There's a lot of talk among American muscle car enthusiasts about the upcoming 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse. We get a glimpse of it in the real-world example in Oxford White thanks to the video posted by StangMode on YouTube. As if to spite Mustang lovers, the car is behind a somewhat menacing fence, meaning no closer look for us.
Despite this, we get a very clear picture of what the Ford Motor Company is cooking for the release of the Dark Horse, presumably in the summer of 2023. Many will flock to the dealerships to sign up for the car, including the creator of the video, seeing that 2023 will mark the end of the Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger, at least in their current iterations.
Updated March 2023: With the recent announcement of pricing and specifications for the 2024 Ford Mustang (including the Dark Horse), we've updated this article to include new information that was not available at the time of publishing this article. Read on to find out more about the 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse.
What Does The 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse Look Like?
The eagle-eyed viewer will notice that the 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse takes cues from a few different Mustangs. However, the closest comparison in the current Mustang lineup would be to the Mach 1. Since the Mach 1 and Dark Horse both share the Tremec 6-speed manual gearbox and an upgraded Coyote 5.0-liter V8, it is easy to see the similarities.
Regarding the Dark Horse we see here, it may be the Oxford White color or the dreary day the car made its appearance in the wild but it is clear to see that the designers over at Ford went for a cleaner, simplified look with most of the body panels. While you may even find more aggressive and stylized curves on the stock version, it's clear that the Dark Horse means business.
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse Power
Envisioned to be an extremely race-driven consumer car, the 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse will still borrow components from the other muscle cars in the company's lineup. The anticipated vehicle will come with the Coyote 5.0 liter V8 engine with a confirmed 500 hp to propel it along.
Great performance and reliability will come from the naturally aspirated engine seeing that it has dual throttle bodies fed by efficiently mounted air intakes, along with some of the best-made connecting rods Ford has to send the power down the line until it reaches the asphalt and tingles the spine.
The application of the power is a choice between a Tremec six-speed manual or 10-speed automatic, powering each of the rear wheels as needed by means of a Torsen limited-slip diff. As we get closer to its release, we should start seeing more examples in different colors out in the wild.
What Is The 2024 Mustang Dark Horse?
Based on the 7th Generation or S650 Ford Mustang, the Dark Horse edition is the top-of-the-line model in the 2024 Mustang lineup. The Dark Horse Mustang packs a gen-4 Coyote 5.0-liter V8 with an incredible 500 hp and uses a standard Tremec 6-speed manual transmission with Rev Match or an optional 10-speed automatic.
With the Mustang EcoBoost and GT trims carrying over from the 2023 model lineup, the Dark Horse Mustang is effectively replacing the Mach 1. There is no word yet on a higher Mustang model in the lineup like a Shelby GT350 or GT500.
How Much Will The 2024 Dark Horse Mustang Cost?
According to Ford, the 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse Fastback has a starting MSRP of $57,970, making it slightly more expensive than the 2024 Mach 1 at $56,570. If that's too rich for your blood, you can still get your 5.0-liter V8 fix in the base Mustang GT at $41,495. However, the standard GT makes slightly less power at 480 hp.
Source: Ford