The Ford Super Mustang Mach-E Is A 1,421 HP Hillclimbing Horse
Will the third time be the charm? Ford is heading up Pikes Peak for the third year in a row with an electric racer, and it wants to come down with a record.
The Super Mustang Mach-E follows 2024’s F-150-style SuperTruck and 2023’s Super Van 4.2, the latter of which set an Open Class record of 8:47.682 up the 12.42-mile course. Last year’s run in the SuperTruck was 8:53.553, but he had a technical glitch and had to stop on the course for 26 seconds while he rebooted the vehicle.
The purpose-built Super Mustang Mach-E has a tri-motor drivetrain with a total output of 1,421 hp, up 21 hp from the previous efforts.
It’s also 260 pounds lighter than the SuperTruck and can generate more downforce, topping out at 6,900 pounds at 150 mph, which is almost precisely twice its weight.
Ford has also improved the capability of its brake regeneration, which helps recharge the 50 kWh battery pack on the way up the twisty 156-turn Road to the Clouds.
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Romain Dumas is back in the drivers seat this year. He currently holds the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb overall record at 7:57.148, which he set in the electric Volkswagen ID.R Unlimted Class car.
“Racing is our test bed,” Ford Performance global director Mark Rushbrook said. “Every data point we gather on the mountain helps us build better electric vehicles for our customers — whether it’s maximizing power delivery, improving regen strategies, or managing heat in extreme elevation changes. What we learn here goes straight into future production.”
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The Super Mustang Mach-E isn’t the only racing version of the compact crossover SUV. In January, Ford revealed one built to the NASCAR electric demonstrator specs on the NASCAR Next Gen chassis with a 1,300 hp tri-motor drivetrain. NASCAR itself and Chevrolet have also built cars, but there are no plans to use it in a racing series yet.