The 500-hp Mustang Dark Horse improves on the Mustang GT, and may inspire NASCAR fantasies.
Driving with the throttle pinned on the 24-degree banking of Charlotte Motor Speedway with a nasty V-8 firing away under the hood and the stadium seats molded in different colors to simulate a crowd, I feel like Jeff Gordon in NASCAR’s Coca Cola 600. Maybe road race-specialist Boris Said is a better analogy, as I’m about to take the 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse on a romp around the track’s infield course.
The fourth-generation Coyote 5.0-liter V-8 making all that racket gets the same upgrades as the version in the Mustang GT. It now sports a dual air intake that feeds dual throttle bodies, and port injection joins direct injection. I’m accessing the power through a Tremec 6-speed manual transmission that replaces the GT model’s Getrag unit. Both have downshift rev matching, positive shift points with short throws, and slightly weighty clutch pedals with predictable take-up points. However, the Tremec is more robust, makes room for the additional trans cooler, and is thus better for the track driving Dark Horse buyers are more likely to do.
All new S650-generation Mustangs come with minor chassis tweaks to further refine the already sporty driving dynamics of the S550. Like other Mustangs, the Dark Horse uses a stiffer under-dash K-brace, a quicker 15.5:1 steering ratio , a stiffer steering column for a more direct connection to the road, and 50% stiffer rear lower control arm bushings to improve handling.
For purposes of this track day, Ford has given these test cars a track alignment. Instead of the standard -1.0 degree front and -1.5 degree rear camber, the Handling Package cars have -2.25 degrees of front camber and the base Dark Horses have -1.75 degrees of front camber.2024 Mustang GT Before each run, I hit the MyMustang button below the large 13.2-inch center touchscreen and choose the auxiliary gauge screen from the performance menu. It monitors g-forces forward, rearward, left, and right, and has gauges for oil temperature and rear differential temperature. The Trofeo RSs can handle more than 1.3 gs laterally and more than 1.4 gs during braking .
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