If you sold your Mach 1 tomorrow, what’s next?

[350 Feet]

I've thought about this a lot and it enitrely depends on budget and goals. I had been starting to ascribe to the ideology of slow car fast until...

At one of my recent track days, I was in the paddock right after a session and an older dude in a race suit walks up to me and tells me "you were flying man!". He explains how he was tracking his daily driven Audi S4 and while giving me a point by on a long straight, he was flooring it and I was still passing him like it was nothing. He was telling me to enjoy a car with so much power. I jokingly respond by saying, I'll try to enjoy it for now but I was thinking of eventually moving to a miata or GR86 for lightweight, low power and low cost track car. He immediately responds with "no, no, noooooo, you don't want to do that". Turns out he used to race corvettes W2W and he tried to move down to a lower power car, and that it was super boring. He tells me to try it before I buy it when it comes to tracking a slower car.

I sometimes think: C8 Z51/Z06/GS, or Supra, or M2, but those are all considerably more expensive to buy, track and maintain.

I also think about GR86, and do HPDE + stock or street class TT competitions. I'm too big/tall for a miata, and I don't want to mess around with roll bar + seat brackets.

All that said, if budget permits, I think I would go manual 981 or 987 Cayman S as a great middle ground between performance, track, fun, weekend car and overall cost.

My next ride must have 2 doors, but no trunk. Yeah, stick an engine back there instead.. Giddy-up, and more of that please!

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[2023EGM1]

I went for a joy ride with some BMW, Porsche, Aston Martin cars, I came back loving my Mach 1 even more. How it’s V8 screams is sweet!

I could say money is not the main stopper, but I also love Mustangs low ownership cost, reasonable depreciation, insurance is 1/3 vs 911, maintenance 1/4?

I’m leaning towards the Darkhorse and keep myself in what I love now. Just to have some of the new perks and renew my 4 year old and 6k miles Mach.

 

[Jimmy Dean]

extended cab F-250 XLT, front cloth bench seat, rubber floor mats. 7.3L Godzilla.

I have no interest is any other cars that are within my financial reach, and honestly there are a lot of sacrifices atm with owning the Mach 1 (that were not present when I bought it). MY 6.0 moneypit blew 3 times in a year, and my daily driver 86 Bronco is in need of a good bit of work to get back to daily status from sitting after my MC wreck.

So, if this car ever goes, it won't be replaced any time soon.

 

[agmattocks]

Mach 1 owners — honest question for those of you who’ve thought about moving on:

If you had to let your Mustang Mach 1 go, what would you replace it with?

I’m not talking about a “better on paper” car, but something that actually scratches the same itch — driver engagement, character, usable performance, maybe even some daily comfort.

Would you stay in the Ford family (Dark Horse?), go German (Cayman / 911), something like a BMW M2/M3, or even jump to something totally different?

Curious what you’d realistically cross-shop and why. What did you consider before buying your Mach 1, and what would pull you away from it today?

Appreciate the insights.

1 - Dark horse track pack even though i still don't like the dash.
2- C7 Z06
3- Porsche GT3 touring

 

[kellyreno]

Mach 1 owners — honest question for those of you who’ve thought about moving on:

If you had to let your Mustang Mach 1 go, what would you replace it with?

I’m not talking about a “better on paper” car, but something that actually scratches the same itch — driver engagement, character, usable performance, maybe even some daily comfort.

Would you stay in the Ford family (Dark Horse?), go German (Cayman / 911), something like a BMW M2/M3, or even jump to something totally different?

Curious what you’d realistically cross-shop and why. What did you consider before buying your Mach 1, and what would pull you away from it today?

Appreciate the insights.

I did this. Very happy!

 

[kirk55]

After the Mach 1 I went with a '20 GT. Doesn't scrape going in and out of the driveway and still has plenty of performance for the street.

 

[Gen 6 Mach1]

Wheelchair

 

[Charlemagne]

I’m leaning towards the Darkhorse and keep myself in what I love now. Just to have some of the new perks and renew my 4 year old and 6k miles Mach.

Why downgrade?

 

[2023EGM1]

Why downgrade?

I know, I know haha.

 

[MAGS1]

I know, I know haha.

On the contrary, I think you’d find the DH very comparable to your Mach. Very similar driving experience with a few new bells & whistles and some additional improvements from the Mach. Not wholesale changes like I think some were hoping for, but it’s also more than just tires and brakes. I really enjoyed the one I drove

 

[2023EGM1]

On the contrary, I think you’d find the DH very comparable to your Mach. Very similar driving experience with a few new bells & whistles and some additional improvements from the Mach. Not wholesale changes like I think some were hoping for, but it’s also more than just tires and brakes. I really enjoyed the one I drove

I have to drive one yet, but I appreciate the tech advances and modern look. Brake upgrades seem nice, while probably not so relevant. 500 hp, I love round numbers, and in real world it seems there’s some difference.
And well, the looks have been increasingly appealing to me. And sooner than later I’ll see the 550 as oldish.

 

[MAGS1]

I have to drive one yet, but I appreciate the tech advances and modern look. Brake upgrades seem nice, while probably not so relevant. 500 hp, I love round numbers, and in real world it seems there’s some difference.
And well, the looks have been increasingly appealing to me. And sooner than later I’ll see the 550 as oldish.

The single large screen on the GT Premium and DH is much better than the 2 screen layout in the base GT. It still could be integrated a little better but it’s not terrible.

I’ve seen a few DH’s driving around here now and they look great on the road. A few of the exterior pieces that I don’t care for (headlights and taillights) are growing on me. But overall, I think S650 is a good car and looks really good. I like the exhaust note of the DH as well. Sounds different than the Mach and is also different from the GT’s.

 

[Charlemagne]

On the contrary, I think you’d find the DH very comparable to your Mach. Very similar driving experience with a few new bells & whistles and some additional improvements from the Mach. Not wholesale changes like I think some were hoping for, but it’s also more than just tires and brakes. I really enjoyed the one I drove

Exactly, they drive pretty much the same. Mach 1 and DH are almost identical, aside from the modernized look which is debatable depending who you ask. You can't climb further when you reach the pinnacle

 

[skinnyb]

My next ride must have 2 doors, but no trunk. Yeah, stick an engine back there instead.. Giddy-up, and more of that please!

When I was there last fall, the blue one was there. Super nice car too

 

[350 Feet]

When I was there last fall, the blue one was there. Super nice car too

It’s hard not to think about owning a car like that. Unfortunately, even with winning one of those in a raffle, most of us could not afford to keep it. Between state and federal taxes you would have to come up with nearly $200k just for the privilege of parking it in your garage. And there is the fact that with it being a super low mileage car it would lose $100k if you drove it at all. As much of a dream car as it is, I would have to sell it. How depressing is that?
It’s best for me to just stick with the dream..
Cheers,

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