New Ford Mustang Mach 1 on sale in the UK now from £55,185

The new Ford Mustang Mach 1 is available to order in the UK now, priced from £55,185. The new model offers improved handling, some racy cosmetics and, for the first time for British buyers, the option of a six-speed manual gearbox.

It’s powered by a tuned version of the standard Mustang’s naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 engine, with a new throttle body, a freer-flowing exhaust system, a reflashed ECU and the same open-air induction system previously restricted to the US market-only Shelby GT350.

The Mach 1 also gets an auxiliary oil cooler (again shared with the GT350), which is designed to maintain a constant engine temperature under prolonged heavy load, such as track use. All of these upgrades give the Mach 1 an output of 454bhp and 529Nm of torque.

As standard, the engine is hitched to a Tremec six-speed manual gearbox, although a 10-speed automatic can be fitted instead, for an extra £2,000. Regardless of which transmission the buyer opts for, the Mach 1 also gets a limited-slip differential and an extra gearbox cooler for added reliability on the track.

The muscle car’s chassis is propped up by a fresh set of adjustable dampers, harder springs and tighter anti-roll bars, as well as a host of adjustable suspension components which Ford says makes the Mach 1 sharper to drive. Ford bolted on the same subframes found on the Shelby GT350 and GT500, too.

Ford has also fitted some cosmetic tweaks, including a new two-piece upper grille, a new front splitter and a rear diffuser, all of which contribute to a 22 per cent gain in downforce compared with the regular Mustang GT. Buyers can also specify a set of 19-inch alloy wheels for an extra £900.

The cabin also gets a couple of tweaks, such as a set of leather sports seats, a white cue-ball gear knob and a unique plaque which carries the car’s chassis number.

Click here for our review of the Ford Mustang Bullitt...