Unleashing the thrill: experience the V8 Ford Mustang Dark Horse's performance and design

IOL News

07-07-2025

The Ford Mustang Dark horse has a naturally aspirated 5.0-litre Coyote V8 engine pushing out 334kW and 540Nm.
Image: Supplied
There's something deeply satisfying about starting up a naturally aspirated V8 petrol-fueled engine.
It's even more so when it's slotted under the long bonnet of a Ford Mustang Dark Horse, which sounds grumpy even when in quiet mode.
I've had my fair share of exposure to the iconic American Pony Car over the years, including a first drive of the Dark Horse at the Charlotte Speedway in America, which is considered the home of Nascar.
It's difficult to describe the feeling of climbing up the embankment of the famous oval with the side of the big sportscar only a foot or two away from the wall.
It's both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time but without a doubt one of the highlights of my career.
Ford Performance
I also love the fact that Ford has thrown its full weight behind almost every aspect of motor racing that includes WRC, Nascar, Le Mans, Pikes Peak hillclimb in an electric Mustang and will be the engine supplier for the Red Bull Racing F1 team next year.
I mean, when Ford CEO Jim Farley races in the inaugural Mustang Challenge Le Mans Invitational, you know it's more than just lip service.
That's what you get with a boss who has racing fuel in his veins and understands what exciting cars are about.
It's the same for Toyota with their range of GR products.
Their Chairman, Akio Toyoda, actually races the products which explains a lot.
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The Ford Mustang Dark Horse is out and out a Pony Car.
Image: Supplied
V8 engine
Which brings us back to the track-focused Mustang Dark horse in all its thunderous glory with its 5.0-litre Coyote V8 engine with dual throttle body intake design that's been modified with piston connecting rods pushing out 334kW and 540Nm.
Power is sent to the rear wheels via Ford's software-updated 10-speed automatic transmission with a Torsen rear differential and a manual option to switch gears via paddle shifters.
The tyres are staggered with Pirelli P Zero high-performance 255/40 R19 tyres in front and 275/40 R19 at the rear to cope with the power.
Exterior
With the Dark Horse being a track focussed car they've fitted it with a set of brake cooling ducts to keep the 390mm Brembo brakes (the rear discs are also ventilated) with six-piston calipers cool, an auxiliary engine oil cooler, a rear axle cooler, a lightweight radiator with improved cooling and more powerful cooling fans.
Giving it a more menacing appearance, it has a unique grille and black trim under the headlights, a forward-facing wild horse badge on the front bumpers, with a raised rear wing on the boot.
There's no cookie-cutter, same-same design here, this is out and out a Mustang Pony Car and not even the most casual observer would mistake it for anything else.
Even after 60 years of production, it still turns heads wherever it goes and it received an enthusiastic thumbs up and broad smiles across all genders, colours and ages.
Interior
The interior has also been updated to the 21st century.
It has a thicker flat-bottomed suede-wrapped steering wheel with Bright Indigo Blue accent stitching with all the usual buttons and switches, including an easy-to-reach drive mode button.
The 12.4-inch instrument cluster is fully digital allowing you to customise it to your preferred setting including historic Mustang clusters and a track set-up, flowing into a 13.2-inch SYNC 4 touchscreen infotainment system angled towards the driver.
There's contrasting blue stitching across the door panels and seats, gear shift gaiter and centre console and the interior trim, bezels and vents have dark metallic gloss.
Sliding behind the wheel of the low-slung Dark Horse and feeling the vibrations of the V8 through the seats provides an air of anticipation.
The 12.4-inch instrument cluster is fully digital allowing you to customise it to your preferred setting including historic Mustang clusters and a track set-up.
Image: Supplied
Dynamic driving
A loud cold start-up slows down to a rumble as you ease the long nose forward.
Talking of that, it's not easy to gauge your distance when manoeuvring into tight spaces, and front park distance control would have been a welcome addition.
With its distinctive soundtrack, previous Mustangs have always been fun to drive albeit rather vague with its steering and its innate ability to either understeer or oversteer when pushed hard.
It's not the case with the Dark Horse, it is, I suppose, a horse of a different colour.
The steering is sharp and precise and hard cornering can be done with confidence.
At 1 837kg and 4 799cm long, it's impressive what the engineers have done to combine chassis, suspension, sway bars and steering into something resembling a racing car.
It's still a handful, though with the rear wheels propelling you forward and at high speeds, you need to have your wits about you, especially with strong cross winds.
Left in automatic, the gearbox provides smooth changes although there's no hard thumping your body into the seat through the first three gears as perhaps you would expect.
Still, it's no slouch with our colleagues at Car Magazine recording a 0-100km/h time of 4.49 seconds.
Using the paddles, the Dark Horse provides a more engaging drive when heading towards the red line, allowing you to shift up and down with the exhaust providing extra blips and bangs.
Dial it down and the American muscle car becomes a fully-fledged GT car.
It will comfortably take you to your destination with heated or ventilated seats cruising in 10th gear with no exhaust rumble to distract you from listening to music on the B&O Sound System.
With naturally aspirated V8 engines becoming ever more scarce, the Ford Mustang and especially the Dark Horse stand out as beacons of hope.
At R1 523 500 its dynamic handling, thundering grin-inducing exhaust notes, iconic history, and the smile it puts on people's faces, is reason enough to want one.