The new Ford Mustang Dark Horse has gone on sale in South Africa. Priced at R1.5m, it’s slightly more powerful and rowdier than the standard GT model that debuted here a few weeks ago for R1.3m.
The new performance moniker brings more menacing styling comprising a wilder front bumper treatment with darkened surrounds for the tri-bar LED headlights, lower side skirts, a fixed rear wing, larger rear diffuser and a darkened and larger quartet of exhaust tips.
New front-facing Mustang Dark Horse badges are exclusive to the model and can be found on the fenders, boot and door sills while a dark, anodised version of the pony mascot adorns the grille. A Blue Ember paint colour is available to the model when equipped with the Appearance Pack, a no-cost option.
A black-painted roof, bonnet graphics and blue Brembo brake calipers are part of the Appearance Pack but the Dark Horse is also available in Race Red, Oxford White, metallic Atlas Blue, Carbonised Grey and Dark Matter Grey.
Inside the larger quarters of the seventh-generation Mustang, with a new configuration of digital menus, is a host of standard amenities, including a flat-bottomed steering wheel, Indigo Blue accent stitching on the door panels and vinyl and suede-clad, electric, heated and cooled seats with blue accents.
A customisable 12.4" digital instrument cluster forms a floating display with a 13.2" infotainment screen angled towards the driver. Wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and charger are fitted, with USB-A and USB-C ports. A B&O 12-speaker sound system including a subwoofer is standard.
The in-your-face aggression is complemented by a 5l Coyote V8 normally aspirated engine that an owner can rev from outside using the key. Model-specific modifications are piston connecting rods from the Mustang Shelby GT500, dual throttle-body intake design for improved engine breathing and brake cooling through Naca ducts. An auxiliary engine oil cooler, a rear axle cooler, lighter-weight radiator and more powerful cooling fans add to the arsenal.
Peak power is 334kW, 6kW more than the regular Mustang GT, and an unchanged 540Nm of torque. It’s mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission and there is no manual on offer. It’s good for a claimed 4.4 seconds from 0-100km/h, though the Dark Horse’s extra brutishness is more about sportier handling than outright speed, though the quoted 264km/h is not too shabby.
The Mustang Dark Horse gains larger rear sway bars, heavy-duty front shocks and a new lightweight Ford Performance-designed strut tower and K-braces. The standard fitment MagneRide shocks optimise performance based on the six driving modes of Normal, Sport, Slippery, Drag, Track plus and a customisable setting with up to six individual profiles.
A Torsen rear differential and standard-fitment Pirelli P Zero tyres with staggered sizes of 255/40 R19 in front and 275/40 R19 tyres at the rear are fitted. The Dark Horse also benefits from an electronic parking brake with the functionality and visual appeal of a traditional mechanical handbrake.
Safety items include adaptive cruise control, lane centring assist, evasive steer assist, pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, reverse brake assist, speed sign recognition, ABS with electronic brake assist, ESP, traction control and active pothole mitigation. A total of seven airbags are also fitted.
With such an extensive programme to beef up its prowess, does the new Mustang Dark Horse live up to expectations? Our first drive out in Lesotho on some of that country’s twisty roads revealed a car with a gorgeous shape that’s wonderfully balanced for relaxed, real-world speeds and sporting action when conditions allow.
The Dark Horse’s newfound tactility of being a driver’s car is evidenced through its willingness to find apexes. Hairpin bends and flowing curves posed no issues for the car, nor does the 1,837kg weight impede handling. If there are complaints I’d point out the transmission, which doesn’t have the cracking shifts it needs to complete the intoxicating performance.
When a coupé looks, sounds and drives this good with fun items such as remote rev, many would part with the R1.5m it commands in a heartbeat. The initial 50 units of the new Ford Mustang Dark Horse are spoken for but it’s not a limited edition model. More stock is expected in 2025.
It is sold with an optional six-year/90,000km service plan, optionally extendable to an eight years/165,000km maintenance plan. The factory warranty is four-year/120,000km with the option to upgrade to seven years/ 200,000km.
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