Not long after the 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse was unveiled to the world, we now have our first opportunity to hear the muscle car in action.
Ford was kind enough to bring along a prototype of the Mustang Dark Horse to the recent Mustang Stampede event and put on a show for those in attendance, revealing just how brutal the new performance-focused variant of the seventh-generation Mustang is.
Like the standard Mustang GT, the Dark Horse is powered by a 5.0-liter naturally-aspirated V8, but Ford says it will pump out at least 500 hp. This engine has benefited from a number of upgrades over the standard mill, including the fitment of connecting rods from the Shelby GT500’s 760 hp engine and dual throttle bodies.
Read More: 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse Is The Most Track-Focused 5.0-Liter V8 Model Ever
This clip reveals what the Mustang Dark Horse sounds like at startup while the Ford employee behind the wheel was also kind enough to pin the throttle when leaving the Gilmore Car Museum as part of the event, letting the V8 really sing and no doubt getting the adrenaline pumping of anyone within a 2-mile radius of the car.
A plethora of other upgrades has been made to the Mustang Dark Horse to differentiate it from lesser variants. For example, it features a unique six-speed Tremec manual transmission with a distinctive transmission oil cooler. Ford has also equipped the Dark Horse with new brake cooling ducts, an auxiliary engine oil cooler, a rear axle cooler, and a bespoke radiator.
Arguably of more importance than all of these upgrades is the fact that the Dark Horse comes standard with MagneRide shocks. It also features a larger rear sway bar and is fitted as standard with 19-inch wheels that are 9.5-inches wide at the front and 10-inches at the rear, wrapped in Pirelli P Zero tires.