Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, MI — August 9, 2020
Joey Logano is a NASCAR Cup Series Champion, he is a Daytona 500 winner, and he has gone to victory lane 25 times on NASCAR’s premier circuit. He has driven his Team Penske Ford Mustang on the razor’s edge, inches from the wall, at 200+ mph on NASCAR’s fastest speedways. He has spun donuts on “The Strip” at Las Vegas and between the honky-tonk bars on Lower Broadway in Nashville.
So, given the chance to test out the new All-Electric Mustang Mach-E 1400, he jumped at the opportunity. It’s race week at Michigan International Speedway and Logano is in town to race in the Firekeeper’s Casino 400 and the Consumer’s Energy 400 at MIS.
During the week Logano got to feel the raw electric power of the one-of-a-kind Mustang Mach-E 1400 prototype along with Ford’s famed drift star Vaughn Gittin Jr. at Ford’s Romeo Proving Grounds in Michigan.
Logano and Gittin were on-track to make a short film to showcase the Mustang Mach-E 1400 – developed in collaboration with Gittin’s RTR Vehicles – that will appear for the first time Saturday and Sunday during NBC’s televised coverage of the NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan International Speedway.
Projecting 1,400 peak horsepower and with seven motors, Logano experienced firsthand what a Ford Performance/RTR electric vehicle can do.
“It was so cool to get a chance to drive the Mustang Mach-E 1400,” Logano said. “With all-wheel drive, it just launches at the start and you have so much power it’s crazy. The Ford Performance guys with Vaughn and his team have built something special.”
Watch the Consumers Energy 400 today at 4:30 pm on NBCSN and see the Logano-Gittin video.
About the All-Electric Mustang Mach-E 1400 Prototype
Developed in collaboration with RTR and built off a Mustang Mach-E GT body-in-white, the prototype targets 1,400 peak horsepower (1,419 PS). The chassis and powertrain work together for a multitude of setups offering capability unlike any other vehicle.
“Now is the perfect time to leverage electric technology, learn from it, and apply it to our portfolio,” said Ron Heiser, chief program engineer, Mustang Mach-E. “Mustang Mach-E is going to be fun to drive, just like every other Mustang before it, but Mustang Mach-E 1400 is completely insane, thanks to the efforts of Ford Performance and RTR.”
The Mustang Mach-E 1400 is the result of 10,000 hours of collaboration by Ford Performance and RTR aimed at bridging the gap between what an electric vehicle can do and what customers tend to believe it can do.
“Getting behind the wheel of this car has completely changed my perspective on what power and torque can be,” said Vaughn Gittin Jr., RTR Vehicles founder, motorsports champion, and professional fun-haver. “This experience is like nothing you’ve ever imagined, except for maybe a magnetic roller coaster.”
Mustang Mach-E 1400 has taken shape without rules. The Ford design team and RTR used many of the same tools Ford uses for its race cars and production programs. Aerodynamics are optimized for shape and location, with a focus on cooling ducts, front splitter, dive planes, and rear wing.
Mustang Mach-E 1400 has seven motors – five more than even Mustang Mach-E GT. Three are attached to the front differential and four are attached to the rear in pancake style, with a single driveshaft connecting them to the differentials, which have a huge range of adjustability to set the car up for everything from drifting to high-speed track racing.
“The challenge was controlling the extreme levels of power provided by the seven motors,” said Mark Rushbrook, motorsports director, Ford Performance. “Mustang Mach-E 1400 is a showcase of the art of the possible with an electric vehicle.”
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets, and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles, and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification; mobility solutions, including self-driving services; and connected services. Ford employs approximately 188,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products, and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.
