Shelby has been a name synonymous with the Ford Mustang since the 1960s. Back then, the tuning outfit founded by Le Mans race winner Carroll Shelby poured as much horsepower as possible into the Mustang to create the 1965 GT350. Now, 100 years on from Carroll Shelby’s birth, the American tuning shop is turning its hand to Ford’s all-electric Mustang Mach-E.
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The Mustang Mach-E is Shelby American’s first attempt at modifying an electric vehicle and, sadly, it will only be available to buyers in Europe. Those European Mustang fans will be treated to a Shelby-tuned Mach-E that Shelby American says has had its handling and styling “enhanced.”
To start, Shelby modified the Mach-E’s electric all-wheel drive system. This, it says, was part of the company’s efforts to reduce weight, make the car smoother, provide “auditory appeal” and “tailor the styling to increase performance.”
With these goals in mind, the Shelby Mustang Mach-E GT has also been lowered by “over an inch,” and Shelby was able to reduce weight on the top to enhance the car’s stability. The car also comes with a carbon fiber front splitter and lightweight satin black wheels.
To make the Shelby Mustang Mach-E GT stand out from the 150,000 Mach-Es that Ford has already produced, Shelby has also updated the styling. That means carbon fiber mirror caps and door trim, as well as dark blue racing stripes along the side of the car. There’s also Shelby badging both inside and out, and custom Shelby floor mats inside the car.
“As a visionary, Carroll was an early proponent of exotic materials and the integration of advanced technologies, including electrification. In an interview published by Ford Performance before his passing, Carroll looked forward to electric vehicles,” said Joe Conway, CEO of Shelby American, in a press release.
“The first production Shelby EV fits perfectly into our goal to maintain Shelby American’s position as a leading manufacturer of distinctive, small volume performance vehicles.”
The Shelby Mustang Mach-E GT is available to order in Europe from July 2023. At that time, those pesky Europeans will be able to contact Shelby American to order a Shelby Mustang Mach-E GT, or they can pay €24,900 ($27,000) and Shelby will fit the accessory pack to their own Mustang Mach-E.
As the Mustang Mach-E GT starts at €79,200 ($87,273) in European countries like the Netherlands, this means that the Shelby spec model will easily rise to six-figures for anyone looking to buy the car outright from the tuning shop.