The latest generation Mustang brings a new nameplate to the stable. The most powerful, route orientedand a street-legal pony car bearing the iconic badge is now the Ford Mustang Dark Horse. It starts where that Mustang Mach 1 stopped. This car took the torch from the Performance Package Level 2 version, which was among the finalists Motor Authority: Best Car to Buy 2019. Will the new generation exaggerate the Dark Horse?
The Mustang range isn’t exactly new, but it’s been redesigned enough to warrant an internal platform code change from S550 to S650.
Ford Mustang Dark Horse
The star of the Dark Horse is the revised 5.0-liter Coyote V8 with 500 hp and 418 lb-ft of torque, which is 20 hp and 3 lb-ft more than the standard GT V8. These aren’t differences you can feel, but showing off is showing off.
The performance improvements are thanks to a different tuning, a dual intake plenum, better intake routing with two grille-mounted air intakes, a standard active exhaust and connecting rods Mustang Shelby GT500. The exhaust grandparents talk loudly on the phone, especially when starting cold.
One noticeable change is the move from the GT’s Getrag to a Tremec 6-speed manual transmission. It is a more robust transmission with a transmission cooler for use on the racetrack, short, positive shift throws and a heavy clutch pedal. For those who don’t #GiveAShiftA 10-speed automatic is available on the Dark Horse and features trim-specific program changes to keep the gears longer.
Dark Horse models feature the same brakes as Mustang GT Performance Pack vehicles. They are 15.4-inch ventilated front brake discs held by 6-piston Brembo calipers and 14.0-inch ventilated rear brake discs with 4-piston calipers. No upgrade is necessary as these brakes repeatedly pull the Mustang down from triple-digit speeds without ever fading or smoking.
Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Further revisions to the Dark Horse from the rest of the GT range come in the name of track performance. These include a slightly faster steering ratio of 15.5:1 (versus 16.0:1), a stiffer steering column for a more direct connection to the road and 50% stiffer rear lower control arm bushings for improved handling.
Dark Horse’s base models feature similar performance equipment to the GT models with the handling package, including 255/35R19 front and 275/30R19 rear Pirelli P Zero PZ4 summer tires, a strut brace, and a Torsen limited-slip rear differential with a gear ratio of 3.73 (with manual transmission, 3.55 with automatic transmission). But the Dark Horse goes even further: 31% stiffer front springs, half an inch wider front and rear wheels and standard magnetic dampers. There are also additional transmission and rear differential coolers, as well as a more effective oil-to-air engine oil cooler mounted in the grille.
Ford Mustang Dark Horse
But Dark Horse buyers can opt for a $4,995 handling package that boosts handling capabilities. Wider 19×10.5 front and 19×11 wheels are mounted on sticky 305/30 front and 315/30 rear Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS tires, which are essentially street-legal race car tires. The only other new car with these new tires is this Pagani utopia. There is also an extension to the front spoiler, a set of side skirts, a new rear diffuser and a Gurney flap on the fixed rear wing.
The easiest way to spot a Dark Horse, especially if it isn’t equipped with the Handling Package, is the dark mascara-like trim under the headlights and the functional hood vent.
Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Inside, the Dark Horse features the same updates as other Mustangs. A large pane of glass rises from the dashboard, concealing a 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster and a 13.2-inch touchscreen. The entire system is reconfigurable and there’s even a retro set of Fox Body digital gauges for fans of the car’s history. The regular seats are fine, but the available Recaros are a must when driving on the track to keep you in place. They are supportive and comfortable while hugging in all the right places.
Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Starting at $60,865, the dark horse isn’t cheap. It costs $4,285 more than a GT model with the performance package, magnetic dampers, and active exhaust, and in that respect it’s worth the price.
But it still has all the disadvantages of other Mustangs. The doors close easily, the back seat is tiny and over the last few generations the car has probably become too big and too heavy.
Is this Mustang finally more than the sum of its parts? Will the Ford Mustang Dark Horse win and be named Motor Authority’s Best Car To Buy 2024, ahead of an American supercar, a German sports coupe, a powerful electric sedan and a Japanese hot hatch? Check back on January 3rd when we’ll announce the winner, along with the champions from our sister sites The Car Connection and Green Car Reports.
