Would you say “yay” or “neigh” to this electro-mod Mustang?
The Mach-E may never be a real Mustang in many people’s minds, so what will the naysayers (or should that be “neigh” sayers?) make of the Alan Mann Racing Legacy Mustang which swaps the pony’s original engine for an electric motor?
The British classic car racing team has been competing with Blue Oval badged cars since the 1960s, building Cortinas and Falcons, running Ford-powered Shelby Cobras in the World GT Championship, and even GT40s. In 2004 Mann revived his team to focus on historic racing and his cars featured regularly at the Goodwood Revival and other events. Mann passed away in 2012 and it’s his sons Tom and Henry who are leading this new generation of Mustang restoration.
“We have been watching the incredible growth of so-called resto-mods with interest,” says Henry Mann. “We’ve seen cherished cars that owners want to improve, and we’ve seen those that owners want to future-proof, and we believe our new 1960s Mustang Coupe meets both needs.”
Starting with any 1960s’ Mustang donor car AMR will fully strip and restore the shell, fit double wishbone suspension with billet aluminum uprights, and upgrade the brakes to all round discs with six-piston callipers up front and four-pot units at the rear. A regenerative braking system is also added to feed power back into the 72 kWh battery pack.
AMR says that the electrical system weighs only a little more than the original engine and transmission, and with a significantly higher 300 horsepower available the ePower Mustang can hit 60 mph in 5.2 seconds using its launch mode. Top speed is limited to a modest 97 mph, while the range on a full charge is claimed to be 220 miles. AC and DC charging is available.
On top of the electrification there’s power steering and a torsen limited slip differential creating a more modern driving experience, but AMR has resisted the temptation to completely overhaul the interior. There’s a focus on maintaining the period-correct look, although you will find modern racing seats, climate control, Bluetooth connectivity and a small screen.
An AMR electro-modded Mustang costs from around £200,000 ($242,000) in the U.K. while U.S. partner Mann ePower Cars will handle builds on this side of the pond.
“This future-proofs our own business as legislation continues to tighten around the use of classic cars and combustion engines,” says Mann. “We will always love the sight, sound and smell of a finely-tuned internal combustion engine, but we recognise there may come a time when they are no longer viable. We believe electrification is a good way to keep these fabulous cherished classics on the road.”
No way.
The engine, the noise and smell are what really make a Mustang a Mustang. You have ripped the soul our of this car.
It seems to check a lot of boxes: horsepower, weight, range, braking, easy charging, etc. – BUT – a quarter of a million dollars? Nay, and I do mean nay, big-time… 👎
There are LOTS of respectable houses around the country for less money than this Mustang, so it’s a definite NO from me.
Sure, but I would put smaller wheels on it. Not a fan of the giant, modern wheels on a vintage car, thing.
Abosolutely NO. As hyperv6 says, the car is now devoid of heart & soul.
At 1/2 the price point it becomes tempting. I actually like the performance upgrades mentioned. At 1/4 million $ just too much for too little. Also with regen braking included, why would it need 6 piston calipers up front and 4 piston in the rear? Serious overkill for a car that tops out under 100 mph
$242,000? NFW “No Freakin’ Way”!
Dumb, dumb, dumb, trashed a good classic.
Go ahead and call me a whatever name you like, but a big, big neigh. I want absolutely nothing to do with EVs of any kind. As a matter of fact, I own the URL idontwantanelectriccar.com. I haven’t done anything with it yet, but I’m sure once the website is up and running, it’ll have plenty of traffic. Oh, by the way, to anyone who does want an electric car – go for it, enjoy! I personally just don’t want one. And especially don’t want to be forced into one I’m not anti EVs, I’m pro free market.
Same here.
“discs with six-piston callipers up front”
Somebody’s spell checker wasn’t working.
It’s not for me, but I bet it would be fun to drive a couple of times. If it’s your car you can do whatever you want with it.
That said, I believe most people (including me) do not “hate” EV’s so much as we realize they are a niche market that is not practical for the masses. YET.
What we DO hate is having them forced on us for everyday driving anyways.
Ummmm….. NO.
Cars reflect the owners personality and if they want an EV, that’s OK with me as long as they let me keep on Vrooming in my hot rods. But, BUT, a real hot rod emits noise that makes the ear drums bang with burning love.
I read the Mustang-E has a button you can push for a recording that makes real car Vroom sounds tied into your speed and acceleration. Thought I’d puke when I heard about that.
Quarter million for a car that has a range of just over 200 miles. No thanks. Halve the price and double the mileage. Then we are talking.
Definite NAY. Ridiculous price. Unacceptable range. A true driving machine does not live by acceleration alone.
That’s a big fat NAY !
Same as it would apply to any other electric classic car conversion !