Is a Mach 1 the right decision for me? (Answered!)

[astronaut45]

Don't worry about being "that guy." I asked for opinions, and I want them all. You're 100% right. I don't need a Mach 1 over a regular GT premium. I will say that when I first started looking at Mach 1's, I quickly decided that I did not want or need the handling package. That's a $3,500-ish upgrade that would be a waste of my money. Then again, none of us need a 480 horsepower car, do we?

The truth is, I'd like a Mach 1 over a GT premium with the PP because I want to own something that I don't see all that often. Despite living at the coast, which is loaded with rich people and their beach houses and fancy cars, I've seen a Mach 1 just once in three years since moving here from Raleigh. I've also seen less than five C7 Corvettes in that same time period as well. Originally, I was also considering a Jaguar F-Type R, which I've never seen around here, but they don't come in a manual with the V8, so that got dropped off my list pretty quickly. It's VERY difficult to find a sports car that can fill the role of a daily driver, but also has some level of rarity to it.

On the other hand, I see "regular" Mustangs all over the place, in all colors and engine types. While I agree with you that the Tremec isn't worth $20,000 or even $10,000 by itself, it's a small piece of the Mach 1 puzzle that is put together with a great deal of parts from Ford's two latest Shelby models, which adds a good deal of value. Heck, look at the GT500. It costs $90k and up, but still has the same crappy plastic and rubbery interior as any $30k Mustang. So it has 760 hp. Big deal. So does a Roush Stage 3 GT, which costs about $20-30k less than the GT500. Cost and worth are all relative to the car shopper/owner and will vary from person-to-person until the end of time.

Thanks for the feedback though. You do make some thought-provoking points.

Finding the right Mustang is always a conundrum. Having something special and rare 100% enters my calculus as well.

Before my GT350, I had a Boss 302. I've thrived on trying to own and drive rare Mustangs. If possible financially I'd hunt down my old Boss 302 and buy it back. That car had the most presence of any I've owned.

At the end of the day, the reasons why I buy and sell my cars are rarely logical, sometimes I just want something. I like the Mach 1, and for me it was a decision to bail out of my GT350 when resale prices were insane. The Mach 1 isn't better than a GT350, but as you mentioned having the GT350 bits with the Coyote is a pretty solid compromise.

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[Obsidian]

For a daily driver, you should be buying a GT.

The heart wants what the heart wants Cory

 

[Fpsrubyred]

Mach 1 is awesome. Also good for daily are CTS-Vs I rarely see them around…

 

[ajsfirehawk]

Mach 1 is awesome. Also good for daily are CTS-Vs I rarely see them around…

CTS-V: Find a good one for $60K as the OP indicates is his budget?

 

[ShadesOfBloo]

In the choice of Mach 1 vs. Corvette, I'd be tempted by the lighter car
but ultimately I chose steel with coil springs over fiberglass with leaf springs
and 32v sound over the road-going bass boat.

...And now I've got a new way to razz my buddy with the Corvette.
He drives a road-going bass boat.

 

[Hurricane]

Seems to me like you need to drive a C7. That'll probably go quite far in helping you know which you like more. And if it ultimately puts them both on equal ground, then just look for the best deal/option combo you can find between the two.

Since I'm already heading to Raleigh this Saturday morning to test drive a 2022 Mach 1, I'm going to leave early and try to drive a C7 before I get to the Mustang. I found a couple in that area that are plain Stingrays with auto transmissions, but that's fine for a test drive just so I can see how the car feels on the road and if the trunk space would fit my needs.

If I had a $60,000 budget, i would simply wait for the new dark horse and order that brand new. It looks to be pretty amazing in comparison to what's available now. But that's just my $0.02

I'm honestly not all that crazy about the S650, including the Dark Horse. Call me old school, but I really don't want a vehicle that has a touch screen for literally every single function inside the car. I'm a "buttons and switches" kind of guy in that regard. I'm OK with a touch screen for the infotainment system, but that's about it.

If $60K is your budget I’d buy a new Mach 1. I would never willingly trade money for a Chevy. Good luck!

The fact that I test drove a Mach 1 last Friday and still remain interested means there is a pretty good chance I will buy the one I'm testing on Saturday since it's spec'ed out exactly how I want. I talked to the sales manager at the dealership earlier this week and told him I'm driving 2 hours to come see this car. He said he'll call me at 9 am Saturday morning to confirm they still have it, and if so, he's putting a hold on it until I get there for my noon appointment.

 

[Bulldog9]

Hey all. Long-time member here, but it's been several years since I posted. I used to have a 2015 GT premium, but sold it quite a while back in order to buy a vehicle that could tow a boat for me and the wife. Needless to say, with the boat now up for sale at a local dealership, I'm looking at getting back into a fun, sporty car again.

After watching countless hours of YouTube, reading dozens of comparison articles and spec sheets online, and test driving several options, I'm about 80-90% sure I want to buy a Mach 1. I test drove a 2021 last Friday at a dealership near me, but couldn't pull the trigger because I didn't like the standard 5-star wheels on it, and the cloth Recaro seats made my kidneys feel like they were going to explode. I'm 5'10", 170 lb, but those seats felt equal to an anaconda slowly trying to crush the life out of me. I'm driving a fighter jet gray 2022 this Saturday that has all the upgrades other than the Handling Pack, which I'm fine with because I'm not a track guy, and wheels/tires/spoilers are easy enough to add/change later on if I want to.

I originally wanted a 2019-2020 GT350, but with low-mileage versions of those costing over my max budget of $60k, I decided to settle on the Mach 1. It seems to use the best parts of the GT350 anyway, albeit with a bulletproof gen 3 Coyote instead of the insane Voodoo engine. Most importantly, it doesn't have that horrible MT-82 transmission that my old GT had. That thing was terrible, even after I put in a Steeda Tri-Ax race shifter, a 35 lb clutch spring, and Steeda transmission bushings in it. It would constantly hang when trying to go hard into 2nd gear, among other issues.

Anyway, the ONLY vehicle out there that is preventing me from being 100% on the Mach 1 is a C7 Corvette coupe. My budget of $60k will get me a nice, low-mileage 2018 or 2019 Stingray with the Z51 handing package, or even a Grand Sport that's a couple years older or has a bit more on the odometer. When I test drove the Mach 1 last Friday, I got to sit in a C7 convertible at another dealership. Unfortunately, I couldn't drive it because they were in the process of cleaning/detailing it prior to putting it out for sale. They let me go check it out as a courtesy. There was even still a can of cleaning spray in the driver's seat when I went to get in it. Despite sitting much lower in the 'Vette than the 'Stang, the interior wasn't cramped for me, and the leather seats and steering wheel with plastic everything else felt pretty much equal in quality to the Mach 1. I mean, I don't expect a Mercedes or BMW-level of interior from the likes of Ford or Chevy.

Whatever I buy is going to be my daily driver, so I do want to be somewhat mindful of what I purchase. However, my wife has a 330I sedan, so there's no concern for me about transporting several adults or our two dogs comfortably in a 2-door sports car. I work full-time from home, and usually only drive anywhere 3 to 4 days a week, so there's no worry about shifting gears for an hour in heavy traffic either.

I suppose the only thing I need to figure out is whether I want to buy a grand tourer, or a true sports car. Both the C7 Corvette and Mach 1 can get me where I need to go comfortably, and both can haul groceries or luggage for a trip if asked to. Both have proven NA V8 powerplants and Tremec transmissions. Plenty of mods/upgrades are available for both as well. I'm only in my early 40s, so no worries about getting into or out of a low car.

In the end, I'm simply trying to exercise due diligence and explore all options before making a $60,000 decision. Any feedback or comments is welcomed and appreciated. Thanks for reading!

If you want a backseat and real trunk (IOW a real practical car for everyday life) MACH 1 is the answer. If that doesn't matter, go Vette.

No reason to go GT350 with the MACH 1 IMNSHO.....

 

[7six2]

I also previously had a 2015 Mustang GT with the MT-82 and I just just bought a Mach 1 last weekend. The Tremec ALONE is absolutely worth the upgrade! The rest of the Mach 1 "pakage" is just icing on the cake. The car practically steers itself around corners and BEGS to be driven faster. Daily driving the car feels very composed, to the point it almost feels like a waste. LOL. Who would have thought a Mustang could ride and handle this good. I cant comment on a Corvette becase I've never had one but they look more cramped than a Mustang and they dont sound very good with stock exhaust either. The Mach 1 on the other hand has an intoxicating sound. That being said I'm having trouble adjusting to it as a daily driver instead of my F150. Just that I got used to having a LOT more space and visibility.

 

[Hurricane]

I also previously had a 2015 Mustang GT with the MT-82 and I just just bought a Mach 1 last weekend. The Tremec ALONE is absolutely worth the upgrade! The rest of the Mach 1 "pakage" is just icing on the cake. The car practically steers itself around corners and BEGS to be driven faster. Daily driving the car feels very composed, to the point it almost feels like a waste. LOL. Who would have thought a Mustang could ride and handle this good. I cant comment on a Corvette becase I've never had one but they look more cramped than a Mustang and they dont sound very good with stock exhaust either. The Mach 1 on the other hand has an intoxicating sound. That being said I'm having trouble adjusting to it as a daily driver instead of my F150. Just that I got used to having a LOT more space and visibility.

The little bit of time I had with the Tremec in the Mach 1 I test drove last Friday was amazing. The sales guy went with me and laughed when I took off from a light, shifted hard into 2nd and said out loud "Wow, it didn't get stuck! I love it already!"

I know that F-150 struggle. I bought a used 2015 extended cab XLT with the 5.0L V8 to be our boat-towing vehicle. It was nice always being so high up and seemingly never running out of storage space. I sold it early last year during the used car price craze for $27,500 which was only $1,500 less that what I bought it for nearly 5 years earlier. So crazy. I have a 2019 Grand Cherokee Trailhawk now. It has the 5.7L Hemi, along with a resonator delete and Flowmaster 40 mufflers. It sounds absolutely incredible, but it weighs 5,000 lbs, has an automatic transmission, and I have no need for such a big vehicle anymore.

 

[TNSilverfox]

My best friend has owned more than one Vette and really liked his C7. He didn’t like the C8 that he test drove. He bought a FJG HP Mach 1 and stated it was the best driving car he has ever owned. Period. Full stop.
He’s owned a bunch(he’s 57).

 

[2021 Mach 1]

I've owned two Mach 1s and absolutely love them. Driving them is pure pleasure as you can see and hear here:

 

[K4fxd]

, i would simply wait for the new dark horse and order that brand new.

I agree, except for the Ipad dash...

 

[Hurricane]

My best friend has owned more than one Vette and really liked his C7. He didn’t like the C8 that he test drove. He bought a FJG HP Mach 1 and stated it was the best driving car he has ever owned. Period. Full stop.
He’s owned a bunch(he’s 57).

Given my 30-year love of Mustangs, the previous experience/joy from my 2015 GT, plus all the feedback here, I think that the 80-90% sure I was about a Mach 1 just got moved to about 98%.

At this point, a test drive in a C7 would have to absolutely blow me away in order to make me change my mind.

 

[Nightmonkey]

For me, the lack of adaptive cruise control on the C7 would be the dealbreaker for a daily driver.

I had my eye on a C6 Grand Sport for a very long time, then the C7 came along and was too Camaro for me and didn't have the technical gimmicks you want for daily driving (even in rush hour traffic).

Somehow I ended up with a Mustang Bullitt, how could that happen.

The Mach1 is a great piece of equipment!

 

[Mikepol2]

First off, you're too young to buy a Corvette.

I'm more of a which-car-wins-the-spreadsheet guy, but there's something intangible about this Mach 1 that really appeals to me, even after 18 months of ownership. Feels like a good example of something where the whole package is greater than the sum of its parts. As much as I loved the 2018 GT, I don't miss it one bit.

I've driven GT350's and have had plenty of opportunities to buy one but as nice as they are, I don't ever regret having the Mach instead.

And as was mentioned earlier in this thread, there's also something fun about having an uncommon car. I enjoy the "what the hell is THAT?" looks from people.

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