Ford’s New Benchmark for Performance – the Mighty Mustang Dark Horse
2024-10-22
Source: Quickpic
New Mustang Dark Horse - R 1 500 000
Mustang Dark Horse is the first new Mustang performance series in 21 years, featuring a sinister yet premium exterior and interior styling hinting at the best Mustang performance to date
Unique 5.0-litre V8, Even More Athletic Performance
With sinister looks and a specially modified 5.0-litre V8, the most powerful naturally aspirated Mustang to date – the Mustang Dark Horse – will soon be unleashed in South Africa.
The Mustang Dark Horse is set to follow hot on the heels of the imminent launch of the iconic Mustang GT. As the first new Mustang performance series to be launched in more than two decades, the Dark Horse expands the line-up with an even more thrilling and driver-focused version of one of the world’s most iconic cars and sets a new benchmark for American street and track performance that could only come in a Mustang. The last new performance series introduced for the Mustang was the original Bullitt, launched in 2001 for the fourth-generation model in the US.
Aside from the race-bred and ultra-exclusive Mustang GTD, the Dark Horse is the most capable 5.0-litre V8 street-legal Mustang ever, thanks to improved aerodynamics, upgraded hardware, new software and tuning
Powered by unique 5.0-litre Coyote V8 engine, specially modified with piston connecting rods first introduced in the Mustang Shelby GT500, plus dual throttle-body intake design to produce 334kW of power and 540Nm of torque
A special team of Ford engineers, designers and experts worked for more than three years to create the first-ever Mustang Dark Horse, a street and track-capable performance Mustang with striking visual cues and all the capability sports car lovers expect.
“The seventh-generation Mustang builds on the proud heritage and iconic status of this legendary model over the past 60 years, while the Mustang Dark Horse elevates the performance and driving experience to even greater heights,” says Sunil Sewmohan, executive director, Product Marketing at Ford South Africa.
“The Mustang Dark Horse is an exclusive model that looks mean and purposeful, and delivers the thrill and excitement of a thoroughbred V8 sports car, whether driving it on the road or taking it to the track,” Sewmohan says.
The foundation for Mustang Dark Horse starts with the new seventh-generation Mustang, which has been transformed with a digitally immersive cockpit, a new V8 engine and styling to make it the most exhilarating and fun-to-drive Mustang ever.
“We’ve taken the new Mustang, the best of our new 5.0-litre V8 performance, and added power, improved the aero, tyres, steering and provided an interactive cockpit to create a Mustang that goes beyond any 5.0-litre Mustang before it,” Sewmohan says.
The heart of Mustang Dark Horse is its unique 5.0-litre Coyote V8 engine, specially modified with piston connecting rods first introduced in the 760-horsepower (560kW) Ford Performance Mustang Shelby GT500. Mustang Dark Horse will deliver the highest level of performance in the new Mustang family, developing 334kW of power (6kW more than the Mustang GT) and 540Nm of torque.
Visually differentiated from any 5.0-litre V8 before it, Mustang Dark Horse includes a dual throttle-body intake design to improve engine breathing, accentuated by the open nostrils in the front grille. Mustang Dark Horse comes standard with 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 six piston brakes with 13.9-inch rotors. Steering response and grip are further enhanced with a new lightweight Ford Performance-designed strut tower brace and K-brace for even better handling and feedback.
Mustang Dark Horse features standard MagneRide® shocks capable of monitoring wheel and tyre movement 1 000 times per second, optimising performance based on driving surface and driving mode. It puts the impressive torque down without losing traction through a Torsen® rear differential and standard Pirelli P ZERO™ tyres with staggered sizes (19x9.5-inch front and 19x10-inch rear tyres). Muscular 19-inch Tarnished Dark painted low-gloss aluminium wheels reaffirm the uncompromising performance theme.
The Mustang Dark Horse infuses even more performance style and functionality into the seventh-generation car’s technologically advanced, driver-centric cockpit.
A thicker, flat-bottomed steering wheel wrapped in suede and finished with Bright Indigo Blue accent stitching incorporates anodised silver paddle shifters. A dedicated Drive Mode button is at thumb’s reach, allowing drivers to quickly choose the desired driving setup. This sits in front of a 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster with customisable screens including a variety of drive modes: Normal, Sport, Slippery, Drag, Track plus a customisable setting with up to six individual profiles. Each mode features corresponding high-fidelity graphics in the digital instrument panel.
The digital instrument cluster flows seamlessly into a 13.2-inch SYNC® 4 centre stack behind the same piece of integrated glass, angled towards the driver. Together, these screens create a fully immersive digital experience that emulates a fighter jet cockpit – but in a real-world sports car.
Contrasting blue stitching across the door panels and seats, gear shift gaiter and centre console lift the ambience of the cabin, enhanced further by unique blue seatbelts. Interior trim, bezels and vents are finished in Black Alley – a dark metallic gloss replacing the familiar bright silver shades of the standard Mustang GT. Mustang Dark Horse also comes with the latest B&O® Sound System, providing crisp audio through 12 speakers including a subwoofer.
Mustang Dark Horse carries the most striking visual cues of any new road-going Mustang.
“It’s more than a new name. Dark Horse brings a new design language to Mustang that is refined yet perfectly suited to its dual purpose of street and track performance,” Sewmohan says. “The visual changes, both inside and out, emphasize that Dark Horse has a performance focus. The mechanical changes reinforce the purpose of Dark Horse, providing the driver with increased confidence and competence.”
At the front, a bold, shadow graphic surrounds the darkened LED headlamps, which compliments a unique, gloss black grille with trapezoidal nostrils and Mustang Dark Horse-unique lower front bumper with high gloss ‘fangs.’ Lower side skirts and, to the rear, a fixed rear wing, new race-inspired diffuser and darkened quad exhaust tips demonstrate the car’s track-focused design cues.
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, anodised 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.
“This is the first time for Mustang that we’ve ever had a forward-facing horse,” Sewmohan says. “It’s aggressive, a bit sinister and it’s coming from the shadows head-on to win.”
Unique to Mustang Dark Horse is Blue Ember metallic paint, a cool, dark shade that emits a warm glow when it catches the light, setting the tone for the car’s overall look. A special Appearance Package that is exclusively offered with this colour includes additional blue accents on the seats, a black-painted roof and unique hood graphics, along with dark Notorious Blue Brembo brake calipers with a Grabber Blue logo.
Pricing (includes VAT):
Mustang Dark Horse 5.0L V8 10AT R1 500 000
The recommended Retail Price includes a 6-year/90 000km Ford Optional Service Plan, four-year/120 000km Ford warranty, four-year/unlimited distance Roadside Assistance and five-year/unlimited distance corrosion warranty. The recommended service interval is 15 000km or annually, whichever occurs first. In addition, over the counter parts (OTC) and service parts warranty (SPW) are covered for two years/unlimited distance.
Customers have the option of purchasing Ford Protect Service or Maintenance Plan upgrades up to eight years or 165 000km. The warranty can be extended up to seven years or 200 000km, while the Roadside Assistance can be extended for an additional one or two years.
The Mustang Dark Horse is set to follow hot on the heels of the imminent launch of the iconic Mustang GT. As the first new Mustang performance series to be launched in more than two decades, the Dark Horse expands the line-up with an even more thrilling and driver-focused version of one of the world’s most iconic cars and sets a new benchmark for American street and track performance that could only come in a Mustang. The last new performance series introduced for the Mustang was the original Bullitt, launched in 2001 for the fourth-generation model in the US.
Aside from the race-bred and ultra-exclusive Mustang GTD, the Dark Horse is the most capable 5.0-litre V8 street-legal Mustang ever, thanks to improved aerodynamics, upgraded hardware, new software and tuning
Powered by unique 5.0-litre Coyote V8 engine, specially modified with piston connecting rods first introduced in the Mustang Shelby GT500, plus dual throttle-body intake design to produce 334kW of power and 540Nm of torque
A special team of Ford engineers, designers and experts worked for more than three years to create the first-ever Mustang Dark Horse, a street and track-capable performance Mustang with striking visual cues and all the capability sports car lovers expect.
“The seventh-generation Mustang builds on the proud heritage and iconic status of this legendary model over the past 60 years, while the Mustang Dark Horse elevates the performance and driving experience to even greater heights,” says Sunil Sewmohan, executive director, Product Marketing at Ford South Africa.
“The Mustang Dark Horse is an exclusive model that looks mean and purposeful, and delivers the thrill and excitement of a thoroughbred V8 sports car, whether driving it on the road or taking it to the track,” Sewmohan says.
The foundation for Mustang Dark Horse starts with the new seventh-generation Mustang, which has been transformed with a digitally immersive cockpit, a new V8 engine and styling to make it the most exhilarating and fun-to-drive Mustang ever.
“We’ve taken the new Mustang, the best of our new 5.0-litre V8 performance, and added power, improved the aero, tyres, steering and provided an interactive cockpit to create a Mustang that goes beyond any 5.0-litre Mustang before it,” Sewmohan says.
The heart of Mustang Dark Horse is its unique 5.0-litre Coyote V8 engine, specially modified with piston connecting rods first introduced in the 760-horsepower (560kW) Ford Performance Mustang Shelby GT500. Mustang Dark Horse will deliver the highest level of performance in the new Mustang family, developing 334kW of power (6kW more than the Mustang GT) and 540Nm of torque.
Visually differentiated from any 5.0-litre V8 before it, Mustang Dark Horse includes a dual throttle-body intake design to improve engine breathing, accentuated by the open nostrils in the front grille. Mustang Dark Horse comes standard with 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 six piston brakes with 13.9-inch rotors. Steering response and grip are further enhanced with a new lightweight Ford Performance-designed strut tower brace and K-brace for even better handling and feedback.
Mustang Dark Horse features standard MagneRide® shocks capable of monitoring wheel and tyre movement 1 000 times per second, optimising performance based on driving surface and driving mode. It puts the impressive torque down without losing traction through a Torsen® rear differential and standard Pirelli P ZERO™ tyres with staggered sizes (19x9.5-inch front and 19x10-inch rear tyres). Muscular 19-inch Tarnished Dark painted low-gloss aluminium wheels reaffirm the uncompromising performance theme.
The Mustang Dark Horse infuses even more performance style and functionality into the seventh-generation car’s technologically advanced, driver-centric cockpit.
A thicker, flat-bottomed steering wheel wrapped in suede and finished with Bright Indigo Blue accent stitching incorporates anodised silver paddle shifters. A dedicated Drive Mode button is at thumb’s reach, allowing drivers to quickly choose the desired driving setup. This sits in front of a 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster with customisable screens including a variety of drive modes: Normal, Sport, Slippery, Drag, Track plus a customisable setting with up to six individual profiles. Each mode features corresponding high-fidelity graphics in the digital instrument panel.
The digital instrument cluster flows seamlessly into a 13.2-inch SYNC® 4 centre stack behind the same piece of integrated glass, angled towards the driver. Together, these screens create a fully immersive digital experience that emulates a fighter jet cockpit – but in a real-world sports car.
Contrasting blue stitching across the door panels and seats, gear shift gaiter and centre console lift the ambience of the cabin, enhanced further by unique blue seatbelts. Interior trim, bezels and vents are finished in Black Alley – a dark metallic gloss replacing the familiar bright silver shades of the standard Mustang GT. Mustang Dark Horse also comes with the latest B&O® Sound System, providing crisp audio through 12 speakers including a subwoofer.
Mustang Dark Horse carries the most striking visual cues of any new road-going Mustang.
“It’s more than a new name. Dark Horse brings a new design language to Mustang that is refined yet perfectly suited to its dual purpose of street and track performance,” Sewmohan says. “The visual changes, both inside and out, emphasize that Dark Horse has a performance focus. The mechanical changes reinforce the purpose of Dark Horse, providing the driver with increased confidence and competence.”
At the front, a bold, shadow graphic surrounds the darkened LED headlamps, which compliments a unique, gloss black grille with trapezoidal nostrils and Mustang Dark Horse-unique lower front bumper with high gloss ‘fangs.’ Lower side skirts and, to the rear, a fixed rear wing, new race-inspired diffuser and darkened quad exhaust tips demonstrate the car’s track-focused design cues.
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, anodised 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.
“This is the first time for Mustang that we’ve ever had a forward-facing horse,” Sewmohan says. “It’s aggressive, a bit sinister and it’s coming from the shadows head-on to win.”
Unique to Mustang Dark Horse is Blue Ember metallic paint, a cool, dark shade that emits a warm glow when it catches the light, setting the tone for the car’s overall look. A special Appearance Package that is exclusively offered with this colour includes additional blue accents on the seats, a black-painted roof and unique hood graphics, along with dark Notorious Blue Brembo brake calipers with a Grabber Blue logo.
Pricing (includes VAT):
Mustang Dark Horse 5.0L V8 10AT R1 500 000
The recommended Retail Price includes a 6-year/90 000km Ford Optional Service Plan, four-year/120 000km Ford warranty, four-year/unlimited distance Roadside Assistance and five-year/unlimited distance corrosion warranty. The recommended service interval is 15 000km or annually, whichever occurs first. In addition, over the counter parts (OTC) and service parts warranty (SPW) are covered for two years/unlimited distance.
Customers have the option of purchasing Ford Protect Service or Maintenance Plan upgrades up to eight years or 165 000km. The warranty can be extended up to seven years or 200 000km, while the Roadside Assistance can be extended for an additional one or two years.
Ford’s New Benchmark for Performance – the Mighty Mustang Dark Horse
The warranty can be extended up to seven years or 200 000km
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