Ford Mustang Mach-E could get burnout mode

Traditionally-speaking, car owners seeking to improve the performance of their vehicle have had to change the exhaust, bolt on a turbo, massage the cylinder-head/s or change the final drive ratio.

But imagine if faster acceleration, better braking and even a track-only drift mode was just a mouse click away?

Well, that's the thinking at Ford, as traditional wisdom goes out the window.

In the last week we've seen Ford slap the iconic Mustang badge on an SUV and Tesla show off its retro Cybertruck ute, which could become the world's fastest pick-up – even if its windows shatter.

According to the chief engineer of the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Ron Heiser, EVs will bring a whole new level of customer experience and change the way we think of cars.

Wireless vehicle mods are not new. Beyond traditional remote-control diagnostics and trouble-shooting, Tesla has been offering upgrades for its vehicles remotely for years. But soon it could be the rule, rather than the exception.

And because almost all aspects of electric vehicles are computer-controlled, EVs will allow owners to improve all manner of aspects of their vehicles via downloadable software. We're talking everything from infotainment updates to, well, enabling a tyre-frying line-locker and/or drift mode.

"What we're able to do with potential over-the-air update capabilities who knows, because we have the capability to over-the-air update a lot of critical modules," said Heiser.

"Our powertrain control module, ABS module, our power steering control module, our infotainment modules, [instrument] cluster [are all adjustable], so we have a lot of a capability for over-the-air enhancements over time."

Heiser said that while there is no burnout mode available "yet", the ability to tweak almost all elements of the Ford Mustang Mach-E will create some intriguing outcomes.

"It's been an exciting project," he added.

As it stands, the Ford Mustang Mach-E is expected to arrive in Australia – eventually -- but it’s way too early to speculate about pricing or model specs.

Single motor rear-drive and twin-motor all-wheel drive versions will be offered overseas, with 75kWh and 98kWh lithium-ion battery packs respectively. The Ford Mustang Mach-E’s EV range varies between 480km and 600km (WLTP) which is slightly above the norm.

Performance levels will not be meek or mild, with basic models banging out 190kW/415Nm for a 0-100km/h sprint time of around six seconds, while the range-topping Mach-E GT Performance Edition will crank up 342kW/830Nm -- enough mumbo for a supercar-like 0-100km/h sprint in around 3.5 seconds.

Heiser explained that for the time being, the plan is to make sure the Mach-E SUV is fun and engaging to drive, particularly the GT. But once the SUV hit the US and Europe in 2020, the days of making physical modifications to improve performance could be done and dusted.

Customer feedback will inform what Ford develops in its updates for the vehicle, whether it’s a high-performance mode for short, fast bursts on dynamic roads or perhaps a learner-friendly system to more effectively teach kids to drive.

"And we're going to learn more. As the car is out there we'll learn more and more about what customers are really looking for and we'll be able to tune those drive experiences over time," Heiser told carsales.

Another 'tunable' element is the Mach-E's 'engine' sound.

The Mach-E chief engineer said Ford's audio boffins went through a long process of sampling and mixing different sounds, including those of a number of sci-fi vehicles from movies like Batman and Bladerunner, to get a distinct "throaty, tied-to-acceleration sound".

And there's scope to add more noise in future.

"We have three different drive experiences: whisper, engage and unbridled. Whisper is a calm and serene drive, unbridled is a very energetic drive. We were able to tune the level of regen, steering response, tip-in pedal mapping," in addition to the sound, said Heiser.

"In whisper we don’t put any enhanced sound inside the car. Engage has a bit of enhancement and unbridled we have more.

"EVs have struggled with a signature sound that is emotional and that will really resonate with the customer. We could have ignored that and just said 'we're going to live with it'. But sound is a real important experience with a Mustang."

Putting stickers on the rear windscreen and adding a new set of alloys will still be important ways for proud car owners to personalise their rides, but in future there will be exponentially more depth to tweak and tinker EVs.