Friday 28th July 2023

Ford unveils track-only Mustang Dark Horse R

Too powerful for GT4 racing, so Ford launched its own one-make series for it

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Want to take a Ford Mustang racing but none of your mates want to chip in for a GT3 car? Is a GT4 just not doing it for you? Well, Ford’s got you covered with the new Dark Horse R: a Mustang so extreme it’s only allowed within the confines of a racing circuit.

Admittedly, it doesn’t look all that different to the regular Dark Horse, and that’s largely because it isn’t. The R gets the same 5.0-litre Coyote V8 as the road car, Tremec six-speed manual gearbox, final drive ratio, Torsen limited-slip differential and Brembo brakes. It doesn’t look all that different, either, carrying the same splitter and wing configuration as the standard car save for a couple of bonnet pins. Then again, it’s not like the Mustang Dark Horse was a slouch in the first place, and with over 500hp on tap the R boasts a similar level of grunt to a full-fat GT3 machine – only without the wider track and radical aero to keep it planted.

Peel back the familiar silhouette, however, and you’ll find a whole bunch of racing mods. The oil system has been reworked, as have the respective cooling systems for the transmission and diff given the amount of stress they’ll be subjected to. There’s also a Borla racing exhaust to amplify the ‘Stang’s V8 thunder, while new Ford Performance R1 19-inch rims come wrapped in optional ‘bespoke’ Michelin slick tyres. The interior - as you can see in the vid - has been completely stripped, which should make the Dark Horse R considerably lighter than its road-going counterpart.

Here's where it gets really interesting. First up, it costs nearly double that of the road car at $145,000 (or roughly £113,000 in our money). The upshot – aside from having a fire-breathing track car at your disposal – is that Ford has put a new 10-to-12-race, one-make series together in association with IMSA. You’ll also gain access to five-to-six track weekends across North America if a full racing season isn’t enough. Obviously that makes it a US-only prospect for now, but let's hope the idea catches on over here, eh? 

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• Ford Mustang Dark Horse gets 850hp upgrade
• Ford unveils awesome new Mustang GT3 racer

[aestivator]

It's Tremec, not Temec. Easy to remember because it's short for Transmisiones y Equipos Mecánicos, si?

[MDL111]

That looks like a decent value track car with a manual - bet that’s fun

[nismo48]

MDL111 said:

That looks like a decent value track car with a manual - bet that’s fun

+1 Just need to cross the Pond

[Carlos09]

That look so amazing.

[asci.white]

Shame there's no interior shots. That looks like a monster, love it.

[ZX10R NIN]

That looks fantastic & seems reasonable money too.

[NGK210]

nismo48 said:

MDL111 said:

That looks like a decent value track car with a manual - bet that’s fun

+1 Just need to cross the Pond

[unsprung]

Not just a vehicle, but a community.

Imagine all the memories that Ford is enabling here.

Reasonable cost. "Only" twice the median household income. A lot of value is built into this product and its events.

[petersuper]

Wonder how long it'll be before some eco warrior tells them they have to have an on board white wear set up as the V8 is killing all the plankton? And no doubt California won't be having a race meet as it seems there you can't even fart without someone getting pissed off.

[FilH]

Gotta feel sorry for all them track Armco barriers!

[British Beef]

Brilliant, modern day equivalent to TVR Tuscan racing I would say!!

[thelostboy]

Fantastic, and if the price includes race entries then a bit of bargain really.