Ford revives Mach 1 name for... an electric crossover?

Good or maybe not so good, Ford sure does love a surprise.

In addition to discussing the Edge ST that the automaker unveiled earlier this week, Ford threw out a couple surprises at its 2018 Detroit Auto Show press conference. In addition to the Bullitt Mustang, Ford also promised a Mach 1 revival... as an electric car.

Yes, you read that right. The badge that formerly adorned many a beautiful vintage Mustang -- and a short-lived special edition in 2003 -- will soon represent something entirely different. All we know is what Ford's said thus far, which ain't much -- it'll be a battery-electric car, it'll be a performance car and it'll be a crossover.

Performance crossovers are nothing new. shoved 707 horsepower into the Grand Cherokee, Mercedes will shove its turbocharged V8s into every crossover it makes and can't turn down the opportunity to put a Turbo badge on both the Cayenne and Macan. Having something equally gnarly from Ford, especially with a cutting-edge EV powertrain, would definitely work.

My only qualm is the use of the Mach 1 badge. Sure, Ford's Raj Nair told Jalopnik that "a Mustang-inspired crossover is certainly something you can expect [from Ford's BEV division]," but it's not exactly a Mustang. At the absolute minimum, any forthcoming Mach 1 has a lot to live up to.

But the shocking announcement may not be the final word: "The name captures the spirit of the new vehicle. We will gauge reaction from potential customers before making a final decision on naming," said Mike Levine, North American product communication manager for Ford, in a statement to Roadshow.

Seeing a major manufacturer float the name for an upcoming vehicle to the public in this way is a little weird, but no matter what Ford calls this performance EV, we're excited about the possibility of driving it.

(Picture courtesy Ford's Mike Levine on Twitter)