Along with the debut of the seventh-generation Mustang, Ford saw it fit to introduce a more extreme version in the form of the Dark Horse which the automaker says will underpin its future efforts in motorsports. The new trim level is intended for customers who want to test the stallion’s mettle on the track, sharing the curvaceous yet chiseled exterior already revealed on the 2024 Mustang.
The 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse certainly packs a menacing appearance
Distinguishing the Dark Horse from its standard siblings are a pair of darker LED headlamps and a grille rendered in a special gloss black hue with trapezoidal nostrils. These are accompanied by a revised lower front bumper complete with high gloss ‘fangs.’
It also carries side skirts, a unique race-inspired diffuser, and a fixed rear wing sitting on top of darkened quad exhaust tips. A new Dark Horse logo replaces the usual Mustang pony badging all around, set against an exclusive Blue Ember Metallic paint job.
Customers can choose to spruce up the Dark Horse with applied or painted graphics, while the optional Appearance Package brings dark Brembo brake calipers in Notorious Blue hue, nestled behind 19-inch alloy wheels mounted on Pirelli P-Zero PZ4 radials.
Just when you thought a Mustang couldn't get any more serious
There’s more blue to be found in the cabin, where anodized paddle shifters join a meatier steering wheel at the controls, the latter finished in performance suede with Indigo Blue Accent stitching. Occupants settle down on Deep Indigo Blue seats courtesy of the optional Dark Horse Appearance Pack, surrounded by Black Alley interior trim.
Drivers will find the tiller set ahead of a 12.4-inch customizable digital instrument cluster which, like the standard seventh-gen Mustang, is also attached to the 13.20-inch touchscreen. Completing the onboard entertainment is a 12-speaker B&O 7 sound system accompanied by a subwoofer.
Under the hood lies the same 5.0-liter fourth-generation Coyote V8 found on the new Mustang GT. Ford says it’s targeting 500 horsepower for the Dark Horse, by way of new camshafts and tuning exclusive to the trim level. Channeling the power to the rear wheels is a choice of either a 6-speed TREMEC manual gearbox with titanium shift ball or Ford’s 10-speed automatic transmission.
Blue Brembo brakes come with the available Appearance Package
A Torsen limited-slip rear differential is standard equipment, as are unique chassis tuning, upsized rear anti-roll bars and heavy-duty front dampers. Like the GT, the Dark Horse features an electronic drift brake that even novice drivers can use to improve their skills.
But as mentioned, this isn’t the pinnacle of what the new Mustang line can do. There’s also the Dark Horse S, a stripped-down version of the Dark Horse made exclusively for the circuit. A full FIA-certified safety cage, safety nets, quick-disconnect race steering wheel, and fire suppression system are standard.
On a larger scale, Ford intends the Mustang Dark Horse to lead its international motorsports efforts, among then GT3, GT4, and NASCAR.
Ford is placing the Mustang Dark Horse at the forefront of its future motorsport efforts
“We’re taking this all-new Mustang to competition racing and the very definition of a Dark Horse is the perfect fit – and timing - to introduce this vehicle to the Mustang brand,” said Ford Performance Motorsports Global Director Mark Rushbrook. “With our race program testing underway, we’re confident we have the right car for success.”
Get the latest on the industry’s iconic nameplates at Philkotse.com.