Ferrari’s Special Projects team has revealed a bespoke roadster based on the production 812 GTS, commissioned by a wealthy collector in Taiwan.
The Ferrari SP51 is the latest in a long line of bespoke models to come from the iconic Italian company’s Special Projects division.
Based on the production 812 GTS convertible, the Ferrari SP51 was commissioned by a Taiwan-based collector who requested for just one of these two-door, front-engined supercars to be built.
With no roof of any sort on the SP51 – rather than the retractable hard-top of the 812 GTS – additional time towards high-tech simulations and wind tunnel testing was required to offer the “ultimate in comfort in the cabin,” according to Ferrari.
Only the door handles, tail-lights and wing mirrors appear to be carried across from the Ferrari 812 GTS, with the rest of the SP51’s body is bespoke to it.
Compared to previous Ferrari Special Projects models, the SP51’s exterior is relatively sedate, although it offers a new take on the 812 GTS donor car’s styling.
The Ferrari SP51’s ‘Rosso Passionale’ (Passionate Red) paint is complemented by dark blue and white stripes which run the length of the car, a nod to the 410 S racer from 1955.
While the SP51’s exterior underwent a major alteration from the 812 GTS, Ferrari kept the interior changes simple, upholstering the cabin in red Alcantara paired with blue and white contrast glovebox stripes and seat stitching.
A unique set of floor mats are embroidered with the SP51 name, while the steering wheel, dashboard and centre console are unchanged from the Ferrari 812 GTS.
Powering the SP51 is the 6.5-litre V12 engine from the 812 GTS, sending 588kW and 718Nm to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
In Australia, the Ferrari 812 GTS was priced from $675,888 plus on-road costs before it was order books closed in February 2022.
Ferrari did not disclose how much its Taiwanese buyer paid for the one-off SP51.
The first spy photos of the Golf’s mid-life facelift have arrived, confirming the model will double down on touch-sensitive controls.
The 2024 Volkswagen Golf has begun testing its mid-life changes ahead of its unveiling next year.
Volkswagen engineers were caught on camera driving the updated Golf in Europe, with images clearly showing a much larger infotainment screen mounted in the centre of the dashboard.
As reported in August 2022, rumours out of Germany suggest the model will ditch its dual 10-inch screens – used for infotainment duties and the driver’s digital instrument cluster – in favour of 12.9-inch and 10.4-inch screens respectively.
Despite some criticisms, it appears Volkswagen will continue to integrate control of the car’s climate system within the screen settings, with multi-zone temperature buttons accessible below the screen, as in the current model.
Though this is the first evidence of the mid-life update, the new screens look to have been retrofitted to the current Golf for the sake of testing (rather than being a pre-production prototype), meaning there are no other interior or exterior differences with this particular car.
2022 Volkswagen Golf R.
While the larger screens aren’t yet locked in for the Australian market, Drive understands the mid-life updates are due on our shores in 2024, likely in the first half of the year.
In arguably the most exciting change to the line-up in years, Australia may also be in line to receive the Golf GTE plug-in hybrid when the ‘Mk8.5’ update is introduced here, with reports suggesting the model could offer up to 100 kilometres of electric driving range thanks to an updated powertrain.
The 2024 Volkswagen Golf 8.5 is expected to be shown in the second half of 2023, ahead of a local launch the following year.
China’s LDV will be the first car-maker to launch an electric ute in Australia, due alongside a zero-emissions van and people mover in November 2022.
Chinese car-maker LDV has announced it will launch three electric vehicles in Australia this year – a van, people mover and Australia’s first electric ute.
Due to arrive in November 2022, the long-awaited LDV eT60 – an electric variant of the company’s diesel-powered T60 ute – will headline the range of electric vehicles, launching alongside the eDeliver 9 electric van and Mifa 9 people mover.
The LDV eT60 double-cab ute is equipped with a 130kW/310Nm electric motor which drives the rear wheels, powered by an 88.5kWh battery pack.
LDV T60 diesel ute
LDV claims the 2300kg LDV eT60 has a driving range of 330km on the European WLTP test cycle, however this is only achievable when the electric ute is unloaded.
According to LDV, the eT60’s driving range is slashed reduced by as much as 50 per cent when towing at its maximum capacity of 1500kg.
An onboard 11kW AC charger allows the LDV eT60 to be charged from five to 100 per cent in approximately nine hours, while the electric ute can DC fast-charge from 20 to 80 per cent in about 45 minutes.
While Australian pricing is yet to be confirmed, the LDV eT60 is priced from $NZ79,990 drive-away in New Zealand – about $72,000 when converted to Australian currency, approximately 65 per cent more than the T60’s flagship diesel model.
The LDV eDeliver 9
In addition to the LDV eT60 ute, the Chinese brand will bring the eDeliver 9 van to Australian commercial customers, joining the expanding electric van market which includes models from Renault, Mercedes-Benz and Ford.
Based on the diesel-powered LDV Deliver 9, the eDeliver 9 is available overseas in three body styles – Big (short wheelbase), Bigger (long wheelbase) and Cab Chassis – offering between 9.66 to 10.97 cubic metres of load volume.
LDV is yet to confirm which variants will be available in Australia.
The LDV eDeliver9 utilises a 150kW/310Nm electric motor on the rear axle which is powered by the same 88.5kWh battery pack as the eT60. AC and DC charging capabilities are unchanged from the electric ute.
In New Zealand, only the range-topping LDV eDeliver 9 Bigger is equipped with the 88.5kWh battery pack, offered alongside 51.5kWh and 72kWh variants of the Big and Bigger.
The LDV eDeliver 9 88.5kWh is priced from $NZ99,990 drive-away in New Zealand – equivalent to $AU87,900, approximately 40 per cent more expensive than the flagship Deliver 9 LWB automatic in Australia.
LDV’s Mifa 9
LDV’s third electric vehicle to arrive this November will be the Mifa 9 people mover, the Chinese car-maker’s only all-new model due to launch in Australia.
The seven-seat Mifa 9 is the first LDV model to be built on a dedicated electric platform, with UK-delivered variants powered by a 180kW/350Nm electric motor, coupled to a 90kWh battery pack.
On the European WLTP test cycle, the LDV Mifa 9 achieved a claimed driving range of 440km, with an onboard 11kW AC charger topping its battery up from five to 100 per cent in 8.5 hours. Using a DC fast charger, the battery can be charged from 20 to 80 per cent in 36 minutes.
The LDV Mifa 9 will be equipped with a suite of safety technology including autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, rear collision warning system, lane departure warning, lane change assist, emergency lane keep assist, electronic stability control and a fatigue reminder.
LDV says an eight-seater variant of the Mifa 9 electric people-mover is due to arrive in early 2023.
The LDV Mifa 9, marketed as a Maxus overseas
Drive understands a new-generation, petrol-powered LDV people mover (known as the G90) is expected to follow the Mifa 9 next year, replacing the G10 Wagon which was axed in June.
LDV is expected to confirm Australian pricing and specifications of its three electric vehicles closer to their local showroom arrival in November 2022.
Big Aussie muscle cars are almost always Bathurst-bred. In September 1997, then-Drive editor, Phil Scott, drove the new hot rods from Holden.
Story originally published on 28 September, 1997
It’s black, as sinister as a Stealth fighter and requires of its customers $75,000 and a healthy streak of exhibitionism.
Depending on your point of view, the Holden Special Vehicles GTS is an Aussie performance car legend, inspiring visions of Brocky and Bathurst glory, or a really silly idea: a bloated, ultra-blokey V8 whose spiritual post code is Sylvania Waters.
The GTS is one of eight just-released models from Holden’s fast-car factory in the lead-up to the annual V8 race at Mount Panorama, all based on the new VT Commodore. They are to the nation’s motoring magazines what Diana, Princess of Wales, is to the Women’s Weekly.
Whacking one on the cover is a guaranteed circulation booster, with new models routinely greeted by euphoria, despite past efforts with notoriously dodgy brakes. The mythology is long established; the HSV brand name is now worth its weight in gold.
Among the faithful, interest in HSV’s products is almost religious in its fervour and reflected in the $2 million worth of T-shirts, caps, jackets and other branded merchandise sold each year. The company hypes its Internet site as the most popular car address in the country and, with the release of the new models, claims that visits peaked at 130,000 hits a day, ranking it number 12 in Australia last week. Then again, HSV has never been shy of The Big Claim to match its big cars.
These are Holdens with a ‘haitch’, dirty big, in-yer-face V8s with a heritage that says Monaro but uppity aspirations which lately hint at Mercedes. The customers may prefer bourbon and Coke, but HSV is heavily into names like Grange (after the Penfolds red) to high-zoot its image. Under the burgundy paint, the Grange is $85,000 worth of hot-rod Statesman. A mellow classic? Hardly.
HSV has lately convinced Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett (another mellow statesman) to ditch the white stretch limo and try one of its Senator models (below) for a month of official engagements. The State pennant is about to flutter above a lumpy 5.7-litre V8 capable of projecting him to the legal limit in 6.2 seconds and on to a top speed somewhere between 250 and 252.9km/h.
This makes HSV’s street brawler the fastest production car ever built in Australia. With Kennett’s recent driving record this may prove too much of a good thing. The irony: in Kennett’s Victoria, they lock people up for exceeding 130km/h.
The Premier’s loan car will be Rubens red, which is appropriate because the entire HSV range has gone Rheubenesque.
The GTS, all ground-sniffing snout, spoilers and wings, weighs a lumpy 1740kg. To put this into perspective, a long wheelbase BMW 7 Series limo weighs only 76kg more and the porky Mercedes flagship, the S-class, an extra 150kg.
Holden’s top-of-the-range Senator Signature Estate manages to tip the scales within 30kg of the elephantine Mercedes!
This laying on of lard comes courtesy of the bigger VT Commodore body shell and more lavish equipment. Even so, it’s the equivalent of taking a couple of beefy detective sergeants along for every ride. HSV is so sensitive on the issue it forgot to provide the avoirdupois figures to an adoring press corps.
Weight, of course, is the enemy of the performance car. It reduces acceleration, steals agility from handling, makes directional changes more ponderous and takes a heavier toll on brakes. For much the same reason, you don’t see too many fat athletes and, in motorsport, the cradle of HSV’s engineering, kilos are counted with Jenny Craig fanaticism. Success is built around a car’s power-to-weight ratio.
The GTS has plenty of the former but way too much of the latter. It features the more powerful of HSV’s revised V8s – a 5.7-litre making a brawny 220kW and massive amounts of torque (also known as GRUNT!).
This is a big number for an emissions-cleansed street engine, especially for one which can trace its roots back to the late 1960s. It’s a bit like grandpa’s axe but the fundamentals remain: cast iron construction, overhead valves and plenty of cubic inches, for which Detroit still believes there is no substitute.
Technology tends to disprove this. BMW makes a much lighter all-alloy V8 which is half as big but makes 81 per cent of the Holden’s power, straight out of the box. BMW’s 4.0-litre V8 needs only 70 per cent of HSV’s 5.7 litres to produce 95 per cent of the power. That, too, is in a very mild state of tune. The numbers tell a story of relative technical superiority, but that argument will cut no ice with the Aussie V8 faithful.
They won’t give a toss that HSV’s bent-eight is carrying more weight than a Melbourne Cup favourite and is therefore only marginally more accelerative than the superseded (cheaper and lighter) model.
The new one is still devilishly quick (covering the ground-to-100km/h one-third faster than a standard Commodore) but is not in the same league as European hot-shoe specials such as the BMW M5 and Mercedes AMG E55.
While HSV chief John Crennan talks about wooing customers of those brands to the new range (he also wants to “youthen [sic] up the image”), history suggests the two are as compatible as oil and water.
For all the fancy talk (and fancy HSV prices that range from $51,500 for the poverty model through to an astonishing $94,140 for a gussied-up Caprice) it’s a safe bet there will be no HSV Commodores in the Bathurst car park next weekend for the big one.
Nope, the traditional date for the running of the 1000km race has been pinched by the smaller super touring cars: brands like Audi and BMW, with engines less than half the size of the booming V8s. Mount Panorama’s aging heroes have taken their Falcons and Commodores off in a huff, moving to a date two weeks further on into October. Feelings between the two camps make the Super League-ARL battle look mild.
Given that background, no potential customer of the GTS is going to look sideways at an Audi. Except perhaps to spit at it. Likewise, no white-collar BMW driver is going to go all weak at the knees with an HSV brochure on the desk. It’s a pity, for there is room for both approaches.
Despite the daunting price tag, the GTS is much more refined than any previous HSV model. It is more supple, makes less noise (of both the good and bad kinds), has vastly improved brakes and has stepped up a few rungs on the sophistication ladder. But it’s overwhelmingly a meaty, big-biceps blokes’ car – one where gold jewellery, receding hairlines and blood pressure problems will feel right at home.
Real blokes NEED a six speed manual gearbox, broad-beamed seats that resemble those in the Space Shuttle and an expansive cabin. They like the instant g-r-r-r-runt of a big V8 and mourn the loss of that old, deep-chested, rich rumble from the exhaust. Tickle the throttle a bit and the burble turned quickly to a bark.
Nowadays, the smog cops, the noise cops and the rule-making cops in Canberra have seen to it that the GTS sounds hollow, muted, almost neutered. Way too polite for wearers of thick gold-chains.
But it doesn’t matter. This V8 muscle car thing is tribal and dates back to the L34 Toranas, the monster Monaros and Brocky’s Holden Dealer Team road cars. You either have the faith or you don’t.
These days, like the cars, the true believers are growing older, making less noise and putting on more weight.
Hardware horrors
Good hardware doesn’t come cheap with HSV.
A replacement Bridgestone 18-inch tyre costs $1065, and a premium brake system on the GTS adds around $2750 to the price. If stopping well in the basic Club Sport model is required, add $5550.
How fast, how much?
The GTS, with its 220kW engine, lists at $69,750 for the automatic and $70,950 for the six-speed manual. According to Motor magazine, it sprints from rest to 100km/h in 6.16 seconds and covers 400m in 14.34 seconds. Top speed: 250.1km/h
The V8 til 98?
A new Chevrolet V8 is under consideration to replace Holden’s existing big banger, although this is unlikely to happen before 1999, sources suggest.
Fat equipment, fatter prices
HSV’s new Senator models are both based on the Calais, adding substantially to the price but also equipment levels and weight.
Style central
The HSV range is the work of Scottish designer Ian Callum, whose credits include one of the prettiest cars of the 1990s, the Aston Martin DB7.
He works for the TWR Group in the UK, which owns Holden Special Vehicles and splits the profits with Holden.
Want an as-new classic car with low mileage, but can’t stretch to a million-dollar Ferrari or Porsche? This Skoda Favorit – stored for nearly all of its 29-year life, with just 34km on the clock – may be for you.
An as-new example of the last new Skoda designed under communist government ownership – with 34km on the odometer, and the original plastic on the seats – has come up for sale in Greece.
Listed on auction platform Collecting Cars, this 1993 Skoda Favorit has spent nearly all of its life under a cover – and is in near-perfect condition, with only minor marks on its bodywork, its original tyres still fitted, and protective plastic over its seats.
As of writing, bidding sits at €18,000 ($AU26,900) – or more than a new Skoda Fabia city car, the Favorit’s modern equivalent – with 24 hours to go.
According to the seller, the first owner of the car in 1993 “drove the vehicle from the Skoda dealer to his underground garage” – a distance of about 25km – before deciding “driving is a stressful experience and he never drove [the car] again”.
The seller says the first owner “never neglected paying road tax every year”, and kept the car under a cover in his garage until it was purchased by the current owner, who added a further 9km to the odometer preparing it for sale.
The Collecting Cars listing says the exterior is in “good condition” – with a few scratches along the sides of the body, due to fitting and removing car covers, as well as marks on the rear passenger door and front bumper – while the interior is in “as-new condition”.
The Favorit received a service in May 2022 – with 30km on the dashboard, 29 years into its life – with replacement fuel/water pumps, battery, oil, and brake pads fitted.
Black, red and gold pin stripes were applied by the factory over the white paint – with 13-inch steel wheels – while inside there are grey cloth seats, wood dashboard inserts, and the original plastic parts.
Powering the Skoda Favorit is a 1.3-litre four-cylinder petrol engine developing about 40kW to 50kW – depending on the model variant – coupled with a five-speed manual and front-wheel drive.
Launched in 1987, the Favorit was Skoda’s last car launched under the ownership of the communist government of Czechoslovakia – regarded as a ‘satellite state’ under the heavy influence of the Soviet Union.
After the communist Czech government fell in 1990, ownership of Skoda was transferred to the Volkswagen Group – first through a minority stake in 1991, followed by a majority stake (60 per cent) in 1994, and complete VW ownership in 2000.
To view the Collecting Cars auction listing – bidding on which currently sits at €18,000 ($AU26,900), as of writing – click here. Bidding ends on Friday at 4:30am AEST.
The Ford Mustang Mach-E electric SUV is yet to be confirmed for Australia, but dealers say it is on track for local showroom arrivals next year given it is factory-built in right-hand drive and already sold in the UK and New Zealand. We got a taste of what to expect during the lead-up to the 2022 Detroit auto show.
Yes, we know the Ford Mustang Mach-E isn’t a real Ford Mustang. It’s an electric SUV with Mustang styling themes and a handful of Mustang badges.
Indeed, during the early design phase, this vehicle started life as a generic mid-size SUV, until one of the Ford big wigs thought the company would sell more if it borrowed the Mustang name and appearance.
Which is why, although the side profile of the vehicle could be any other SUV, the front and rear Mustang design cues appear to have been grafted on.
While Mustang diehards are busy breaking keyboards to express their anger, Ford has adopted a more pragmatic approach.
Ford argues the Mach-E (a nod to the Mach 1 V8 Mustangs, and ‘E’ for electric) shares the spirit and the performance DNA of its muscle car, even if it lacks the exhaust note and raw appeal.
As it happens, the most powerful variant of the Ford Mustang Mach-E is quicker than the Ford Mustang GT V8 by some considerable margin.
The Ford Mustang Mach-E is factory-built in right-hand drive, sold in the UK and New Zealand, but Ford Australia is yet to confirm if it is coming Down Under.
Drive has been told by dealer sources the Ford Mustang Mach-E is locked in for Australia, but the car giant is reportedly taking its time with the approval process and paperwork.
The other reason Ford Australia is not in a rush: the Mustang Mach-E is sold out in the US, where waiting times stretch up to six months.
We got to preview the Mustang Mach-E during a brief test drive in the lead-up to this year’s Detroit auto show, after Ford invited a group of international media – including Drive – to sample this and other US models.
How much does the 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT cost?
The Ford Mustang Mach-E electric SUV is available in the US from $US46,985 ($AU69,800) to $US63,575 ($AU94,500) from the base model rear-drive to the mid-grade extended-range all-wheel drive.
We tested the all-wheel-drive GT edition (starting from $US69,895 or $AU103,895 plus on-road costs), which has brisker performance and an extended-range battery.
The base-model rear-drive has outputs of 198kW and 430Nm, a claimed 0–100km/h performance of 6.1 seconds, and 440km maximum driving range on a full charge.
The mid-grade all-wheel drive with an extended battery pack has outputs of 258kW and 580Nm, a claimed 0–100km/h performance of 5.7 seconds, and 540km maximum driving range on a full charge.
The top of the line all-wheel-drive GT with an extended battery pack has outputs of 358kW and 813Nm, a claimed 0–97km/h (0–60mph) performance of 3.8 seconds, and 500km maximum driving range on a full charge.
The GT Performance Pack has the same power as the GT, but torque is bumped to 860Nm and the 0–97km/h (0–60mph) claim is 3.5 seconds.
The Ford Mustang Mach-E GT tested in our main preview drive was equipped with standard suspension, though we got to sample a model with magnetically controlled dampers after commenting on how stiff the GT felt, even on smooth roads.
New Zealand has three model grades of the Ford Mustang Mach-E (RWD, AWD, and GT). However, it’s worth noting the magnetic suspension – which is optional in the US – is standard on the GT in New Zealand.
Here’s hoping Ford Australia makes the same decision if the Mach-E makes it Down Under.
How much space does the 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT have inside?
The Ford Mustang Mach-E is larger than a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid – Australia’s top-selling SUV – inside and out, but smaller than a Toyota Kluger seven-seater.
The cargo hold is huge, but the trade-off for that is the lack of a spare tyre. Instead, there is a tyre-inflator kit under the boot floor.
The back seat split-folds to create an even larger load space.
With all seats in position, the second row has sufficient room for heads, shoulders, knees and toes (under the front seats); however, it is more comfortable as a four-seater rather than a five-seater.
And, as is the case with most electric cars, the Mach-E has a decent sized ‘frunk’ (front trunk if the term is new to you) that can accommodate a couple of travel bags or a decent haul of shopping.
2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT
Seats
Five
Boot volume
840L seats up
1690L seats stowed
133L under bonnet
Length
4713mm
Width
1881mm
Height
1613mm
Wheelbase
2984mm
Does the 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT have Apple CarPlay?
The infotainment command centre is a massive 15.5-inch vertical touchscreen in the centre of the dash – and some of these functions can also be viewed on the 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster.
In the US, radio frequencies for AM and FM are standard; however, digital radio is not mentioned.
Smartphone connection is wireless for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and there is embedded navigation. There is also a wireless smartphone charging pad.
It is unclear if some or all of these functions will be fitted to examples sold in Australia.
The touchscreen is supported by well-placed buttons and dials, which are safer and easier to use on the move when your eyes are on the road.
The test car was equipped with premium audio, but we didn’t get to turn up – or test out – the sound.
Is the 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT a safe car?
The Ford Mustang Mach-E was crash-tested by Euro NCAP in 2021 and awarded a five-star rating.
In addition to crash-avoidance technology, the Ford Mustang Mach-E is equipped with seven airbags, including a twin-pillow centre airbag mounted on the inside edge of the driver seat to minimise head-strike between two front-seat occupants.
This crash-test video shows how the airbags deploy in severe front and side impacts.
What safety technology does the 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT have?
The Ford Mustang Mach-E has every available piece of modern safety technology, including autonomous emergency braking, radar cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, blind-zone warning, rear cross-traffic alert, speed-sign recognition, individual tyre pressure monitors, front and rear parking sensors, and either a rear-view or 360-degree camera. As mentioned above, there is also a twin-pillow centre airbag between the front seats.
How much does the 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT cost to maintain?
Servicing cost estimates are not listed on the Ford US website, and Ford New Zealand is yet to publish menu pricing for routine maintenance for the Mustang Mach-E.
However, most petrol or diesel Ford vehicles have service intervals of 12 months or 15,000km (whichever comes first).
Although electric vehicles require less maintenance, they still need a regular check-up for fluids, brake wear, and basics such as wiper blades.
At a glance
2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT
Warranty
Five years, unlimited km
Service intervals
12 months or 15,000km
Servicing costs
To be advised
Energy cons. (claimed)
25kWh/100km
Battery size
91kWh
Driving range claim (WLTP)
500km
Is the 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT energy-efficient?
Our test drive was limited to an hour of stop-start driving on primarily urban roads. Because we were sampling the acceleration and also spent long periods of time stopped while doing video, we did not get a fair indication of energy consumption.
That said, the claimed energy-use figure of 25kWh/100km is higher than, say, a Tesla Model Y or the latest electric cars from Hyundai and Kia.
The Ford Mustang Mach-E GT’s high energy use is likely driven by its brisk level of performance and heavy long-range battery pack.
What is the 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT like to drive?
The Ford Mustang Mach-E is quick and quiet, even by electric car standards. And the well-thought-out interior has an upmarket feel.
People coming from a petrol car would feel right at home, and they would just need a little time to adjust to the eerie silence and the rapid performance.
The big negative is the stiff suspension which, even by performance car standards, is way too harsh.
For the media preview drive, Ford chose the smoothest stretch of pavement around Detroit it could find – and the Mustang Mach-E still jarred on even the slightest bump, strip of repair paint, or ripple in the road.
The firm suspension would be a deal-breaker for me. It’s also likely a source of frustration for buyers who may not have noticed the suspension’s limitations amid their excitement on a quick test drive.
Ford offers a more advanced ‘magnetically controlled’ suspension set-up as an extra-cost option in the US. If the Ford Mustang Mach-E comes to Australia, it should be standard.
We had a brief test drive of an example equipped with the optional suspension package and, although it was an improvement, it could not be described as particularly comfortable either.
Ford engineers who were on hand during the test drives said the company wanted to give the Mach-E a sporty feel. We reckon they may have taken that instruction a step too far.
As it stands, the best automotive engineers in the business are grappling with how to make heavy electric cars cope with their excess weight. For now, it’s a work in progress.
On balance, the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT is an exceptionally quick vehicle, but it is not comfortable on smooth or rough roads – with or without the suspension upgrade.
Key details
2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT
Engine
Dual electric motors
Power
358kW
Torque
813Nm (860Nm Performance option)
Drive type
All-wheel drive
Transmission
Single-speed automatic
Power to weight ratio
159kW/t
Weight
2250kg
Spare tyre type
Tyre repair kit
Tow rating
750kg
Turning circle
12.1m
Should I buy a 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT?
The Mustang Mach-E could be a compelling proposition for electric car converts if Ford Australia gets the price right – and the engineers find a way to better iron out the bumps.
