Name: Ford Mustang Mach 1
Brand: Ford

The review of the Ford Mustang Mach 1 has a back story: Recently I sat on the terrace and shook with laughter. In times like these, such refreshing moments are a rare commodity. But after no more than three pages of reading the new car magazine “Sunday Driver” printed on high-quality paper, which one of the foremen in my workshop gave me when I picked up my mousy gray Southern German compact sports car made by anonymous low-flyers, the mood changed. It’s not that the gags, seamlessly strung together like a classic Abrahams Zucker comedy, wore thin.

The harder the punchlines got, the more I began to wonder if I should retire posthaste? What does my mechanic, in his spare time publisher of the new magazine, have that I don’t? However, a review of my pension entitlements and savings encouraged me not to throw in the towel right away. Let’s see if we can shift up a gear or two from the writing as well? After all, Ford Germany provided me with the greatest conceivable support for my journalistic challenge: the Ford Mustang Mach 1 they provided for testing acts like a whole bottle of absinthe for creative reawakening.

Sharpen corners and edges

My goodness, what do editors-in-chief, copy editors, ad departments and all the other entities do to a reviewer over the years? In the end, there’s so little edge and guts left that your own mechanic overtakes you on the right. Well noted: not while driving or screwing, but while writing. Ouch, that hurts more than maybe being slowed down before a curve.

But the comeback of the young wild author benefits from a completely different premise apart from the Mustang. The instances listed above do not yet exist at STEREO GUIDE. Editor, Chief and CEO, as some might call themselves in my place, that’s me! Or to put it more elegantly: La Rédaction, c’est moi. So, if I blow it now, maybe I should seriously consider early retirement.

THE car for the comeback as a young savage

In any case, the Mustang should not be the problem. I’m particularly fond of this car, even though I’m not too fond of Yanks in general. After three previous test drives, I am an ardent admirer of the Pony Car. First, I roared through the French Alps in the 450-hp Ford Mustang GT. At that time, the V8 still had a Shaker HiFi system from Ford on board. Since I rarely write pure car tests, it was fortunate that the Bullitt, the special green model named after the legendary Steve McQueen movie, pulled up with a Bang & Olufsen sound system. Otherwise, I would hardly have been able to enjoy another test drive at the time.

Because the midrange speaker in the driver’s door distorted at certain frequencies, I got the Mustang back in front of the door for another two weeks after the repair. Since I was heading for an appointment in Austria in the middle of winter, I was able to test the Mustang’s drifting qualities in the snow. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to see on the drone videos of the donuts I was shooting at close range around a daring colleague. He had only filmed the landscape out of sheer excitement.

Nostalgia trip: Ford Mustang Mach 1. (Photo: Stefan Schickedanz)

Ford Mustang, the fourth chapter

Test drive number 4 involved a new version of the V8 hero. The Ford Mustang Mach 1 has undergone a number of improvements over the Mustang GT and the Mustang Bullitt, which is equally powerful at 460 horsepower, to boost its performance on the track. These include an engine oil cooler and a cooling system for the limited-slip differential on the rear axle. In any case, Ford already conducted numerous 30-minute high-speed tests with the current generation on a special test track for the motherland of the highway, so that nothing overheats.

Inspired by the Mustang 500 Shelby, the developers added to the Mach 1 so that the coupe, which weighs just over 1.8 tons, can even be chased around the racetrack without hesitation – at least until its considerable weight has eaten up the tread on its lush 19-inch tires.

Bang & Olufsen on board

You can turn up the B&O system without any regrets. So that no misunderstandings arise. The Danes have not designed a replacement for the installations popular in certain circles with a PA subwoofer and half a dozen high-power amplifiers in the trunk. Rather, it’s a well-maintained, standard sound system that plays better than much of what Generation Z knows from home.

For this purpose, Ford adds 12 speakers including a 26.5 cm DVC subwoofer with dual voice coil in the trunk and a power amplifier with a total system output of 675 watts. Ford and Bang & Olufsen contradict each other in the power specifications (900 watts), but you shouldn’t overestimate these numbers anyway). This doesn’t make as much noise as the aforementioned self-installations, but it saves a lot of money and time. Above all, there is no need to cut holes in the sheet metal, which also suits many a car enthusiast.

With the standard Ford SYNC 3 with 8-inch touch screen, the Mustang Mach 1 provides AppLink function as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto via USB connection. Bluetooth is also available as a further interface to the infotainment. A hands-free system is also on board, which also serves well when using the voice assistants on the smart device. Via the Ford Pass app, owners can also keep in touch with their car from outside via smartphone and check the range, for example.

The Mach 1 from the perspective of a Sunday driver

So much for the connectivity and the equipment of the system. But let’s be honest: Who in the world would buy one of the last V8s in order to drown out the throaty sound shaped by the cross-plane crankshaft with some MP3-lined speakers afterwards? That would be just like not looking at criteria when choosing a co-driver, which I would rather not go into here(STEREO GUIDE is just not Sunday Driver), but instead ask whether she has a bachelor’s degree in natural sciences?

What happened when the start button on the center console was pressed could be called pre-formatting for the upcoming drive. The hissing and braying of the free-breathing naturally aspirated 5-liter V8 engine promptly causes the hairs on the back of your neck to stand up. You get into this car, start it up, and with the first blast of the gas, you leave your everyday life behind.

In an ever faster spinning, sometimes violently lurching world, the Mustang is one of the few constants. It’s been doing its own thing since the ’60s and has put on less flab over the decades than our iconic Swabian 911 sports car, which for all its splendor suffers from the ubiquitous super-size-me syndrome.

Time travel even without the speed of light

The Ford Mustang grounds you, takes you back to golden times, when you didn’t have to expect stuck climate disciples at every freeway exit. Shifting into first gear with the crisp 6-speed manual transmission’s gearshift lever crowned by a billiard ball like in the Mustang Bullitt is like a ritual. The car seems to be literally begging for you to let it organ.

And the muscle car doesn’t even make you aggressive. You feel and enjoy the potential without wanting to savor it at all times like in an Audi or BMW. The Mustang Mach 1 has what you might call Good Vibrations , which is to be taken quite literally here. You don’t just hear the engine, you feel it. Bang & Olufsen’s contribution has the same effect as a laughing gas injection. It doesn’t turn a lame car into a dragster, but it does give an already potent car that decisive kick.

The sound tuning follows the natural, balanced line of Bang & Olufsen and partner Ford. Impulsivity and bass foundation are pretty much the best you can get as standard equipment in this price range. With the gift horse in the Mustang, you can overlook the fact that the bass has neither the final kick nor the ultimate precision. The adjustment options are good, there is even a choice between wide surround mode and more precise, crisper and better focused stereo. (It’s clear what I would choose as an audiophile).

Ode to the V8 engine over 12 speakers

The free B&O system included is the icing on the cake, accompanying the trip with rock classics like “Highway Star” by Deep Purple. The live version of the album “Made In Japan” is a truly epic ode to the V8 engine (it’s worth listening carefully) and is tailor-made for the Mach 1, which is more closely based on the 1965 Mustang Fastback than on the Mach 1 model from James Bond’s Diamond Fever. The stickers, however, establish the connection to the 1971 sports model that appeared shirt-sleeved like a redneck.

Compared to the macho war paint, the B&O sound system is very discreet. The 2.5 cm tweeters positioned high up in the A-pillars for great stage reproduction are hidden behind unadorned matte black covers, as are the 80 cm midrange drivers and 17 cm bass drivers in the doors.

Bucking the trend, Bang & Olufsen has dispensed with bold brand logos on the grills. You have to look for the B&O logo printed on the plastic grille of the center speaker with its 80 cm midrange speaker on the dashboard with little contrast to find it. Here, I was clearly helped by my great familiarity with Mustang, which, as mentioned, I was even able to study for two weeks at a time.

Diesel ban requested

Two weeks in which I was quite comfortable with even more far-reaching diesel bans than those demanded by DUH at the time. The torque of the naturally aspirated V8 engine is sufficient for cruising at just above idle. But if you simply want to pass a minivan with a turbo diesel on the highway, there can be plenty of stress despite the impressive maximum of 529 Newton meters.

When its driver feels challenged, you have to make a lightning fast decision. And in Mach 1 with its rally stripes, you can bet your bottom dollar that a long-distance driver stressed out by company and family will find looking in the rearview mirror a provocation. When it then clears the way, gives you fuel and you don’t want to starve behind it, it’s a matter of downshifting and making sure that the V8 revs above 4500 rpm if possible.

It doesn’t need a Dodge Charger, it can also be a VW Sharan

So banal overtaking maneuvers – not even car haters would seriously suggest that you’re aiming for a race against a VW Touran or Sharan in a Mustang Mach 1 – sometimes hold a certain thrill. When you finally pass by at over 7000 rpm with a triumphantly roaring V8, you feel a little like Lieutenant Frank Bullitt in the legendary chase across San Francisco in the black Dodge Charger.

In such cases, it is advisable to use background music such as “Another One Bites The Dust“ by Queen. Or as a slow contrast to the fast moving and homage to a modern classic with the movie soundtrack of “Drive ” and songs like ” A Real Hero” by College & Electric Youth or “Nightcall” by Kavinsky and Lovevoxxx. Believe me folks, in this car it’s going to be epic, that mix of style quotes, pure V8 sound and cult music.

Conclusion about the Ford Mustang Mach 1 with Bang & Olufsen Sound

The Mustang has lost none of its earthy charm over the years. And in its evolution it did not go through a giant growth neither in dimensions, nor in price. For the equivalent of a boring, possibly front-wheel-drive compact class hatchback with an expensive full set of features, the Americans give you a deadly chic and fast classic sports coupe with a large-volume V8 and a Danish designer sound system from Bang & Olufsen as well as Ford Sync 3 as standard equipment. German carmakers could easily dial 911. If the savings aren’t enough at the moment, there’s still hope: According to an autoblog, even the successor to the current Ford Mustang will once again be launched with a V8.

Price Ford Mustang Mach 1: from around 67,000 euros
Price B&O sound system: Standard equipment

STEREO GUIDE verdict

88%

88%

The Ford Mustang Mach 1 entices with its unique combination of a large naturally aspirated V8 engine and Bang & Olufsen sound system with 12 loudspeakers.