California has officially gone electric, and Ford’s ready to cruise down the Pacific Coast Highway in style. The 2026 Mustang Mach-E GT California Special brings back a name soaked in sunshine and nostalgia, except this time, it’s powered by electrons instead of premium unleaded.
Originally born in 1968 for West Coast dealers who wanted to bottle up the carefree California attitude and sell it on four wheels, the “California Special” returns with a futuristic twist. Ford designers have taken the retro spirit, thrown it into a blender with a lithium-ion battery pack, and poured out the boldest Mach-E yet.
The new Rave Blue paint job is the centerpiece, Ford calls it “the cornerstone” of the package. So, expect to see this shade everywhere. The front grille now sports a glowing pony badge, a beachy hood graphic fading from gray to blue like a SoCal sunset, and 20-inch carbonized-gray wheels stamped GT/CS, in case anyone forgets how “special” you are.
Inside, the EV channels Malibu lounge energy. Performance seats wear Navy Pier ActiveX and Miko trim, stitched with reflective silver and blue threads. Even the floor mats got the memo, echoing the same ocean-inspired tones. It’s part retro homage, part influencer starter kit.
The Mach-E GT California Special keeps the muscle that makes the badge matter: 480 HP, 700 lb-ft of torque, and an EPA-estimated range of 280 miles. It’s a silent beast that can smoke tires without waking the neighbors, or the dolphins.
The California Special package adds $2,495 to the Mach-E GT’s $53,395 base price, and Ford will open orders on October 22. Deliveries begin in early 2026, giving the electric pony enough time to practice its red-carpet debut before rolling into dealerships. Nostalgia sells, but it sells even better when it plugs in, without burning a gallon to chase the sunset.
