With 500 horsepower on tap, the Dark Horse is the fastest Mustang ever tested by CAR, but does some extra power and menacing looks make it the pony car of choice?
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Ford Mustang Dark Horse Fast Facts
- Price: R1 500 000
- 0-100 km/h: 4.49 seconds
- Top speed: 267 km/h
- Power: 335 kW
- Torque: 540 N.m
- CAR Fuel Index: 15.36 L/100 km
- CO2: 293 g/km
Hot in the tracks of its regular GT-badged sibling, the Mustang Dark Horse has entered the fray of what can only be described as a dwindling RWD sports coupé segment of the motor industry. And although its natural rivals are slowly disappearing, with Chevrolet discontinuing the Camaro and Dodge’s new Charger available as a full EV or with a turbopetrol V6, Ford has doggedly decided to soldier on with one of its most iconic products. And while still using a naturally aspirated V8, at that!
To differentiate the Dark Horse from its ‘lesser’ GT sibling, Ford has kitted the range-topper with the appropriate go-faster exterior add-ons, such as a larger front splitter incorporating more pronounced air dams up front. Allied with a unique grille and black trim under the headlamps, this set-up helps lend the Dark Horse an altogether more sinister face. Model-specific, multi-spoke 19-inch wheels in dark grey and forward-facing wild horse logo on the front fenders add some purposefulness to the profile, while a raised rear wing sitting on top of the angled boot lid to complete the package.
Finished in one of two new colours added to the Mustang palette, our test model’s Blue Ember paintwork kept the CAR photography team guessing as how best to present it across our platforms Depending on the time of day and position of the sun the colours flip from near black to almost dark blue, then purple and back.
Inside, the Dark Horse separates itself further by way of the Indigo Blue stitching throughout the cabin, as well as suede inserts on the door panels and trim now finished in dark metallic gloss versus the silver trim in the GT. Further model-specific items include a numbered Dark Horse badge in front of the front passenger and unique sill trim.
In its home market of the USA, the trusty 5.0-litre naturally aspirated ‘Coyote’ V8 the in Dark Horse makes a thunderous 372 kW and 567 N.m of torque. Owing to the poor quality of our fuel here in South Africa, Ford opted to detune this engine so as to avoid potential issues. Consequently, we have had to settle for a decidedly modest 6 kW increase in power over the regular GT, resulting in a 334 kW peak, while torque remains unchanged at a still-healthy 540 N.m at 5 100 r/min. Thankfully, the Dark Horse’s fierce, guttural soundtrack aligns neatly with those menacing looks. This model adopts a mildly revised version of the Active Valve Performance Exhaust from the GT, with larger exhaust tips and a model-specific resonator. The exhaust system’s four settings allow you to go from four-cylinder runabout quiet to make the neighbourhood windows rattle within seconds – though cold starts are always a fun way to wake everyone.
Importantly, Ford’s made a few other tweaks to the steering and suspension to make the Mustang Dark Horse wieldier than its GT brother when cornering. There’s a new K brace and strut tower brace, designed by Ford Performance, that the Blue Oval claims allow for even better handling through improved steering feedback. The end result will barely be noticeable to the uninitiated, as the regular Mustang GT is already a massive improvement on its predecessor, but the Dark Horse feels that much more committed to bringing the front end to bear.
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Along with the new heavy-duty front shocks and larger rear sway bars, the MagneRide suspension set-up feels planted, but not as jarring as some might expect from a vehicle with these performance credentials. It’s certainly comfortable enough to make the daily commute a breeze but can tighten up on demand through the modes available at the driver’s left thumb on the steering wheel.
Speaking of those modes, we explored each one in depth with varying degrees of electronic stability control and traction control settings engaged, but without having to use the line lock function to heat up the tyres we managed a 0-100 km/h best of just 4.49 seconds in the Drag Strip setting, with the 10-speed transmission left in full automatic mode. A degree of skill is still required from the driver, though, as the wide 275/40 Pirellis need to spin up slightly before you can let go of the brakes to allow the tyres just enough slip off the line and chirp into the second and third ratios for a full-bore acceleration run.
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An argument can be made that the regular Mustang GT offers just as many thrills to the regular motorist for R200 000 less, and it’s a compelling one. But even though we feel that the Dark Horse could have been oriented more toward outright performance driving, perhaps with the inclusion of the six-speed Tremec manual gearbox offered abroad that features a pukka launch control system, it just matches the sense of occasion we feel a more special version of the Mustang should. Although received a fair amount of attention from pedestrians and fellow motorists during the GT’s test tenure, the rubber-necking from onlookers while piloting the Dark Horse took that to the nth degree. That, along with the Mustang’s newfound dynamic talents, has firmly etched the Dark Horse into our minds as a performance favourite this year.
Find the full feature in the March 2025 issue of CAR Magazine.
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