2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally

The last year has been one for the books, with manufacturers stepping out of their comfort zones and giving us cars we'd never seen before. And when Porsche and Lamborghini introduced us to the 911 Dakar and Huracan Sterrato, it appears Ford was taking notes; the American carmaker has taken the Mustang Mach-E and given it a rally-based makeover. The 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally is not just a first-ever for the brand; it's a first-ever for the market. As Ford says, the Mach-E Rally pushes EVs in a different direction entirely, creating a new kind of performance vehicle. And when it comes to kicking up dust, we think this is one of the best ways Ford could've done it.

A specific release date for the Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally hasn't been given, but the automaker says it will be available to buy in early 2024. Deliveries are expected to commence in the USA shortly thereafter.

As with the launch date, the price of the 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally hasn't been clearly defined, but the Blue Oval says the targeted MSRP in the USA is $65,000. This puts it just a few thousand dollars higher than the powerful Mustang GT which starts at about $60k. The Rally will, therefore, become the most expensive Mach-E when it goes on sale.

One of the many things the Mach-E Rally has going for it is the fact that there's nothing else like it on the market. With no direct rivals to compare it to, the nearest you can get is somewhere between the Subaru WRX and the Ford Ranger Raptor, but the first is a more performance-focused sedan with a rally heritage, while the Ranger Raptor is a truck with a skill set aimed at off-roading. And neither of these is electric. However, a new Rivian R1X is supposedly in the works, which will see the electric SUV get the rally treatment - but with over 1,000 hp and a larger body, it will cost significantly more when it reaches production.

The exterior of the Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally is familiar; it's the Mustang Mach-E GT dressed up to go play in the dirt. The Mach-E Rally gets a dramatic rear spoiler, unique contrasting accents, and a bespoke front splitter. The black-painted steel roof and distinctive front fascia set it apart from other models, and there are built-in fog lights inspired by rally race cars.

It's about more than just looks, however, and the new Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally crossover is equipped with protective elements, too, including upper and lower body cladding, protective film on the doors and fender arches, available mud flaps, and underside shielding for the front and rear motors. At the front end, the Mach-E Rally is also fitted with a recovery point if your dirt-road adventures go sideways (pun intended).

The gloss white wheels stand out on this model, and the durable 19-inch rally-style alloys hark back to Ford rally vehicles that inspired the Mach-E Rally's development. These wheels are wrapped in Michelin CrossClimate2 tires that have reinforced sidewalls and offer more grip on loose surfaces. Red Brembo brake calipers are standard.

As far as exterior paints go, we love that the palette includes bold, arresting shades like the Grabber Yellow seen here. Other colors for the Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally include Grabber Blue, Shadow Black, Eruption Green, and two extra-cost shades named Glacier Gray and Star White. On all of these, the Mach-E Rally gets racing stripes as standard, which we think goes well with the car's athletic nature.

While Ford hasn't confirmed the dimensions for the Mustang Mach-E Rally, key measurements will be similar to the regular Mach-E model. That includes a 117.5-inch wheelbase, a width of around 74.1 inches with mirrors included, and a length that ranges from 185.6 inches to just under 187 inches, depending on the body kit changes. We also know it's been lifted by 0.8 inches over the GT model, so we expect a height of around 64.3 inches.

As for curb weight, the Mach-E can weigh as little as 4,318 pounds or as much as 4,989 lbs in GT Performance guise - we expect the Rally version to be on the heavier end of the spectrum, thanks to the special suspension and protective add-ons.

Official specs have yet to be clarified, but Ford says the Mach-E Rally will use a tuned version of the powertrain found in the Mach-E GT. The dual-motor AWD setup will make 'at least' 480 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. It will be interesting to hear what the top speed and 0-60 mph figures are, although we expect it'll be in line with the GT models that can do the benchmark dash in 3.8 seconds (or as little as 3.5 seconds with the Performance Pack equipped).

The point of the Mustang Mach-E Rally, however, is to provide a thrill on gravel roads and dirt - off-road prowess and straight-line sprints are not where it will shine. This model gets a unique suspension with specially tuned springs, MagneRide shocks, and 15.6-inch front brake rotors to bring it to a stop.

Since this is the first-ever car of its kind for the manufacturer, Ford built a special rally course in Michigan in collaboration with rallycross veterans just to test that it was on the right track with the Mach-E Rally. The automaker says that over 500 miles were covered in tests for durability and that prototypes of the Mach-E Rally were thoroughly 'abused' to ensure the brief was adhered to. The result is a car that will almost certainly be a blast to throw around on a dirt road.

The Mach-E Rally comes with the first-ever RallySport drive mode from Ford, with a focus on driving on rougher terrain and added yaw for bigger slides. It also provides a linear throttle response and more aggressive damping for better handling around corners. The entire setup, paired with the special tires, allows the Mach-E Rally to do equally well in the snow and slick road conditions as it will on loose sand and gravel.

The current Mach-E GT gets an EPA-claimed range of 270 miles, while adding the Performance Pack will see that drop by ten miles. Using the same electric motor setup and 91 kWh battery, the Mustang Mach-E Rally's range isn't quite as good - Ford says it's aiming for around 250 miles on a full charge, which isn't too much of a sacrifice for a rally toy like this.

Like the rest of the Mustang Mach-E range, the Rally will be able to charge from 10% to 80% in about 36 minutes on a DC fast charger.

The interior of the Mustang Mach-E Rally doesn't follow the stripped-down, barebones brief of a true rally car, and the automaker is clear that a combination of comfort and functionality has driven the design. Ultimately, the Mach-E Rally will still be a livable daily car that doubles as a weekend adventurer.

To that end, the seats in the Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally are special in-house designs; the performance seats should hold you firmly in place as you enjoy the outdoors. They still look good too, and the pictures show a mix of perforated upholstery and leather or faux leather on some of the surfaces.

You can still seat five inside the Mach-E Rally. These perches get gloss white seatbacks with 'Mach-E Rally' debossed into the surface. We aren't privy to what colors you can choose for the Ford Mustang Mach-E interior, but we know the cabin style will tie in with the iconic white wheels by means of gloss white accents on the dash, lower steering-wheel spokes, and the contrast stitching found on the door panels.

Like the regular GT, the dashboard of the Rally features the big 15.5-inch central touchscreen for the infotainment hub. It runs SYNC4A software with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, gets connected navigation (useful when you're out in the wild), and in the upper trims plays audio through a 10-speaker system from Bang & Olufsen. The 10.2-inch digital cluster looks neat and will convey all the necessary info to the driver.

Ford says that all the expected driver assists and features will still be in place, too, with lane change assist and in-lane positioning mentioned as standard fare. Ford's BlueCruise hands-free highway driving tech will be available with a free 90-day trial that can be activated at any time during ownership.

As seen in the promotional video of the Mache-E Rally, cargo space is one of its selling points. The frunk on the normal Mach-E offers 4.7 cubic feet of space, while there are between 29.7 and 59.7 cubes in the back. These figures drop a smidge on GT Performance editions, so we'll have to see whether this impacts the Mach-E Rally, too. It's still ample, though, and the frunk being equipped with a drain plug and being water resistant will be especially useful for those outdoor adventures.