NZ-confirmed SM17 set to be a $150k ask

The price is likely going to be higher here than across the Tasman – but who’ll care about that?

 KIWIS intending to enjoy a special edition Ford Mustang honouring a homegrown Supercars hero will be spending more to enjoy the car than the Australian audience it’s been initially aimed at.

While pricing has yet to be set on either side of the Tasman, Ford New Zealand – which helped broker the deal to secure the impressively muscled SM17 created by Melbourne-based Herrod Performance – has indicated a Mustang GT-based fireball honouring three-times Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin will likely sit around $150,000.

 That’s about $30k above the sticker it’s reportedly expected to carry in Australia, prior to on-roads applying, and would buy two examples of the V8 GT coupe from which it derives.

That New Zealand has become a destination for the Herrod SM17 might seem a given. Though his family shifted to the Gold Coast when he was nine, McLaughlin was born in Hamilton and like all NZ entrants in Supercars, he achieves an ardent following here.

Yet that alone didn’t guarantee access to a Mustang that delivers a supercharged V8 making a Supercars-busting 578kW and 810Nm, plus a host of suspension, aerodynamic and visual improvements.

The background as to how the SM17 gained residency was explained by Ford NZ managing director Simon Rutherford.

His operation is right behind the car’s availability but it cannot represent the model directly. Which is why the distribution rights are with Team Hutchinson Ford, centred in Christchurch. Orders can be placed at any Ford dealership, but thereafter the process goes through Team Hutchinson.

Even so, Ford NZ – whose most expensive Mustang of the moment is the $97,990 Mach 1 coming next year - has been closely involved in sorting this out and is an enthusiastic backer.

Rutherford says it’s all about getting the celebration car to an audience revved up by the “McLaughlin factor”; the driver has a high profile and strong popularity in NZ, he said.

“We think it’s important to do that because Scott McLaughlin has a fanbase here for obvious reasons,” he said in explaining the sales arrangement. 

 “It would be a shame not to support customers who want that option.”

Even though it took Herrod to realise the dream, the concept could also be called Kiwi inspired in that it was McLaughlin’s dad, Wayne, who came up with the idea for a celebration Mustang.

“Scott’s dad was always telling Ford they should do a limited-edition car. Once he had wrapped up his third Supercars title it seemed like the right time to accelerate the program,” says Ryan Story, the managing director and principal of DJR Team Penske, the outfit for which McLaughlin knocked off three consecutive championships. 

The first of those was in a Falcon then the two following were with the Mustang. Story also has also been a key collaborator on SM17 with Herrod’s owner, Rob Herrod.

The car’s price tag is unlikely to deter enthusiasts wanting something truly special. Aside from the driver association, the car should be a beast.

It is not only far more powerful than the standard GT (339kW, 556Nm) or Mach 1(345kW but same torque as the GT) but also has more oomph than the No.17 Mustang GT McLaughlin has raced, but now retired from the pursue a new dream of being a top driver in America’s Indycar.

The key performance-lifting feature is a Whipple supercharger but it also has the largest intercooler available, plus bigger Bosch fuel-injectors and numerous other updates to handle the big lift in horsepower. 

There’s a performance transmission cooler on the 10-speed automatic transmission that’s optional to the six-speed manual. The auto also has a unique transmission calibration for crisper shifts.

The suspension features adjustable sway bars and an alternate tune in the magnetic ride, the 20-inch wheels are bespoke and the tyres are higher performance items than the standard V8 Mustang gets. It also has a more distinctive exhaust.

Herrod has already built one SM17 but production won’t start until January of 2021. The first New Zealand car is expected to land two months after that. It’s a limited-run product, so how many will cross the Tasman is anyone’s guess.

Mach 1 just under $100k

More detail about the next special edition Mustang for NZ has been released.

just in case you’re uncertain … it’s the one in the middle.

SOMETHING attendees of this weekend’s national gathering of Mustang owner clubs in Christchurch to consider - announcement the Mach 1 will leave small change from a $100,000 spend. 

The specific tag on the car, in either six-speeds manual or 10-speed automatic form, is $97,990.

The former is a Tremec rev-matching six-speed borrowed from Shelby and the latter a re-calibrated version of the company’s familiar 10-speed.

Also confirmed is that the car achieves a version of Ford’s 5.0-litre Coyote V8 generating 345kW and 556Nm. 

Those are lower outputs than are given for the car in its home market guise.

Ford has explained right-hand drive market emissions regulations are the issue.

Even so, it’s a gain over the standard Mustang GT, which makes 339kW and 556Nm, and leaves this edition on equal footing with Ford New Zealand’s last special edition, the Mustang Bullitt that hit the scene in force last year … for $4500 less than the Mach 1.

Is that a problem for you? Bear in mind they’re not exactly the same car in different special edition colour scheme.

 In saying that, both are limited count cars – Bullitt restricted to 50 units, Mach 1 might be 50 or even 80 – and both take bits from the Shelby 350 GT that has now been dropped in the US.

But different bits. The Bullitt, you might recall, had the Shelby’s intake manifold. The Mach 1 gets more. 

In addition to the gearbox, the engine oil cooler, oil filter adapter, rear toe-link, and sub-frames are also Shelby products. Ford has complemented these by adding in stiffer sway bars and bushings, MagneRide dampers as standard, and ticking off on a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres. 

A new front splitter, rear diffuser, lengthier undertray and a rear spoiler … these are also Mach 1-specific items. 

The Mach 1 also has Recaro buckets and a 12-speaker B&O sound system.

Meantime, all the blue bloods are in Christchurch for the Ford National Mustang Convention, hosted by the Canterbury Mustang Owners Club, with the public highlight being the Grand Mustang Show at Horncastle Arena tomorrow. The gathering is expected to build on a 2014 event that was the country’s biggest Mustang convention – not a bad effort given that this was a year before the first factory-built right-hand-drive models started coming in.

Speed of sound – Mach 1 for NZ

A historic Mustang nameplate is being dished up locally …. but it’s a modest portion, so buyers need to move fast.

KIWI Mustang fans are getting opportunity to enjoy life at Mach 1 from early next year – but once the order book opens they’ll need to quick.

Ford New Zealand’s announcement today intent to offer that a limited-edition version of the current Mustang built as modern equivalent of the hallowed 1969 Mach 1 Mustang comes with news that somewhere between 50 and 80 examples will likely come here.

A spokesman for the distributor says that count has yet to be finalised.

However, he affirms this country will certainly not be achieving anything like the 700-unit consignment signed off for Australia.

“It’s a limited amount of vehicles … we’re doing less than 100,” says Tom Clancy.

“It’s still up in the air. It’s less than 100, probably around 50 initially but if there’s massive demand we might get more, but not too many more, maybe another 30.”

That’s not to say the build run will be open-ended, he adds. Only so many Mach 1s will be produced for global consumption.

The template for this market appears to be the $93,490 Mustang Bullitt edition, created as a homage to the Steve McQueen movie of the same name, which was capped at 50 units – though more could have been sourced – and sold out well before the first one landed. Used examples now tend to sell for above the original RRP.

 The Bullitt’s appeal ran beyond it having tribute paintwork and wheels – it was delivered with suspension changes and 345kW/556Nm 5.0-litre V8 was upgraded with an Open Air induction and intake manifold, Ford Racing air-filter and a PCM (Powertrain Control Module) shared with the Shelby Mustang GT3.

Clancy says it’s too early to say what tweaks will arrive with the Mach 1 – pricing and full specifications won’t be rolled out quite yet.

However, special content is a given as this is a unique heritage model that pays full homage to the legendary 1969 original. 

Today’s announcement promises that “the all-new Mach 1 delivers additional V8 power, driver-focused cockpit and a track-focused upgrades above the Mustang GT.”

Though cars aren’t being delivered until next year, the buy-in begins virtually immediately.

Customers are able to secure their individual unit though a dedicated online reservation process over the coming weeks, before delivery at their preferred Ford dealership upon arrival in 2021

The Mach 1 designation was previously used from 1969 to 1974.

Chuck Yeager’s historic flight in the Bell X-1, in which he became the first pilot to break the sound barrier – Mach 1 – inspired the name, though it was something of a tardy celebration by Ford as Yeager’s feat occurred in 1948.

Even so, today’s announcement comes 73 years since that day.

“Achieving Mach 1 for the first time was a significant human feat,” says Simon Rutherford, Ford NZ’s managing director.

“That spirit and determination to keep pushing, never settling and always trying to go further is what the Mach 1 Mustang was all about – and it’s fitting that we can bring our customers, who’ve made Mustang part of our motoring landscape, a 2021 Mustang Mach 1 of their very own.” 

This is of course the first-ever factory right-hand drive Mach 1. It will be produced at the same Flat Rock, Michigan, plant that provisions NZ-market 2.3-litre and V8 GT models.

 Mustang has been on sale here since 2015 and since then has cemented as the country’s best-selling sports car and has built a passionate customer base. 

The car’s pedigree is also built on its racing success. In this part of the world it has dominated the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship, through the efforts of Scott McLaughlin and the Shell-backed DJR Team Penske outfit, wrapping up at Bathurst on Sunday. The car has won the 2019 and 2020 manufacturer titles for Ford.

Mustang: Black Shadow yes, Mach 1 ... maybe not

Good news and bad seems set to arrive in respect to Fords’ latest Mustang ‘special edition’ news.

Latest talk from Detroit has downplayed NZ opportunity for the MACH 1 (above), but we do get the GT in a Black Shadow edition (below)

PREPARE to meet the Black Shadow … but perhaps don’t get your hopes up about the Mach 1.

 That seems to be the situation in respect to two special edition Mustangs, both of which pay homage – albeit to differing degree - to range-topping Mustangs from the late 19670s’ to early 70s’ muscle car era, whose announcements have synched.

In the same period Ford New Zealand chose to divulge information about a cosmetic package for the GT, called the Black Shadow, the parent in Detroit has finally fully unveiled a far more macho rendition of the V8 coupe, the new-era Mach 1 set to go into production soon for sale in 2021.

Like the original, the new-gen Mach 1 bridges the gap between the a standard GT and the Shelby Mustang, so packs visual upgrades alongside chassis and performance revisions, all intended to enhance its track feel.

A new intake manifold, oil filter adapter and a reflashed engine management system enhance power and torque to 352kW and 569Nm. Like the standard car, the engine sends its power to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox, although a ten-speed automatic is offered as an optional extra.

Ford has also fitted a few extra mechanical upgrades that are designed to keep the car’s drivetrain cool on the track. There’s a pair of new heat exchangers – one for the engine oil and one for the gearbox oil – along with a cooling system for the differential.

As with the original Mach 1, Ford has worked on the Mustang’s handling, adding stiffer anti-roll bars, front springs and subframe bushes, as well as a set of tweaked adaptive dampers, a sharper steering rack and an improved brake servo. Buyers also get a new set of 19-inch alloy wheels, which are styled to look like the original Mach 1’s.

So exciting, right?

And now the bad news. In pulling the covers off the latter, Detroit has dampened hope about export potentials or even right-hand-drive development, having immediately indicated to media in the United Kingdom – a key RHD Mustang market - that it won’t be available there.

So, perhaps, the Ford NZ hope of seeing the Mach 1 is also ruined; though it says it will continue to hold out hope until being absolutely told otherwise by head office.

Meantime, the Auckland-centred operation is spruiking the Black Shadow, which is an interesting format on two counts.

First, the car is a reprisal of one of several specials first developed in celebration of Mustang’s 55th year of production, a milestone that was reached in 2019. Secondly, it is a variant Mustang’s home audience doesn’t experience.

Black Shadows are for export only and, from the information available, only New Zealand – which is taking 30 initially though more can be ordered if need-be - Australia and Brazil achieve this dress-up at the moment.

Based on the $82,990 5.0-litre V8 GT fastback, but with a $5000 premium (so, the same price as a GT convertible) the … erm …. ‘BS’ is all about kerbside attitude.

A Black Shadow is best identified by its boot mount spoiler and a set of unique alloy wheels, but the package also includes a lot of black accents, including on the roof, bonnet and side stripes, there’s a grille-mounted pony badge and some 5.0 wheel arch badges.

The body colour choices are limited to blue, a metallic grey, red and ‘Grabber Lime’, which is from Ford’s heritage palette – so-called because it’s inspired by a hue offered in North America on early 1970s’ Mustangs, including the Mach 1. Grabber Blue and Dark Highland Green, previously offered in NZ, are also from that collection.

The interior features various unique goodies and picks up the as standard the Recaro seat that is a cost-extra option for the standard GT.

Mach 1 not completely out of NZ’s reach

Ford NZ is among those getting revved up for a Mach 1 Mustang.

“IF we can get it for New Zealand we will definitely have to think about it – I mean, it’s such a legend, right?”

This from Ford New Zealand’s communications manager today in response to the latest and ultimate iteration of its popular Mustang muscle car, the Mach 1.

The parent brand has shared teaser images- but no video, unfortunately - of a kingpin mode which revives the legendary nameplate first used in 1969 and ushers in specific performance and handling upgrades designed, the brand boasts, to make it “the most track-ready 5.0-litre Mustang ever.”

Can Kiwis access this beast? One way or the other, yes: Because if it doesn’t achieve as a factory car for local release, buyers could always ship in a US-spec car as a private import.

Ford New Zealand, of course, would like nothing better than to represent the car in the showroom – there’s obvious potential to further spark up Mustang sales that, until Covid-19, were rolling along at 40 to 50 units a month, with V8 versions snaring the bulk of sales.

For Mach 1 to be ‘official’ requires it to be produced in right hand drive.

Is that possible? According to our neighbour, the answer is no. Ford Australia seems adamant variant is a US-based initiative, telling a news outlet there “the Mach 1 news is specific to the US.”

Ford NZ’s Tom Clancy, though, is more optimistic, in that he says there is no specific news from Detroit about who gets the car, when and how. Until all that it spelled out, it’s impossible to say one way or the other.

“It hasn’t been confirmed for right-hand-drive markets as yet,” he acknowledged. But that’s not to say it might not be. “It hasn’t been confirmed either way. 

“If it is, we will certainly look at it. We’re definitely excited. I mean, who wouldn’t be? There are a lot of enthusiastic Mustang customers in New Zealand so if it is conformed for right hand drive, we’d certainly want to know about it. 

“It would be very good for New Zealand. As soon as we  have news we will share it, but I don’t have any timing for when that might be.”

The highest-performance right-hand-drive Mustangs available at present are Roush and Shelby GT editions, which are in both case after-market enhancements performed locally on regular NZ-new 339kW V8 GTs. 

The ultimate Roush version is the supercharged V8, generally making around 510kW, whereas the top Shelby, the Super Snake, promises around 600kW. Ford Australia has concocted – but purely for home market consumption - a Mustang R-Spec, also supercharged, has 522kW and 830Nm.

Mach 1 will be naturally-aspirated and while Ford US has yet to announce outputs, it has promised it’ll be up to performance fans’ expectations. It also has dropped hints that the model is, in any event, about much more than a bad-ass engine.

The focus on transmission, brake, suspension and handling enhancements has been considerable as well. Ford has also treated it to track-rated Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber.

Visually, the Mach 1 is distinguished by styling cues that reference past editions. The front has a dual-headlight design with a second set of lights set inside the centre grille – a signature of the famous 1969 original.

The model is also expected to achieve a new front bumper and air inlet design, will take quad-exit exhaust pipes and a unique spoiler. The 19-inch black alloy wheels are in a spindle design to evoke historic association and it is sure to take ‘Mach 1’ decals and a two-tone paint colour scheme. BTW, the last time the Mach 1 designation was seen on a Mustang was in 2004. 

As much as Ford is rekindling its performance past, it is also taking Mustang into the future with another ‘Mach’, the Mach-E fully electric car. Which is also expected to hit New Zealand at some point.

Vale Mustang’s real father

His sketch was chosen by Lee Iacocca. The rest is history.

You might not know the name – you will know the car. Because EVERYONE knows the car.

Gale Halderman, the last surviving designer of the original 1965 – well, 64-and-a-half if you’re a true fan – Mustang, has passed away. He was 87.

Halderman is known as the man behind the scenes of the Mustang, having penned the original shape of a model that made its world debut at the New York Worlds Fair of 1964. A car would be produced continuously across six-generations and for more than five decades 

While it was Lee Iacocca who was known as the father of the Mustang, Halderman is its creator. The Mustang went on to sell more than 8 million units.

Appointed family spokesperson and author of Mustang by Design: Gale Halderman and the Creation of Ford’s Iconic Pony Car, Jimmy Dinsmore, said: “To have lived 87 years and to have designed something that is part of pop culture and automotive history, he had such an impact. 

“He did it in such a humble way that has touched the heart of every Mustang enthusiast out there. As great of a designer as he was, he was an even better human being.”

Dinsmore says the most striking thing about Halderman, a 40-year Ford employee, was his humility. For many years, Halderman did not receive much attention for being the Mustang’s original designer, preferring to let others take the credit.

“When he went back to their Christmas dinners and such, he would be seated at the table with Mr. Ford,” Dinsmore added.

Born in 1933, Halderman completed a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Dayton and a further Industrial Design degree from the Dayton Art Institute. He went on to serve positions as the director and executive director of the Ford Design Studio, Advanced Design Studio, Interior Design Studio, and Lincoln-Mercury Design Studio.

Ultimately, the designer of the Mustang was to lose a brief battle with liver cancer. He is survived by three daughters, and his life’s collection of drawings, designs, sketches, and Mustang memorabilia, much of which can be viewed at the Halderman Barn Museum, a private venture open by appointment only on his family estate in Tipp City, Ohio. 

Halderman is a member of the Mustang Hall of Fame.