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2003 Mach 1
The rumors and Internet speculation are over. After teasing us with a Grabber Blue Mach 1 prototype last summer before yanking the car back under wraps, Ford officially announced on March 27 that the Mach 1 will become a limited edition, regular production Mustang later this year as a 2003 model. Making it’s official debut at the New York International Auto Show on March 29 through April 7, the Mach 1 follows last year’s highly successful Bullitt Mustang as a limited-edition model designed to bridge the gaps between the past, the present, and the future of Mustang. It’s also part of Ford’s Living Legends, which also includes the Thunderbird, GT40, and Forty-Nine concept. Initially, instead of building the usual concept car, Team Mustang created a one-off project car last year and displayed it at various Mustang shows, including the Mid-America Performance Ford and Shelby Meet in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where Team Mustang also hosted a focus group to obtain feedback on the Mach 1. They also gathered enthusiast opinions from Mustang-related Websites, including a Mach 1 poll in MustangWeekly.com. In the fall of 2001, Team Mustang got the green light to develop the concept as a production vehicle.
Like the Bullitt Mustang before it, the Mach 1 relies heavily on styling cues from its namesake — in this case, the original 1969 Mach 1. Most notably, the shaker hood scoop from the 428 Cobra Jet version of the ’69 Mach 1 has been replicated for the 2003 Mach’s 4-valve Cobra engine, an idea that came from George Huisman’s Classic Design Concepts’ "Shaker" Mustang from the 2000 SEMA Show. Mounted on top of the intake manifold, the functional scoop directs air through a secondary filter box to the intake, which also pulls air from the front grille to ensure free breathing. The scoop and the center "powerdome" hood are finished in low-gloss black. "At first, our colleagues from other teams thought we were crazy," said Mach 1 Program Manager Scott Hoag. "After all, modern engines are so well tuned and balanced, there really is no ‘shake,’ so people asked why we would bother with a ‘shaker’ hood. But Team Mustang is full of enthusiasts who know what it’s like to pull a Mach 1 up next to a Chevelle SS with cowl induction and show off."
Part of the original Mach 1 concept was to build a car with Cobra power but with a solid rear axle in place of the Cobra’s IRS for better drag strip-style launches. While the 2003 Cobra will have a supercharged version of the 4-valve 4.6, the Mach 1 gets the naturally-aspirated 4-valve, which differs from the previous Cobra engine with specially calibrated cams, a modified upper intake to accommodate the ram-air system, a heated PCV, a forged crank (cast with the automatic trans), and performance exhaust manifolds to produce somewhere in excess of 300 horsepower. Ford will release exact numbers upon completion of testing and certification. Enthusiasts asked for both the
5-speed and an automatic for the Mach 1, and that’s what they’ll get. To
handle the 4-valve’s power, the 4R70W automatic transmission is upgraded with
a heavy-duty gear-set, auxiliary fluid cooler, and brazed 11.25-inch torque
converter. Team Mustang polls also indicated that potential buyers wanted a
lower axle ratio for better acceleration, so the Mach 1’s live axle comes with
a 3.55:1 ratio in a new high-torque differential.
The Mach 1’s suspension appears to be similar to the 2001 Bullitt Mustang. New springs with revised rates lower the Mach 1 1/2 inch compared to the Mustang GT. Re-valved Tokico struts and shocks are also used, along with unique front and rear stabilizer bars and subframe connectors. For braking the Mach 1 gets 13-inch Brembo front rotors and performance calipers with a black-anodized finish, which shows through the 17-inch Magnum 500 wheels. The Mach 1 comes standard with ABS and traction control.
To emotionally connect the 2003 Mach 1 to the ’69 model, the new Mach 1 features a number of visual enhancements. The C-pillars have a unique trim that gives the roofline a subtle throwback appearance and distinguishes the car from a GT. To enhance the lowered appearance, more prominent rocker-panel moldings and a front air dam extension, painted low-gloss black, has been added. A low-gloss black stripe runs the length of the side just above the rocker moldings and a Mach 1 emblem, in the style of the emblem from the 1970 Mach 1, is affixed to the deck lid. The Mach 1 will be available in Oxford White, Ebony, Colorado Red, Zinc Yellow, Azure Blue, and Dark Shadow Gray clearcoat finish. Inside, the 2003 Mach 1 is a blast from the past with "Comfort-Weave" black leather seats that are reminiscent to the buckets in original Mach 1. Yet these modern seats offer increased lateral support and four-way adjustable head restraints. The center console and shifter bezel are painted in a gray accent finish and are highlighted by an aluminum shift boot ring and shifter knob. The accelerator, brake, clutch, and dead pedals are polished aluminum. Click here for the 2003 MACH1 Specifications Want more info? Check the 2003
Mach 1 website
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