daniel chigunwe
Only a handful of cars have the ability to get the public’s emotions aflutter and when the Ford Mustang is in the mix, well, it’s pretty much top of the pile.
Add a Dark Horse prefix and you know it’s likely to be something special.
We were fortunate enough to be at the global reveal in Detroit last year where Mustang fans from all over America gathered to see what the fuss was about.
Fast forward almost a year and where better to put it to the test than at the home of NASCAR in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Mustang Dark Horse is the first new performance name for the brand since Mustang Bullitt was introduced in 2001.
Apart from the obvious exterior and interior changes, its beating heart is a naturally aspirated 5.0-litre Coyote V8 engine with 373kW and 567Nm of torque making it the most powerful non-Shelby edition ever.
And in a world of politically correct same-same EVs, that’s music to the ears for any true petrolhead.
The Ford Performance crew took the large lump of metal and upgraded a uniquely balanced crankshaft and forged piston connecting rods to handle greater cylinder pressures and piston speeds as well as a sports strengthened camshafts for track-durability needs, including extended operation close to its 7,500rpm redline.
And for good measure they’ve included a dual throttle-body intake design to improve engine breathing clearly seen by the accentuated open nostrils in the front grille.
All of these improvements send power to the rear wheels via a six-speed TREMEC manual transmission that includes a transmission oil cooler. There’s also the option of a 10-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters when you switch it over to the manual option.
Ford South Africa haven’t confirmed yet which version we’ll be getting but here’s hoping the 3D-printed anodised blue titanium shift ball tops the list.
Additional enhancements include brake cooling NACA ducts, an auxiliary engine oil cooler, rear axle cooler and a lightweight radiator with improved and more powerful cooling fans.
Ford describes the Dark Horse as sinister looking and they’re not far off.
It’s unabashed a Mustang, featuring a gloss black grille with trapezoidal nostrils and a unique lower front bumper with high-gloss “fangs”, lower side skirts and at the back a fixed rear wing, diffuser and darkened quad exhaust tips.
There’s no timing yet for local release, and specifications but expect it to be during the course of next year. — IOL Motoring
Bongani Ndlovu