Ford Mustang Dark Horse: How does it gallop on track?

Data Dive

1. There’s no substitute for thrust as the 500-horsepower Mustang Dark Horse simply dusts our 300-horsepower BMW 435i in every acceleration zone. Vroom! 2. But the BMW uses its superior grip to spank the Mustang in every corner, eventually gaining such an advantage that it outpaces the Dark Horse by more than a full second per lap. 3. Still, the Dark Horse shows good chassis control, particularly under braking. Those big Brembos initiate quickly and slow the car with authority. With more grip and the available six-speed manual, the Dark Horse should become a lapping stallion.

Our 1:19.90 lap time in the Dark Horse puts it toward the back of the pack of premium sports cars, giving up seconds or more to market competitors like the Supra (1:17.85), BMW M2 (1:16.69) and Corvette Z51 (1:16.16).

The data simply shows that the Dark Horse lost a lot of time due to its subpar handling. While it’s easy to say there’s no substitute for horsepower, a comparison with our 300-horsepower BMW 435i project car illustrates the importance of grip: Our VBox data shows the Mustang winning every single drag race between the corners, with the BMW constantly snatching back that time–and then some. 

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The lower-powered BMW makes enough gains in multiple corners that the Mustang can never overcome the deficit, even with some additional 200 horsepower on tap. In the end, the Dark Horse’s best lap of 1:19.90 is just no match for the BMW’s 1:18.81. 

The rest of the Mustang’s graph looks about like we’d expect: Strong acceleration off corners, confident brake initiation courtesy of those big Brembos–although the lack of grip shows up in some ABS intervention jitter at times–and steady cornering, albeit at lower-than-ideal limits due to the grip deficiency. 

Thanks to relatively narrow tires–just 235mm fronts and 275mm rears–the 4000-pound Dark Horse begs for grip. The S650 silhouette, however, is aging well and retains classic Mustang influences.

We feel that sticky tires and the available six-speed Tremec would easily put the Dark Horse into the low-1:17 second range. That would put it ahead of the Supra and possibly even challenge the M2. The rest of the car is just that good. 

Grip is a wonderful thing, and this ultimate Mustang deserves it. The Dark Horse’s Handling Package is worth the upgrade over the truly mediocre alternative. So, either check that box at the Ford dealer or have Tire Rack on speed dial as soon as your Dark Horse hits your driveway.