mach E front view

Ford is eager to capitalize on the Mustang Mach-E's popularity by releasing a smaller, more affordable model in the coming years. While development work is on-going, company sources hinted the yet-unnamed car will use Volkswagen parts.

Decision-makers on both sides of the Atlantic are already plotting ways to expand the Mustang family beyond the well-known two-door model and the aforementioned Mach-E crossover, according to Murat Gueler, Ford's chief designer. "Yes, we have already talked about expansion, to some sort of family," he confirmed to British magazine Auto Express.

Read more
One version of the electric Ford Mustang Mach-E is already sold out
Ford Mustang Mach E front view

Ford ruffled more than a few feathers when it decided to call its first purpose-designed electric car the Mustang Mach-E. While some argue it's not worthy of wearing the hallowed Mustang nameplate, its target audience doesn't seem to mind one bit, and one of the five Mach-E variants announced during the model's unveiling is already sold out.

The trim-level hierarchy include five models named Select, Premium, California Route 1, First Edition, and GT, respectively. The Blue Oval's official website notes that every First Edition model has already been spoken for. It sounds like a limited-edition model, and it might be, but Ford chose not to disclose how many units of the model it will make. It might cap production after manufacturing a predetermined number of First Edition variants, or it might build the model for a certain amount of time. We've reached out to the company to learn more, and we'll update this story if we hear back.

Read more