The kind of Mustang Mach-E you’ll find at a Ford dealer certainly has impressive stats for a compact SUV, with the most athletic trims able to go from 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds thanks to a powertrain that supplies up to 480 hp and 700 lb-ft of torque. But even with all that power and a racing stripe, the Mustang Mach-E Rally isn’t exactly a supercar ready to enter serious track races and come home with record-setting finishes. With all that potential, someone at Ford must have wondered, what would it take to turn the Mach-E into a bona fide electric sports car?
Enter the Super Mustang Mach-E, a demonstrator vehicle purpose-built to compete in the legendary Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Ford has entered an EV in this competition before, but the F-150 Lightning SuperTruck was heavier and less nimble, while the Mach-E has the silhouette of a proper racecar. Will this prototype pave the way for electric sports cars to come?
Key Innovations
Ford proved they could bring serious electric power to Pikes Peak with the F-150 Lightning Supertruck, which placed first overall in 2024, but this new Mach-E variant takes things even further. Ford Design has reshaped the factory model’s already sleek bodywork into a stunningly aerodynamic racing silhouette. Overall, the Super Mustang Mach-E is about 250 lbs lighter than its pickup predecessor and generates even more downforce, 6,900 lbs at 150 mph.
Every aspect of this model has been built to perform at high speeds and around hairpin turns with the task in mind. Three motors combine to produce up to 1,400 hp, fed by ultra-high-performance lithium-polymer NMC pouch cells rated at 50kWh. 710 kW of regenerative braking ensures that these batteries can be recharged around turns, while a carbon braking system keeps the driver fully in control while slowing down and coming to a stop.
Results in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
Ford was hoping to break some records with its electric supercar, but unforeseen circumstances got in the way of this goal. Those familiar with this race might have heard the phrase, “The mountain decides.” For the 2025 competition, the mountain decided to cause chaos with 85 mph winds at the summit, making the last leg of the course unsafe on the day of the race. The decision was made to have the drivers tackle a shortened course, meaning that no one was able to beat any previous records.
While the prototype couldn’t compete against past competitors, it had plenty of worthy opponents in the present, from a 2023 Porsche 911 Turbo to a 2008 Chevrolet Corvette Z06. It was even racing against its more traditional siblings, like the 2017 Ford Mustang driven by Jimmy Ford and the 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302S driven by Dan Aweida. In the end, Pikes Peak veteran driver Romain Dumas completed the shortened course with a time of 3:42.252, placing first in the Pikes Peak Open division.
Even including other divisions, the finish was impressive. The Super Mustang Mach-E was just five seconds off from placing first overall, ultimately coming in second to a 2018 Nova Proto NP01 Bardahl driven by Simone Faggioli, though beating out third-place overall finisher Diego Degasperi-R, who also drove a 2018 Nova Proto NP01 Bardahl.
What Does This Mean for the Future?
After taking home a first-place finish last year with the F-150 Lightning SuperTruck and a second-place overall finish this year with the Super Mustang Mach-E, Ford is showing the world that it has what it takes to compete against established gas-powered competitors with fully electric supercars. This model’s new battery technology and body design are sure to inform Ford Performance moving forward.
More than that, the Super Mustang Mach-E will help Ford make progress with its non-performance EVs as well. Ford Global Director Mark Rushbrook has stated that “What we learn here [at Pikes Peak] goes straight into future production,” citing examples of power delivery, improved regenerative braking, and heat management. These innovations are stress tested in unique situations like the Hill Climb, proving that they have what it takes to influence electric models that will be available to everyday drivers in the future.
