Driving with the throttle pinned on the 24-degree banking of Charlotte Motor Speedway with a nasty V-8 firing away beneath the hood and the stadium seats molded in several colours to simulate a crowd, I really feel like Jeff Gordon in NASCAR’s Coca Cola 600. Possibly street race-specialist Boris Mentioned is a greater analogy, as I’m about to take the 2024 Ford Mustang Darkish Horse on a romp across the observe’s infield course.

The brand new Darkish Horse represents the final word in seventh-generation Mustang efficiency—for now, as a more-powerful Shelby model or two is more likely to come sooner or later. Till then, nonetheless, I’m shortly studying that the Darkish Horse is all of the observe automotive Mustang consumers want.

In contrast to earlier Mustang efficiency fashions, the Darkish Horse doesn’t dig into the long-lasting pony automotive’s historical past for its identify. As a substitute, it provides a brand new efficiency moniker to the lexicon, though this automotive might simply be referred to as Mach 1 because it’s basically an evolution of the 2021 Mustang Mach 1, which acquired extra energy in addition to the total spate of suspension upgrades for the S550-generation Mustang.

2024 Ford Mustang Darkish Horse at Charlotte Motor Speedway, July 2023

2024 Ford Mustang Darkish Horse at Charlotte Motor Speedway, July 2023

2024 Ford Mustang Darkish Horse at Charlotte Motor Speedway, July 2023

2024 Ford Mustang Darkish Horse: A good 500 hp

The fourth-generation Coyote 5.0-liter V-8 making all that racket will get the identical upgrades because the model within the Mustang GT. It now sports activities a twin air consumption that feeds twin throttle our bodies, and port injection joins direct injection.

The GT’s model cranks out 480 hp at 7,150 rpm and 415 lb-ft of torque at 4,900 rpm, and that will increase to 486 hp at 7,250 rpm and 418 lb-ft with the elective energetic exhaust.

Within the Darkish Horse, the V-8 will get the energetic exhaust customary and makes use of the connecting rods from the 760-hp Mustang Shelby GT500. These stronger rods allowed Ford engineers to progrom the ECU to unlock an extra 14 hp.

I can’t really feel the slight distinction 14 hp makes, however a good 500 hp is a enjoyable determine for bragging functions. Like within the GT, it’s simply plain quick and loud, and on this observe it’s doing its greatest NASCAR impression, sounding a rorty snarl that builds to a wail to impress gearheads, appeal to cops, and annoy neighbors. It revs shortly for a V-8, however not so quick that I can’t sustain with the gear modifications. Ford isn’t offering a 0-60 mph time, however it’s possible at or under 4.0 seconds.

I’m accessing the ability by way of a Tremec 6-speed guide transmission that replaces the GT mannequin’s Getrag unit. Each have downshift rev matching, constructive shift factors with quick throws, and barely weighty clutch pedals with predictable take-up factors. Nonetheless, the Tremec is extra sturdy, makes room for the extra trans cooler, and is thus higher for the observe driving Darkish Horse consumers usually tend to do. 

The transmission slots from gear to gear with no hitch on this observe as I shuffle it from first by way of fifth gears. It’s an important guide and could be my alternative for the engagement it provides to the driving expertise.

The opposite possibility is a 10-speed computerized transmission that’s additionally up to date for 2024 to carry gears longer throughout efficiency driving. It lets me focus extra on the corners, and I discover no want to make use of the paddle shifters to seize decrease gears at nook exit, which is sweet as a result of the paddles ought to be bigger for simpler entry.

2024 Ford Mustang Darkish Horse at Charlotte Motor Speedway, July 2023

2024 Ford Mustang Darkish Horse at Charlotte Motor Speedway, July 2023

2024 Ford Mustang Darkish Horse at Charlotte Motor Speedway, July 2023

2024 Ford Mustang Darkish Horse: Sizzling efficiency

The Darkish Horse is excelling at way over simply straight-line efficiency on this street course, and that’s due to the automotive’s primary chassis and a slew of efficiency upgrades. 

All new S650-generation Mustangs include minor chassis tweaks to additional refine the already sporty driving dynamics of the S550. Like different Mustangs, the Darkish Horse makes use of a stiffer under-dash Ok-brace, a faster 15.5:1 steering ratio (versus 16.0:1), a stiffer steering column for a extra direct connection to the street, and 50% stiffer rear decrease management arm bushings to enhance dealing with.

In any other case, the Darkish Horse begins very similar to the GT with the Dealing with Bundle, together with the usual 255/35R19 entrance and 275/30R19 rear Pirelli P Zero PZ4 summer-performance tires, strut tower brace, and Torsen limited-slip rear differential with a 3.73 axle ratio (with the guide transmission, 3.55 with the automated).

Some components are additionally tweaked for the Darkish Horse. The entrance springs are about 31% stiffer than these with the GT Dealing with Bundle, the wheels are a half inch wider entrance and rear, and the usual magnetic dampers get a singular tune, as does the soundness management. All Darkish Horse fashions additionally profit from extra transmission and rear differential coolers, in addition to a simpler oil-to-air engine oil cooler within the grille.

The Darkish Horse additionally makes extra downforce due to a singular entrance fascia, decrease facet skirts, a hard and fast rear wing, and a rear diffuser. Ford isn’t saying how a lot downforce the automotive makes, although.

2024 Ford Mustang Darkish Horse at Charlotte Motor Speedway, July 2023

However this automotive goes even additional. I’m in a Darkish Horse with the elective $4,995 Dealing with Bundle. It comes with even wider 19×10.5 and 19×11 wheels that mount super-sticky 305/30 entrance and 315/30 rear Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS tires. It additionally will get adjustable entrance strut high mounts, entrance tow hooks, an even bigger rear wing with a Gurney flap, barely stiffer entrance springs, rear springs which are about 10% stiffer, and a strong rear stabilizer bar that retains the identical 24-mm diameter.

For functions of this observe day, Ford has given these take a look at vehicles a observe alignment. As a substitute of the usual -1.0 diploma entrance and -1.5 diploma rear camber, the Dealing with Bundle vehicles have -2.25 levels of entrance camber (enabled by these adjustable entrance strut mounts) and the bottom Darkish Horses have -1.75 levels of entrance camber.

It’s all paying dividends on this sizzling 95-degree day in Charlotte. As I discovered with the 2024 Mustang GT in Southern California’s Angeles Crest Nationwide Forest, the dealing with is basically impartial by way of the corners, with little physique lean, direct and communicative steering, a Torsen limited-slip differential that retains the ability down on nook exit, and unflappable brakes.

The Darkish Horse will get the identical 15.4-inch vented entrance rotors with Brembo 6-piston calipers and 14.0-inch vented rear rotors with 4-piston calipers because the Mustang GT Efficiency Pack vehicles. Repeatedly, they haul the Mustang down from speeds hitting 133 mph with a excessive, agency pedal and constant stopping energy.

The true revelation, although, is the Dealing with Pack’s new set of sneakers. The Trofeo RS tires enable the automotive to hold extra velocity and thus scale back lap occasions, and I’ve the receipts to show it. A Ford engineer instructed me these tires present a number of advantages over the effectively regarded Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires used for the Mach 1 Dealing with Bundle, together with extra grip, a softer trip, higher moist dealing with, and 30% extra observe longevity.

Earlier than every run, I hit the MyMustang button under the big 13.2-inch heart touchscreen and select the auxiliary gauge display screen from the efficiency menu. It screens g-forces ahead, rearward, left, and proper, and has gauges for oil temperature and rear differential temperature. The Trofeo RSs can deal with greater than 1.3 gs (1.35 is essentially the most I see) laterally and greater than 1.4 gs throughout braking (I high out at 1.42). That’s a ton of grip, however I don’t notice how a lot till I get in a automotive with out the Dealing with Bundle that rides on the usual 255-mm and 275-mm PZ4 tires. They high out at 1.14 g of lateral grip and 1.27 g throughout braking.

One double-apex lefthander induces a bit of slide from the rear tires as I attempt to undergo it as quick as I did with the Trofeos. I catch it, nevertheless it does present that the Mustang can oversteer on the limits of grip. I even have an issue when braking. Making the nook on the finish of the lengthy straight turns into an journey because the PZ4s can’t deal with as late of a braking level. I handle to get the automotive by way of the tight 180-degree left-hander from 132 mph, however I began to make plans to make use of the runoff space (which is simply extra of the oval), and I be certain to brake earlier on subsequent laps.

Additional examination reveals that the Dealing with Pack’s tires add 3-5 mph in corners, which creates extra velocity within the straights and faster occasions by way of each sector of the observe.

2024 Ford Mustang Darkish Horse

2024 Ford Mustang Darkish Horse

2024 Ford Mustang Darkish Horse

2024 Ford Mustang Darkish Horse: The day by day present pony

The entire Darkish Horse’s quite a few efficiency components give it one thing of a high-strung character, however they don’t preclude it from use as a day by day driver. A avenue drive in a automotive with the Dealing with Bundle reveals that the road-grader Trofeo RS tires don’t even make the Darkish Horse unlivable for a day by day commute.

The rationale: the usual magnetic dampers.

Ford calls the magnetic suspension era 3.5, and it’s retuned to work with the suspension tweaks and supply a unique expertise by mode—Regular, Sport, and Observe—with out changing into too agency in Observe mode to take care of contact with a bumpy observe like Charlotte Motor Speedway. The damper system can learn the street 1,000 occasions per second and regulate the trip accordingly, based mostly on three firmness settings. 

On the street, abrupt bumps like railroad tracks don’t pound by way of, although washboard surfaces do create a busy trip for the automotive’s stiff total construction and suspension. Huge tires like these can even comply with together with each crack and seam within the street, a phenomenon referred to as tramlining, however the Trofeo RS tires are much less susceptible to that conduct.

With out these tires, the usual Darkish Horse drives very similar to a Efficiency Bundle Mustang GT, with even much less tendency to tramline and a extra forgiving trip high quality however simply as a lot of a warcry from the V-8.

2024 Ford Mustang Darkish Horse customization

2024 Ford Mustang Darkish Horse

2024 Ford Mustang Darkish Horse

2024 Ford Mustang Darkish Horse:  A high-tech cocoon

Be it on the observe or avenue, the cockpit presents consolation for 2 adults in an surroundings that balances tech with retro cues. The Darkish Horse’s cockpit is just barely totally different than the Mustang GT’s. It will get a titanium blue-anodized shift knob with the guide transmission or anodized silver shift paddles within the computerized. It additionally has a thicker flat-bottom steering wheel wrapped in artificial suede and adorned with blue accent stitching. The stitching additionally adorns the door panels, shift boot, and heart console. The seat belts are blue as effectively, and a darkish metallic end is used on bits of inside trim as a substitute of shiny silver.

A set of Recaro bucket seats is a $1,650 possibility. They pinch my admittedly too-wide bottom, however solely barely. Whereas they do a great job of holding occupants in place throughout quick cornering, they solely have six-way guide changes. I want the vary of movement of the bottom six-way power-adjustable sport seats, which have extra upward tilt on the entrance of the seat backside.

The Darkish Horse has the identical 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster and 13.2-inch heart touchscreen as the opposite 2024 Mustangs. It acts as an leisure hub for the automotive. It’s additionally the place you’ll find controls for the road lock, shift gentle, launch management, auxiliary gauges, and new Drift Brake. Whereas the screens don’t match thematically in a cockpit that sports activities nods to previous Mustangs, the screens look good, work shortly, and have easy management menus, as I discovered throughout my drive of the 2024 Mustang EcoBoost.

2024 Ford Mustang Darkish Horse at Charlotte Motor Speedway, July 2023

The 2024 Ford Mustang Darkish Horse begins at $60,865, which is $4,285 greater than a GT mannequin with the Efficiency Bundle, magnetic dampers, and energetic exhaust. Contemplating how a lot the Darkish Horse improves the Mustang’s efficiency capabilities, I’d name it definitely worth the worth, although I additionally suggest including the Dealing with Bundle for anybody with plans to take it to the racetrack. The one purpose for Ford to construct a Shelby could be so as to add greater than the already plentiful 500 hp from the Darkish Horse’s 5.0-liter V-8.

And must you drive a Darkish Horse on a NASCAR observe, get it up on the banking and fake you’re racing Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, or Kurt Busch. The Darkish Horse has all the aptitude to make you’re feeling like a kind of guys. The expertise is as much as you.

Ford paid for journey, lodging, and observe time for Motor Authority to play race automotive driver and produce you this firsthand report.