Disabled Child鈥檚 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Gets Torched

Disabled Child鈥檚 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Gets Torched

Seven-year-old Nino Welcome loves his bright orange 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1. It was lovingly restored by his grandfather and given to him as a birthday present in May. For Nino it鈥檚 an escape from the tough reality of living with Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that leaves him confined to a wheelchair. However, early Thursday morning vandals busted one of the Mustang鈥檚 flap windows, tossed in fireworks, lit the fuses and fled. They left the classic car engulfed in flames as it sat parked in family鈥檚 driveway in Springfield, Missouri. Seeing the aftermath is much worse than only seeing an awesome classic car ruined. Knowing what it meant to Nino and how hard his grandfather must have worked makes it devastating. According to The Drive, a neighbor spotted a 鈥済low鈥?from inside the car at around 3:30 AM and called 911 before alerting the family. Nino鈥檚 father Brett Welcome tried to douse the flames, but was unsuccesful as the fire quickly spread from a seat cushion to the entire interior.

Investigators told Welcome they discovered evidence of fireworks in the Mustang鈥檚 charred remains. 鈥淰andalism and things like that aren鈥檛 random to the people it impacts,鈥?Welcome told KY3 News. 鈥淚t might be funny to throw fireworks into somebody鈥檚 vehicle but, when you destroy the happiness and the very thing that a disabled seven-year-old boy loves, it鈥檚 wicked. In the interview, Welcome went into detail on his son鈥檚 love for the Mach 1. Nino talks about it constantly, always wants to ride in it, tells strangers about it when he meets them. 鈥?by the car,鈥?Welcome said. Even though Nino鈥檚 disability means he鈥檒l probably never be able to drive, he falls asleep every night to bedtime stories starring him and his 鈥楽tang. Welcome told the News-Leader that the 351 V-8 engine might be worth saving, but damage to the frame means the whole thing is most likely a loss. There are reportedly no leads, and the family is asking for anyone with information to come forward to police. Despite everything, though, Brett Welcome says his son is taking the situation like a champ. 鈥淎side from saying some choice words about 鈥榯hose idiots being in big trouble,鈥?Nino has taken the news like a brave boy. He is sure that we can make it like new,鈥?Welcome wrote on Facebook. And that鈥檚 the plan. A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the family.

Years in the making, this electric, four-door SUV is the most contentious Mustang off-shoot to date. Ford called it Mustang Mach E after deciding giving it the hallowed Mach 1 nameplate would rub purists the wrong way. Stylists liberally borrowed styling cues from the Mustang to give the people-mover an aggressive, muscular design. We鈥檙e told its chassis was tuned with performance in mind, too, and Autocar's Andrew Frankel reported it felt composed through the slalom course in spite of its hefty weight after riding shotgun in one in Los Angeles. Aimed at the upcoming Tesla Model Y, the Mach E is the first Ford developed as an electric car from the ground up. Powertrain options include rear- and all-wheel drive, a standard- or long-range battery, plus a flagship GT model with 459bhp on tap. Motorists who don't need that much power under their right foot can order cheaper variants with 254, 285 or 332bhp. Maximum driving range varies from 210 to at least 300 miles depending on the configuration selected. American deliveries will begin in late 2020, though the GT won't arrive until early 2021. In the United Kingdom, pricing will start around 拢40,000.

Depending on the configuration, the Mustang Mach-E will be able to travel from 210 miles to 300 between charges, with rear-wheel-drive versions equipped with an extended range battery pack delivering the longest distance. The top of the line GT is aimed at delivering the kind of muscle car-like performance the Mustang name evokes. It鈥檚 powered by an all-wheel-drive system rated at 429 hp and 612 lb-ft of torque. Unlike Tesla, Ford isn鈥檛 promising any future full-self-driving capability for the Mustang Mach-E, but it does offer a driver aid system electronic driver aid system with automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assist. It is also compatible with Ford鈥檚 Phone as Key feature that allows drivers to open and start the vehicle with a smartphone app. 500 deposits to reserve a spot when the order books open next year. 61,000 First Edition model that鈥檚 loaded with features and a 332 hp all-wheel-drive powertrain good for 270 miles of range.

It is very good news that Toyota is coming out with a plug-in version of their RAV4. The less-good news is that it is a 2021 model. In one sense Toyota appears to be ahead of most rivals in their EV offerings. Honda will be offering the CRV as a normal hybrid, but hasn't shown any plug-in hybrid or BEV CUVs yet. Visit Torque News homepage for more stories. But offering the RAV4 PHEV is a 2021 model may be too late. Chevy has its impressive Bolt today and it's rumored larger EUV/BEV crossover is due in the RAV4 PHEV timeframe, as is Ford's planned Mach-E, which will be a powerful, long range BEV CUV with Mustang styling cues. And in that 2020-2021 timeframe VW will probably release their ID.4 CUV and ID Buzz EVs as well. And then there is Tesla. 40K) due after it's introduction. And like the Model 3, the base Model Y will probably be quicker and offer better handling than the RAV4 PHEV, and the Performance Model Y will be in another league, offering performance car acceleration. Still, the RAV4 PHEV will be a great success. Toyota brings its strong engineering, good reliability, and good resale value to the competition with this upcoming model. And Toyota is showing a strong line-up of EVs (hybrids, PHEVs, and BEVs) across their whole model line-up, especially compared to their major automaker rivals. So even though they are moving cautiously (and too slow for some EV enthusiasts) in the larger picture they are still ahead of most of their rivals, and leading the industry in the move towards EVs. Dean McManis and an electric vehicle advocate and frequently reports EV stories at Torque News. Dean can be reached on LinkedIn.