My FH5 Log: Can your Mach-E do this?!

For nearly six decades, the Ford Mustang has been known as the king of muscle cars. Many have tried to compete with it but failed to match the Mustang's legendary reputation known the world over.

When Ford unveiled the first-ever Mustang Mach-E electric crossover, Mustang purists are shocked that how pray tell they've used the name of the muscle car for a fully electric crossover that has nothing in common with the muscle car everybody loves, feared, and respected.

At the hands of RTR and resident fun-haver, Vaughn Gittin Jr., they saw a golden opportunity to turn the already regular Mustang Mach-E crossover into the ultimate all-rounder. They've called it the Mustang Mach-E 1400 Concept.

Having obtained by clearing all of the stages from the brand-new FH5 Horizon Story, Drift Club Mexico, it's time to have a roast with the specially-tuned Mach-E.

Tuned by RTR, the one-off Mustang Mach-E 1400's electric powertrain produces the titular 1400HP of power output courtesy of seven electric motors and a 56.8-kWh battery made up of nickel manganese cobalt pouch cells. Thanks to its unique aerodynamic appearance, not only does the Mustang Mach-E 1400 work on a drag strip but also on the racetrack and gymkhana. It even works as a drift car as well. Not only that, the Mach-E 1400 features different configurations to make it behave like an FF car, an FR car, or an AWD car. It's like three different cars in one unique electric monster.

In FH5, you can drive the Mach-E 1400 in either rear-wheel-drive mode or AWD mode at the push of a button. Whichever driving mode you choose, the Mach-E 1400 Concept is going to be your next skill record breaker because if you get addicted to its drifting credentials unheard on an electric car, you may end up falling in love and spending the whole day breaking the all-time skill records. Smashing objects, burnouts, drifting, going at full speed, feel free to throw whatever means necessary to this vehicle because being a Mach-E tuned by the fun-haver himself, it's about as show-off as the legendary Hoonicorn.

I'd really wish I want to compare this to the Hoonicorn but in the meantime...

A group of speedo boys in their super-expensive exotics wanted to challenge the Mach-E 1400 for a street race. With the driving mode set to 4WD and with my brave face on, it's a challenge accepted for the world's craziest Mustang Mach-E ever made. Roll the tape.

Guess the speedo boys are in for a shock, realizing they've been defeated by an electric SUV. Anyway...

The Ford Mustang Mach-E 1400 is a clear reminder that the future of motoring is going to be as exciting as this monster machine that loves to tear through asphalt and eat its tires off without harming the environment, almost. As the world of motoring shifts its focus towards electrification, there's still hope that there will be fun-to-drive cars to be made at this time of the new normal. Although they're not as exciting as their petrol-powered ancestors, it takes time to get used to them.

Welcome to the new normal. Almost the same as the old...normal.

Ford Mustang Mach-E vs. Bronco Sport

Ford's SUV lineup continues to expand with the arrival of two new models fit for all walks of life; the first-ever Mustang Mach-E and the Bronco Sport.

We first begin with the $42,895 Mustang Mach-E, the electric crossover that sent Mustang fans on a tailspin. The idea of slapping a Mustang badge on Ford's first-ever electric crossover sounds like a treason to the Mustang heritage because while Mustangs from all walks of life is all about raw V8 power screaming for freedom and liberty, this Mustang Mach-E is what speedo boys joking it as the Mustang made for leftists because Ford is a slave for progressivism and progressivism is all about trying new stuff for the better.

Progressivism aside, the styling of the Mustang Mach-E is distinctively Mustang, which is radical but the crossover styling rather spoils the Mustang design and speedo boys who witnessed one will have their eyes rolled. The same story goes for the interior which also makes speedo boys' eyes rolling into doubt because of its massively tall touch screen akin to Tesla, seating for five passengers, and a big boot on the back. A big boot in the back! A right-minded, left-thinking, Ford guy might be taking advantage of a Mustang-ish crossover with up to 59.6 cubic feet of space when he wants to use it for family trips or for work! That's not the way the Mustang works, of course, but as a Ford, it works like most crossovers should.

As an electric crossover promising zero tailpipe emissions, we get to know how its electric powertrain works. The one with the 68kWh battery pack produces up to 266HP of power and with the eAWD drivetrain equipped, it does 0-60kph in 5.2 seconds. The rear-wheel drive variants is slower but it has a range of 230 miles, which is good. The 88kWh Extended Range, meanwhile, promises 300 miles for rear wheel drive but it's shockingly slower than the rear wheel drive standard range variant, 6.1 compared to 5.8 seconds. In eAWD variants, it's faster by 0.4 seconds, which is good. 

The king of the crop is the GT version which comes with the improved extended range battery that produces 480HP of power, similar to the V8-powered Mustang GT, gets away from 0-60mph in 3.8 seconds, and has a range of 250 miles. It is offered only in eAWD.

In rear-wheel drive, the Mustang Mach-E's dynamics doesn't feel like a Mustang but as an all-electric crossover, it's all about the balance that makes them noticed. In eAWD, however, it still packs some balance. It's a balance-type machine that almost ticks the boxes and for a crossover that claims to be a Mustang, it's a gag reel. Speaking of gag reel, the Mustang Mach-E's packed with numerous safety features that terrifies most speedo boys behind the wheel. Thank you, Ford.

For those who didn't like the Mustang Mach-E but stuck in the SUV-buying phase should consider the Bronco Sport, which is priced at 26,820 Dollars plus additional costs.

The return of the Bronco nameplate is a worthy celebration for speedo boys awaiting the return of legend but while the real Bronco doesn't come until the latter half of 2021, fans will have to make do with its little brother, which puts the Jeep Compass in its crosshairs.

The Bronco Sport is the baby Bronco no one saw it coming because speedo boys are so focused on the real Bronco and while it runs on the same stuff as the latest Ford Escape, it's not a real Bronco at all...or that's what they think it is.

Observing on the styling first, the Bronco Sport's rugged design draws inspiration from the original Bronco and despite its midsize dimensions, the Bronco Sport is adventurous in spirit because it's got adventure-ready stuff such as roof-rack capacity that can handle up to 150lbs of load with the standard steel roof, a flip-up rear glass similar to today's Nissan Serena, and ground clearance up to 8.8 inches. Come inside and you will be greeted by its rather regular cockpit that works like most cars should, seating up to five people, up to 65.2 cu.ft. of boot space with the rear seats folded, cleanable seating material, molded flooring, internet connectivity, and so on, making it fully prepared for all walks of life, for work of for leisure.

The Bronco Sport is powered by a choice of a 1.5L and 2.0L EcoBoost engines mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox. The former promises an EPA estimated mileage of up to 25 City / 28 Highway, while the latter has 21 MPG City / 26 MPG Highway. All of these variants are four-wheel drive of course.

Because going offroad is what the new Bronco Sport's made for, well almost, it features different G.O.A.T. Modes that will make it Go On Any Terrain. In its normal guise, it works on Sand and Slippery surfaces in addition to normal roads but on the high-end Badlands variant, Mud/Ruts and Rock Crawl are added to the switch, making it more capable offroad, much to the delight of speedo boys behind the wheel. Speaking of offroad, the Bronco Sport's got the goods such as the Twin-Clutch Rear Driver Unit (Badlands exclusive), available all-terrain tyres, available steel bash plates, Badlands-exclusive heavy-duty front tow hooks, H.O.S.S. suspension, and up to 23.6 inches of water-fording capability which is great in case you are prepared to get wet.

Having fun off-road, the new Bronco Sport offers a wide range of safety features that will make them surprised and annoyed on the road such as Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking, BLIS with Cross-Traffic Alert, Lane-Keeping System, Auto High-Beam Headlamps, and Rear View Camera.

So, which of these Ford SUVs will go for? If you are prepared to get bashed by Mustang loyalists while taking advantage of its electric performance, you'd best be ready with the Mach-E, but if you are more of an outdoorsman who likes to play rough, then the Bronco Sport is the best bet. Either way, the new Mach-E and the Bronco Sport are proof that the SUV surge cannot be stopped, worrying speedo boys many.

Photo: Ford Motor Company