The trail-ready Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally has been launched in the UK, priced from £76,790.

It arrives as a £2250 option pack for the existing Mach-E GT, packing 480bhp and a muscular 649lb ft of torque. Added to that is a suite of off-road chassis upgrades, including new springs that bring a 20mm increase in ride height, and specially tuned MagneRide dampers.

The Rally comes with its own Rally Sport driving mode, which gives a linear throttle response for improved acceleration control, more aggressive damping and improved traction on slippery surfaces. It also adapts the traction and stability control systems "to allow bigger slides". 

Underneath, the 91kWh battery and electric motors are shielded from rocks and bumps by thick underbody plating, and Ford has coated the body cladding with a protective spray to reduce the risk of chips and scrapes. A tow hook is integrated into the front bumper too. 

Ford says the Mach-E Rally's bespoke styling was inspired in part by the legendary Ford Focus RS hot hatch, in particular the "dramatic" rear spoiler.

Other unique elements include the contrasting body trim, beefy front splitter, black roof panel, rally-style foglights and racing stripes. 

The interior is more subtly differentiated from the Mach-E GT, with bespoke elements limited to white accents throughout to match the wheels, Mach-E Rally badging and sports seats.

Darren Palmer, head of Ford's EV programmes, told Autocar the original idea for the Rally came from a rallycross enthusiast in Ford's Always On team – created to constantly monitor feedback from customers and social media, which informs the development of over-the-air software updates and model line additions.

Palmer said: "One of them does rallycross and he seeded the idea: 'Hey, we have heritage in this car. What if we do a rallycross version, because it fits with what we've done in the past?'

"Our attitude is: if you've got an idea, bring it forward and try it out. So they created a model for the car with pure passion. They put the wheels on and lifted it. They styled what it could be. We gave them the freedom to make it.

"And the minute I showed that model to our leadership, they said: 'It fits so well with what we've done in the past and what people might love.'"

Palmer said the project reached fruition quicker than is often expected because it was one of Ford's "go-fast" programmes, meaning the period from conception to unveiling was only around 18 months. "It was crazy fast," he said. 

Prototypes have been tested against what Palmer called "legendary heroes" of off-roading on "rally surfaces".

He said the car is "super-stable on both Tarmac and other surfaces" because of the extremely precise acceleration control and the low-slung weight of the underfloor battery.

"To throw it around, you have to change a few things," said Palmer. "We were blown away by the things you can do. It's amazing."