Ford (Ford) released the 7th generation Mustang series, it used the Dark Horse "dark Horse" series to announce to the outside world the determination to participate in major events. At that time, the Mustang Dark Horse S and Mustang Dark Horse R were announced first. Less than a month later, Ford chose another Mustang GT car unveiled at the "Bathurst 1000" endurance race in Australia. It has a competitive appearance and interior design similar to the previously launched racing series models. Although ordinary people cannot buy Mustang racing cars, if you want to experience the "race gene" of the new generation Mustang, you can still consider the Dark Horse model.
New Mustang will participate in major competitions
Ford launched Mustang Dark Horse, and also stated that there will be Mustang Dark Horse S and Mustang Dark Horse R. The former can be regarded as Mustang Dark The streamlined version of Horse mainly removes the non-essential comfort equipment in the car first, and installs FIA certified anti-roll cage, special racing chair (single or double seats), racing steering wheel, quick fire extinguishing system and power outage system, etc. There are even quick disassembly hoods, adjustable tail wings, enhanced exhaust systems, front and rear trailer hooks, etc. The chassis is replaced with Multimatic DSSV shock absorbers and enhanced brakes. The whole vehicle is basically in the racing level.
As for Mustang Dark Horse R, it is based on the S setting, and the fuel cell and Ford Performance Parts wheels are added to the body welding strength and the range. They can be said to be the strongest Mustang born for the competition. Ford also previews that six Mustang racing cars will participate in major events such as GT3, GT4, NASCAR and NHRA Factory X from next year, including the Mustang GT3 IMSA for teams participating in the 2024 Daytona 24 Hours of Daytona. The car is expected to be redesigned to a 5.4-liter V8 engine, and performance data has not been announced.
The new Mustang GT racing car is jointly created by Ford Performance Motorsports and Dick Johnson teams. It is mainly to participate in the "Bathurst 1000" endurance race in Australia. Therefore, the large tail wing, aerial force and wide body kit in appearance are all designed for the track. In addition, the lightweight body and competitive suspension are left, and only the necessary single-seat racing chairs, instruments, steering wheel, anti-roll cage, fire extinguishers and several necessary function keys are left in the car. The power unit will be equipped with a Coyote V8 engine, and the maximum horsepower of exceeds 600 horses.
New Mustang will have cars born for various racing standards. In addition to this Dick Johnson team, there are also teams such as Tickford, Grove and Blanchard that will use the new Mustang racing. Ford uses competitions to showcase Mustang's performance and also predicts that local consumers can buy the commercial version of Mustang by the end of 2023.
Experience Mustang track genes: Dark Horse series
Ford demonstrates the strength of new cars through various Mustang racing cars. In order to satisfy the general public's passionate desire for American muscle car , the Dark Horse series came naturally! Speaking of the performance of the Ford Mustang Mustang, a classic American muscle car, many people may immediately think of the Mustang Shelby GT500 launched by Ford and Shelby, but if we want to mention the performance series developed by Ford for Mustang, there was actually Mustang Bullitt in the past. Now, with the 7th generation of Mustangs coming on stage, Ford has been replaced by the name of Dark Horse.
Performance and control upgrade
Although some people may think: Doesn’t the Mustang already have a commercially available GT model equipped with a 5.0-liter V8 engine? However, the Mustang Dark Horse will be better in performance and handling than the Mustang GT commercially available cars. If the Shelby GT500 is not included in the comparison, the Mustang Dark Horse will be the strongest track-strength and legally able to go on the road in history. In terms of power units, although the Mustang Dark Horse is still equipped with a 5.0-liter V8 engine, the piston connecting rod is derived from the technology of Shelby GT500. At the same time, the throttle , engine and rear axle cooling system have been designed, and the vehicle's intake and cooling efficiency is better. Although performance data has not been released yet, it should be no problem to see 500 horsepower above.
Mustang Dark Horse is equipped with a Tremec 6-speed manual transmission and a special transmission oil cooler to improve the cooling effect of the oil and avoid affecting the transmission efficiency. Consumers can also choose a 10-speed manual transmission. With the power unit upgrade, Ford then strengthened the handling performance for the Mustang Dark Horse and equipped it with a MagneRide shock absorber, which can monitor the movement of wheels 1,000 times per second. The chassis uses a larger anti-roll bar. The entire suspension system structure is designed differently from the general version, and the dynamic feedback effect is better.
bead group and brake system part, Ford comes with a 19-inch aluminum rim (front 19×9.5J, rear 19x10J) and Pirelli P Zero (PZ4) performance tires, and also has a Torsen limited-slip differential. The front wheel brake is introduced into the Brembo 6 piston caliper settings.
If you want to have more powerful control, the original factory provides optional front 19×10.5J and rear 19x11J wheel frames with Pirelli Trofeo performance tires, harder spring groups, thicker front and rear anti-roll bars, large tail wings with stronger downforce, etc. There are also carbon fiber wheel frames from Carbon Revolution. The original manufacturer emphasizes that the carbon fiber wheel frames are the first Mustang models to be worn by Shelby GT350 and GT500.
appearance styling
Mustang Dark Horse uses special blue metal paint in appearance, there is also exclusive patchwork on the hood, dark LED headlights are surrounded by eye-catching shadow graphics, trapezoidal air intake grille gives a unique gloss black grille, and front air dam has a grille design similar to "sharp teeth". There are also blue caliper paintings, side skirts, fixed rear wings at the rear, new rear diverters and dark four-out exhaust tailpipes, etc. There is another highlight of the appearance of
, which is that an exclusive "horse head" badge is designed on the front fender and the center of the tailgate to highlight the identity of the model different from the general version of Mustang. It is like Shelby has a "snake logo", but the front of the car is still a classic Mustang badge.
interior design
As for interior layout, Mustang Dark Horse, like the general version, adopts a digital cockpit design, but the steering wheel is wrapped in suede and decorated with blue stitching. If it is an automatic model, there will be silver shift paddles , and the hand-mounted model has a titanium alloy gear head. The 12.4-inch LCD instrument, the 13.2-inch SYNC 4 central touch screen and the B&O audio system (including 12 speakers) are all standard. The door panels, seats and gear covers have blue stitching, and the blue seat belt echoes the color of the car. If you choose the Appearance Pack, you use a unique dark indigo blue seat, exuding a stronger fighting atmosphere. As for some interior panels, bezels or air-conditioning ports, they have been replaced with dark metal colors different from the general version of bright silver, and even a unique "horse head" badge is printed on the dashboard.
