American Automotive designer Shelby has made its name modifying high-performance sports cars, and now it's using its decades of experience to deliver its first electric variation.
Only available in Europe, Shelby is offering 100 Mustang Mach-E GTs to muscle car enthusiasts, and it has a number of impressive specifications.
Europe-only Shelby Mustang Mach-E GT makes fake exhaust sounds: https://t.co/fXCGqqS52C pic.twitter.com/3Fr0s3oOT0
— Car and Driver (@CARandDRIVER) October 11, 2023
It maintains the all-wheel drive and 480 horsepower of the Mustang, as well as 634 pound-feet of torque, according to Car and Driver.
While that's some impressive power for an electric vehicle, it does bring one other feature that is perhaps a little controversial.
With the absence of an internal combustion engine, the electric-powered car doesn't quite offer the soundtrack your typical muscle car would. To compensate, Shelby has added the Borla Active Performance Sound System.
This interesting addition uses the speed and revs per minute to create a "hyper realistic" engine sound. Shelby says sound is "an important visceral component to motoring for enthusiasts," Car and Driver reports.
That said, it has not gone down well with some.
"It's analogous to the first gas or steam cars providing a horse hoof beat soundtrack," said one commenter on Car and Driver.
"Why do some EVs think they need to pretend they are dinosaur cars," said another. "Fake exhaust means no sale for me."
In addition to the purchase price of the Mustang EV, Shelby's additions add another $27,000 to the total cost.
"Without any power or range advantages, this is going to be a very tough sell at that price," said another disappointed commenter.
For some motorists, the lack of noise from the engine might be a drawback when it comes to the possibility of buying an electric vehicle.
However, according to Deloitte's 2023 Global Automotive Consumer Study, the cost of a zero-tailpipe-pollution car is among the biggest drawbacks, cited by the majority of respondents in the United Kingdom, Belgium, and France.
Since the Shelby Mustang will be available in Europe only, this costly addition might not be the way to encourage sales.
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