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Dec 09, 2023

With sinister looks and a specially modified 5,0-litre V8 engine, the Ford Mustang Dark Horse expands the lineup and sets a new benchmark for street and track performance that is synonymous with high-performance derivates of the American coupe.

A special team of Ford engineers, designers and experts worked for more than three years to create Mustang Dark Horse, a street and track-capable performance vehicle with striking visual cues and all the capability sports car lovers expect, right down to the available carbon fibre wheels from Carbon Revolution. Mustang Dark Horse is the first new performance name for the brand since Mustang Bullitt was introduced in 2001.

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To amplify the exclusive Dark Horse's sinister style, the Mustang features a Blue Ember metallic paint, a shade that features special effect pigments of deep blues infused with a warm amber hue to give this exterior paint a highly dramatic colour shift in different lights and angles. Premium-painted stripe graphics are the Mustang team's expression of the ultimate Dark Horse, the painted stripes carry the gloss black finish from the centre of the grille through the hood extractor, over the roof and to the rear spoiler. Tarnished Dark elements frame the centre black stripe, adding to the visual aggression of the Dark Horse. The graphics are painted by hand, in a specialized process, different from any other Mustang trim level.

The foundation of the Dark Horse starts with the all-new 2024 Mustang, which has been transformed with a digitally immersive cockpit, new engines and styling to make it the most exhilarating Mustang ever. "We’ve taken the all-new Mustang, the best of our new 5,0-litre V8 performance and added power, improved the aero, tyres, and steering and provided an interactive cockpit to create a Mustang that goes beyond any 5,0-litre Mustang before it," said Ed Krenz, Ford Mustang chief nameplate engineer.

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At the heart of the Ford Mustang Dark Horse is a unique 5,0-litre Coyote V8 engine, specially modified with piston connecting rods first introduced in the Shelby GT500. This new addition now delivers the highest level of performance in the all-new Mustang family, producing 373 kW of power paired with a unique six-speed TREMEC manual transmission, sending power to all four wheels. There is also an option for an advanced 10-speed automatic transmission with sport paddle shifters for fast and precise shifting.

Related: The Ford Mustang Dark Horse is a track-ready manual transmissioned V8

Additional powertrain enhancements were made for performance at the track. Mustang Dark Horse includes brake cooling NACA ducts, an auxiliary engine oil cooler, a rear axle cooler and a unique and lighter-weight radiator with improved cooling capability and more powerful cooling fans to improve endurance and recovery.

Blue is the theme for the Dark Horse's interior styling. While the main colour of the interior is largely black, Ford uses blue accents throughout to differentiate it from other Mustang models. The flat-bottom steering wheel has Bright Indigo Blue stitching. That same blue stitching is found on the instrument panel, door panel, seats, gear shift boot and centre console. The shift knob for the six-speed manual transmission is a unique titanium knob in anodized blue.

Ford has not said anything about how much the new model will cost, but they did confirm that it will go on sale in the U.S. around June or July and it will be assembled at Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Flat Rock Michigan.