Yahoo Autos Take a Closer Look at the 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
The 2024 Dark Horse is one hell of a Mustang, packing 500 hp, 418 lb-ft of torque, a 6-speed manual transmission, MagneRide suspension and more. It’s not quite a Shelby, but damn if it isn’t close. Ford trotted it out for all to see at this week’s Chicago Auto Show.
This is the first time we’ve had a chance to really poke around the new Dark Horse in person, and while the overall package is pretty straightforward, there are a few super cool details you’d likely miss unless you come a little bit closer: Carbon fiber wheels, a head-on Mustang logo and funny-looking nostrils are only some of the Dark Horse’s finer points. Come along and have a look.
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2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse: HP and Torque
The Dark Horse is the top dog — err, pony — of the 2024 Mustang lineup, producing 500 horsepower and 418 pound-feet of torque.
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse: Track-Only Models
While the Dark Horse itself is street legal, it forms the basis for two new track-only Mustangs, the Dark Horse S and Dark Horse R.
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse: Design Touches
There’s a Dark Horse Appearance Package that includes vinyl decals that draw your attention to the hood’s raised center. You know, the power bulge.
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse: Heads Or Tails?
These three-section LED headlights are super cool, and kind of mimic the three-part LED taillights around back.
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse: Metallic Paint Finish
Ford’s auto show stand lighting totally sucks, so it doesn’t do this color justice. It’s called Blue Ember Metallic. Depending on how the light hits it, it either looks gray or purple or black or even a little brown. Also, note to automakers: Color-changing lights on auto show stands are bad. Don’t do that.
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse: Unique Badging
A special car deserves a special badge, though as a friend pointed out, the Dark Horse logo kind of looks like the one used by the Henderson Silver Knights hockey team in Nevada.
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse: All the Aero
The gloss black ‘fangs’ are a weird design touch, but the pronounced front splitter is all about improving aerodynamic downforce.
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse: Even More Aero
Speaking of which, this fixed rear spoiler has an integrated Gurney flap and should help keep the Dark Horse’s back end planted at speed.
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse: Performance Rubber
This thing has some seriously meaty Pirelli P-Zero Trofeo RS summer tires. Those are 305-section tires up front. The rears, meanwhile, are 315s.
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse: Carbon Fiber Wheels
Carbon fiber wheels! That’s right, Ford is finally offering these awesome rollers from Carbon Revolution on a non-Shelby Mustang. They each weigh 20.1 pounds, which Ford says is 37 percent lighter than comparable aluminum wheels. Be sure to peep the blue Brembo brakes, too.
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse: Interior
The 2024 Mustang’s interior gets a huge update, with Sync 4 infotainment technology, a new steering wheel and a leather-wrapped “drift brake” — an old-school e-brake handle that operates the electronic parking brake — that’ll make whipping shitties in the grocery store parking lot a cinch.
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse: Six-Speed Stick, What Else?
A six-speed manual transmission is standard, and comes with this awesome 3D-printed titanium shift knob. Real metal shifters are great, and hey, this one won’t burn your hand on a hot day like an aluminum shift knob.
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse: Driver’s Display
The Dark Horse has the same curved digital display as other Mustangs. As you can see here, one of the configurations for the digital instrument panel mimics the dashboard design of the legendary Fox-body Mustang.
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse: A Nod to the Fox Body
The Fox Body theme is extremely cool.
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse: Recaro Bucket Seats
What’s an extra-racy Mustang without a set of Recaro sport seats? You can even get them with blue inserts if that’s your jam.
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse: Carbon Everything, Almost
It’s not actual carbon fiber, but the interior trim uses a carbon-fiber-style grain pattern. It looks neat, too.
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse: Friendly Reminder
You know, just in case you forget.
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse: More Badges and Decals
Get one of the optional decal packs and the graphics carry over to the rear decklid.
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse: To Tell Stablemates Apart
The trapezoidal nostril look isn’t for everyone, but it certainly separates the Dark Horse from lesser ‘Stangs.
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse: Naturally Aspirated V8
A Mustang is only as good as what’s under the hood, and Ford’s 5.0-liter V8 is one of the best naturally aspirated high-performance engines around.
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