With an estimated 459 hp in the GT spec, Ford’s Mustang Mach-E is already fast enough to challenge the likes of well-established electric SUVs. However, it appears that Ford isn’t satisfied without a Shelby version, as this is, after all, a Mustang… in name.
The substance of the story lies in a statement obtained by AutoExpress from Ford Performance’s chief program engineer, Ed Krenz, who cannot wait to get his hands on a battery-electric car and apply the iconic Shelby DNA to it. Such a model would have to maintain a good driving range, though, as no enthusiast wants to plug it in after a short driving session at the track.
Read: Bill Ford Didn’t Think The Mach-E Should Get The ‘Mustang’ Moniker – But Then He Drove It
“I’m looking forward to the challenge of applying the Shelby characteristics to an electric car”, he explained. “The trick for us is the fun-to-drive part, and sustainability in terms of charging. It needs to be capable to go all day on a track – you can’t do 20 minutes and then have to charge it all night. Straight line bit is easy with electric cars, but we know the Shelby DNA down to the ground and applying that to electric is difficult. Even so, all weight’s not bad; we’ve had Mach-E on the simulator and the low center of gravity is an opportunity.”
Mr. Krenz is not alone in this venture, as supporting the idea of a Shelby variant of the dead-quiet Mustang Mach-E is the brand’s global director, Darren Palmer, who simply said at the car’s launch that he’s “not commenting on a Shelby version, but’s it’s a Mustang”.
The British publication estimates that if given the green light, then the Mustang Mach-E Shelby might launch in 2021, 9 years after Carroll Shelby passed away.
