Ford unleashes 1,421-horsepower electric Mustang Mach-E for Pikes Peak assault

Ford is no stranger to the treacherous mountain roads of Pikes Peak, and this year, it's bringing a new electric beast to the fight. The company has unveiled its latest creation, the Ford Super Mustang Mach-E, an all-electric race car specifically engineered to conquer the legendary hill climb.

Built from the ground up on a unique chassis, the Super Mustang Mach-E has three potent electric motors that combine to produce a staggering 1,421 horsepower. This is a slight increase over the 1,400 horsepower of last year's winning entry, the F-150 Lightning-based SuperTruck. Power, however, is only part of the equation. Engineers also managed to shave off 249 lb, compared to its predecessor, a critical advantage on a course with 156 turns.

Powering this monster is a relatively modest 50 kWh battery. That might seem on the compact side of things for a road-going EV, but it's more than sufficient for the 12.42-mile sprint up the mountain. The battery sends 700 volts of electricity to its high-performance, six-phase motors. During braking, the system is capable of capturing up to 710 kW of energy through regenerative braking, a significant improvement over the 600 kW recovered by last year's truck.

But the most mind-boggling aspect of the Super Mustang Mach-E is its aerodynamics. The extensive carbon fiber bodywork is designed to generate an incredible amount of downforce. At a speed of 150 mph, the car produces 6,900 lb of downforce. That's almost the weight of two standard Mustang Mach-E SUVs pushing the car onto the pavement.

If the car could reach 200 mph, that figure would climb to an astonishing 12,000 lb. This level of aerodynamic grip is needed for navigating the high-speed corners of the Pikes Peak course. The car rides on forged magnesium wheels wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero tires, with powerful carbon brakes providing the necessary stopping power.

Behind the wheel will be a familiar face to Pikes Peak enthusiasts: Romain Dumas. The French racing driver is a veteran of the "Race to the Clouds" and holds the overall course record of 7 minutes and 57.148 seconds, which he set in 2018 with the all-electric Volkswagen ID.R. Dumas also drove Ford's SuperTruck to victory last year. "This Mach-E is a different beast," Dumas commented. "We're pushing the limits again, and that's what the mountain is all about." This will be Dumas's tenth attempt at the famous hill climb.

The Pikes Peak race takes place this weekend on June 22 and we will be watching. Over the last few years this automotive spectacle has seen huge progress made by electric cars, with many of them dominating the race and pushing the combustion-powered racers off the podium.

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