Ford might have toyed with the concept of electrification in the last two decades, with a previously-electrified Ranger pickup and a number of hybrid and plug-in hybrid derivatives. But the first fully-fledged Ford electric car to be built on a bespoke platform is challenging conventions and upsetting the status quo. Why? Well, because when you name your first EV the Mustang Mach-E, you set certain expectations of what it can do as a sports car, and when you then make the aforementioned EV a crossover SUV, you spit in the faces of brand enthusiasts who have come to expect low-slung coupes from anything wearing the nameplate. All could be forgiven if the Mach-E lives up to the legendary nameplate, however, so the question remains: can Ford build an EV crossover worthy of being called a sports car?
What is a Sports Car?
This is the first question we need to ask ourselves, as the whole argument hinges on what you define as a one. Wikipedia defines a sports car as “designed to emphasize handling, performance, or the thrill of driving” which is a simple, broad-spectrum definition that doesn’t exclude a vehicle based on its shape, size, or means of propulsion. While we’ve become accustomed to these performance machines being two-door coupes or convertibles, these are only sporty in the sense of road or track driving where a low center of gravity, and thus ride height, matters from a handling perspective.
But what if your idea of ‘sport’ centered off-road? Trophy truck racing, for example, makes use of 4x4s – still designed with the same sense of speed and handling required to be classed as sporty, but intended to go fast in an uncommon environment. Trucks can be sports cars – just look at the Ford F-150 Raptor. Likewise, an SUV can be a performance machine, and with the slew of modern Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and even Aston Martin SUVs hitting our roads, the lines between family crossover and all-out sportster are being blurred further and further.
But Surely an EV Can’t be a Sports Car?
Purists, gearheads, motor enthusiasts – whatever you wish to call them – have maintained for decades that gasoline is the only fuel that can be considered to power an authentic sports car. There are many reasons for this, chief amongst them being the fact that the speedier combustion process of gasoline means quick responses to throttle inputs, while the sound produced by a high-displacement gas engine far surpasses that of a diesel motor. There’s also the sensation of speed, as a car’s power builds and reaches a crescendo high in the rev range. These are all important feelings, as a performance vehicle is more than just about speed, but about sensation. It’s an emotional item as much as it is one that is capable on paper.
But for decades, we have seen alternative forms of energy in action. Le Mans prototype racers are notorious for using hybrid diesel powertrains to attain not only immense performance in comparison to regular race cars, but attain impressive mileage that allows them to compete in endurance races.
Electric powertrains aren’t without merits, either. As far back as 1899, the 100 km/h (62 mph) mark was breached by none other than an electric car called La Jamais Contente (The Never Satisfied). In recent years we’ve seen electrification come on in leaps and bounds, and the virtues of electrons over combustion have been proved time and time again by the likes of Tesla. Not only do you get massive amounts of torque and instantaneous response, but unlike a combustion machine that builds up its power, an electric motor works like a switch, giving you everything when you need it.
It might not have the emotive soundtrack, but the ability to suck you into the back of your seat and provide predictable throttle responses are key aspects that mean an electric car can be a sports car.
The Elephant in the Room: the Mustang Name
It might be difficult to do, but by removing emotion and preconceived ideas from our minds, it’s easy to logically accept the notion of an electric car, or even an electric SUV, as being a sports car. Ample power, a low center of gravity, and rapid performance – all hallmarks of a high-performance automobile – are present in this recipe.
But Ford went and called its electric creation by the same name as the iconic pony car, drawing the ire of fans the world over. While it remains to be seen just how good the Mach-E is, the fact that even the base model is slated to produce 266 horsepower and 317 lb-ft – send it all to the rear wheels and giving it a 0-60 mph sprint time of around 5.5 seconds. Straight-line performance isn’t the be-all and end-all of a sports car though, but reports that even the most ardent of Mustang fans have accepted the name after going for a drive suggest that the Mach-E can perform and handle in a manner deserving of the nameplate. The truth is, a sports car is defined by its intention and inherent capabilities, not by its body style or power train. It’s humans that create the controversy by creating links between names and what we believe they stand for.
