San Juan, Puerto Rico, February 13, 2024 – With sinister looks and the most powerful Coyote 5.0-liter V8 ever, delivering up to 500 horsepower and 418 lb-ft of torque1, Mustang Dark Horse expands the iconic brand lineup and sets a new benchmark for street and track performance that could only come in a Mustang.
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 Mustang with striking visual cues and all the capability sports car lovers expect. Mustang Dark Horse is the first new performance name for the brand since Mustang Bullitt was introduced in 2001.
The foundation for Mustang 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 and fun-to-drive Mustang ever.
Powered by Ford Performance know-how, the Coyote engine was upgraded even further to produce 500 horsepower, delivering its most powerful naturally aspirated V8 yet. These upgrades include a uniquely balanced crankshaft and forged piston connecting rods – the latter first introduced in the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – to handle higher cylinder pressures and piston speeds. Mustang Dark Horse also sports strengthened camshafts for track-durability needs, including extended operation closer to its 7,500-rpm redline.
Mustang Dark Horse comes standard with a unique six-speed TREMEC manual transmission that connects to the driver through a standard 3D-printed titanium shift ball. The manual also includes a special Mustang Dark Horse transmission oil cooler. Drivers also have the option to choose Ford’s advanced 10-speed automatic transmission with sport paddle shifters for fast and precise shifting – from the highway to the race circuit.
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.
The Mustang Dark Horse provides unique chassis tuning, larger rear sway bars and heavy-duty front shocks. Stopping is courtesy of 19-inch Brembo front 6 piston brakes with 13.9-inch rotors. Mustang Dark Horse puts the torque down without losing traction through a Torsen® rear differential and standard Pirelli P ZERO™ (PZ4) tires with staggered fitting wheels (19-inch-by-9.5-inch front and 19-inch-by-10-inch rear wheels).
Mustang Dark Horse offers standard MagneRide® shocks capable of monitoring wheel and tire movement 1,000 times per second, optimizing performance based on driving surface or driving mode.
Sophisticated and Sinister Functional Styling
New Mustang Dark Horse badges were designed for this performance version of Mustang to visually separate it from other models. The badges are placed on the fenders, trunk and door sills, while a dark, anodized version of the famous pony stays on the front. Inside, unique Mustang Dark Horse badging is featured on the instrument panel and digital display screens, and each car features an individual chassis number.
The heart of the Mustang Dark Horse interior is its all-new anodized blue, lightweight titanium manual shift knob. The lightweight six-speed knob is hollow and does not get as hot to the touch as similar aluminum knobs. For customers who chose the 10-speed SelectShift® automatic transmission, anodized silver paddle shifters provide almost-instantaneous gear shifts with the tactile feeling of metal.
Mustang Dark Horse features a flat-bottomed steering wheel uniquely wrapped in performance suede for added grip, while contrasting Bright Indigo Blue stitching adds detail across the instrument and door panels, seats, gear shift boot and center console trim and lid. The sport-contoured steering wheel enhances the digital experience with buttons that control vehicle functions like drive mode selection, the instrument cluster and 13.2-inch SYNC® 4 center stack, which is elegantly angled toward the driver behind a single piece of integrated glass. 
1Horsepower and torque ratings based on premium fuel per SAE J1349® standard. Your results may vary. Horsepower and torque are independent attributes and may not be achieved simultaneously.
