Amid building anticipation for the new 2024 S650-generation Mustang, which Ford has already confirmed will receive a new Dark Horse variant that includes two hardcore track-only trims, Shelby American now looks ready to jump into the mix. HotCars has hunted down an exclusive spy shot of a heavily camouflaged Mustang, clearly a 2024 model year but decked out in a dizzying spray of dots to conceal most details, loading up and headed from Shelby American headquarters in Las Vegas to the track at Spring Mountain Motor Resort for track testing. Details remain scarce but if the fanatical Ford rumor mill is to be believed, this will not be a new Super Snake but more likely some new Mustang variant from the house that Carroll Shelby built.

A Possible Shelby Dark Horse Variant

Ford Mustang Dark Horse Rendering
Ford 

The new Dark Horse nameplate from Ford Performance already set the muscle car community abuzz after the original photos of the confirmed 2024 base and GT Mustangs left some fans divided, with some enthused by the futuristic, angular design and others a bit disappointed at the obvious similarities to Chevrolet's Camaro. Then, the Dark Horse from Ford Performance doubled down on the lower-spec cars with fun features like a flat-bottom steering wheel, a lightweight shift knob, and even a dedicated handbrake for drifting (on top of the color-shifting Blue Ember paint and 5.0-liter Coyote V8, of course).

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A Closer Look At The Camoflaged Shelby

Leaked Shelby 2024 Ford Mustang Camoflaged
via Michael Van Runkle / HotCars

The speckled Shelby caught on camera makes a few bits of speculation possible. The wheels look like Shelby units, probably 20 inchers, and come shod in Pirelli tires—at least for this day of testing. Quad exhaust tips at the rear must measure at least four inches in diameter, not something anybody would ever install on an EcoBoost model. And of course, Shelby would presumably build a new variant based on the 5.0-liter Coyote at the very minimum. Then the side skirt suggests some level of aerodynamic optimization, though the surprising lack of a massive rear wing or spoiler suggests that this Shelby will not be limited to track days only, unlike the Dark Horse S or R. And even the road-going Dark Horse sports a substantial, if not excessive, rear wing.

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The Latest From Shelby

Black Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Code Red
Via: Shelby

Last time a big leak from Shelby hit the web, the resulting Code Red Package dropped a set of twin turbos onto the Mustang platform to produce up to 1,300 horsepower, though that car never looked ready for anything near road legality. So if it's not a new Super Snake and not some track-only toy, what are we looking at here? Well, Shelby declined to confirm any concrete details other than to admit that testing of a new vehicle was underway at Spring Mountain with chief test driver Vince LaViolette. Whether more info emerges anytime soon remains a mystery, as well, though perhaps some fanatical Ford sleuths can pull together the full story based on the little solid intel available now.

Sources: media.ford.com and shelby.com.