Manoli Katakis 
The 2021 Ford Mustang order guide published on Blue Oval Forums reveals some upsetting news. Along with the Mustang Shelby GT350 and Mustang Bullitt, the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 appears to have replaced a third model: the Mustang GT Performance Pack 2. The hardcore Mustang GT Performance Pack 2 (PP2) was available only with a six-speed manual transmission and adds a $6,500 premium on top of a base Mustang GT coupe, and $1,305 over the standard Mustang GT Performance Package (PP1, $5,105 over Mustang GT). The special option also requires pairing with the 301A Equipment Group, adding another $2,000. The cheapest 2020 Ford Mustang GT Performance Pack 2 one can build and price is $45,575, per the 2020 Mustang configurator, just above the cheapest Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE, which comes in at $45,495. The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 starts at over $51,000, and is a limited production muscle car.
Offered only in GT form with a six-speed manual transmission, the 2020 Ford Mustang Performance Pack 2 was packed with the following features and equipment, per Ford:
- 19-inch x 10.5-inch front and 19-inch x 11-inch rear dark tarnish-painted aluminum wheels
- 305-section Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires at all four corners
- Brembo six-piston front brake calipers with larger rotors
- Engine-spun aluminum instrument panel
- Gauge Pack (vacuum and oil pressure)
- High-performance front splitter
- K-brace
- Large radiator
- MagneRide Damping System with track-inspired calibration
- Strut tower brace
- Unique rear spoiler
- Unique track-inspired chassis, stability control, EPAS, and ABS tuning
- Unique track-inspired springs and sway bar.
You read correctly, the 2020 Ford Mustang GT Performance Pack 2 has rubber steamrollers for tires. In fact, they’re nearly identical to that of the almighty Mustang Shelby GT500. They’re the same sectional measurement up front, but the rears on the Shelby are wider by 10 millimeters apiece. To put it plainly, these massive Michelins are incredibly extreme in both size and capability. Any track rat will tell you that tires are paramount, and Ford packaged this particular pony with the largest performance rubbers for the money, just edging out the Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Widebody in that measurement. By further comparison, the Mach 1, with the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, actually wears smaller tires with a less aggressive compound .
So, what killed the Ford Mustang Performance Pack 2? Likely the same reasons that killed the Bullitt and the Shelby GT350. The Mustang Mach 1 could just be that good. Moreover, the mission of the Mustang PP2 was to grapple with the Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE (it didn’t go well, based on various comparison tests). With the Mach 1 entering the fray, that original mission of the PP2 appears to be redundant.
Really hard to say, but Ford is going to drop an option that a lot of people might buy for a more expensive model. Granted it is a limited Edition, some will be bought and stored, some bought and wrecked. What is Ford going to do after the Special Edition is over>? Go back to the PP2?