2003 Ford Mustang Mach 1 - It's Back! The 2003
| QUARTER-MILE E.T.'S-THEN |
| The Mach 1 was the baddest thing Ford had going outside of |
| the Boss cars. Below are the e.t.'s as reported by the magazines |
| of the day. |
| Best stock time, 428 CJ C6 auto: | 13.69 at 103.4 |
| - Popular Hotrodding, Jan. 1969 |
| Best modified time,* 428CJ C6 auto: | 12.65 at 112.1 |
| - Car Craft, Apr. 1969 |
| Best stick time, 428 CJ four-speed: | 13.80 at 103 |
| - Sport Car, 1970 |
*Slicks, headers and other "unspecified""mods.
| QUARTER-MILE E.T.'S NOW |
| The e.t.'s shown below are with either Paul Svinicki driving |
| or the Ford engineers behind the wheel. |
| Best stock time, '03 Mach 1 auto | 12.97 at 105.1 |
| Best modified time,* '03 Mach 1 five-speed | 12.97 at 105.1 |
| Best stick time, Ford engineers: |
| '03 Mach 1 five-speed | 12.97 at 105.1 |
| Best stick time**: | '03 Mach 1 five-speed: 12.97 at 105.1 |
*Drag Radials
** Paul Svinicki, pro late-model driver.
The Car
OK, we've outlined the car, given the goods on the whys and what fors, and shown you all its sex appeal. But the power hounds want to know this and this alone: Is the New Mach a match for the old? The one word answer is, yes. In fact, the new car outstrips its ol' granddad in all aspects. One could only expect this after 34 years of development. But even so, it obliterates the 428SCJ for straight-line speed and definitely smacks the old man when it comes to handling.
Handling
The Mach 1 handles much like the Bullitt from last year. There are some minor differences, but the average Mustang buyer won't be able to tell them. It handles well, brakes great, and drives smoothly. In short, it is an excellent road car with great manners. When pushed, it plays well-especially when the traction control is turned off. At that point, the grin factor goes way up-just swish the tail out and have fun. With the traction control on, the car is less fun, but it does the job of road holding a bit better.
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