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FORD MUSTANG DARK HORSE LEADS THE 7TH GENERATION'S TRACK FOCUSED LINEUP

Published: 2022-09-15 10:37:16 Last Updated: 2022-09-15 11:47:36

The all-new Ford Mustang, the 7th generation, was just released and the powers that be instantly indicated their intention to see this new Mustang become the top choice for those prospective owners who have that competition motorsport gene. The Mustang Dark Horse is the first Mustang performance series of cars to be created in 21 years, the last nameplate used for this was Bullitt in 2001. This Dark Horse that leads the pack is like the regular Mustang that’s been snacking on performance enhancing drugs for a while, it’s a meatier offering that sees attention paid to all the right bits in all the right places resulting in a street-legal Mustang that will easily double as a weekend track toy, especially when the Handling Package is optioned. Having a new 5.0 V8 that kicks out an even 500 hp (373 kW) helps a lot too, of course.“For decades, Mustang has competed against the most premium brands on the greatest world stages and won,” said Jim Farley, CEO of Ford Motor Company. “We surprised everyone, and we’re going to surprise them again with a track-capable Mustang that puts a new level of performance, styling and American engineering in the hands of everyday customers who still want the thrill and excitement of a V8 sports car.”

The Mustang Dark Horse features improved aerodynamics, upgraded hardware, new software as well as some comprehensive tuning and an optional 6-speed manual transmission. The 5.0-litre Coyote V8 sees fitment of uprated conrods as seen in the Shelby GT500. Changes also include a dual throttle-body intake design. The 6-speed manual is standard with a 10-speed auto available too, but the 3D-printed titanium shift ball on the manual is reason enough to not option the auto. “It’s more than a new name. Dark Horse brings a new design language to Mustang that is refined yet perfectly suited to its dual purpose of street and track performance,” said Joel Piaskowski, global director, Ford Design. “The visual changes, both inside and out, message that Dark Horse has a directed performance focus. The mechanical changes reinforce the purpose of Dark Horse, providing the driver with increased confidence and competence.”

The Mustang Dark Horse has unique chassis tuning featuring larger rear sway bars and heavy-duty front shocks and a new lightweight Ford Performance-designed strut tower brace and K-brace. Massive 19-inch Brembo 6-pot calipers with 13.9-inch discs do duty to reign the car in (see what I did there?). MagneRide® shocks work to optimise performance based on driving surface or driving mode. The cabin is cockpit-inspired and the tech is levelled up in all aspects, the instrument cluster is a 12.4-inch digital affair. There’s also a 13.2-inch SYNC® 4 centre stack. Interior trim, bezels and vents are finished in Black Alley – a dark metallic gloss. When the engine noise is enough, you can crank tunes on a 12-speaker, 1 subwoofer B&O® sound system. We Like.

“This is the first time for Mustang that we’ve ever had a forward-facing horse,” Piaskowski said. “It’s aggressive, a bit sinister and it’s coming from the shadows head-on to win.” The Dark Horse badges visually separate it from other models, these badges are found on the fenders, boot and door sills and a dark, anodised version stays up front. Dark Horse badging is also featured on the instrument panel and digital display screens, and each Dark Horse features an individual chassis number.

There's plenty more to the first Dark Horse, and the accompanying six models will be pure fire. There are plans for a Dark Horse S that will be a stripped out street-legal weekend track toy, and the Dark Horse R will be a track-only racecar for those who are more than enthusiast gentlemen drivers.

Take a look at the YouTube video that showcases the all-new 7th-generation Ford Mustang and the new Dark Horse performance range of track-focused Mustangs: The All-New 2024 Ford Mustang®️: A Wake-Up Call | Ford

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