2024-25 Wheels Car of the Year Contender: FORD MUSTANG DARK HORSE

You might be wondering how a Ford that costs $105,332 as tested could possibly be considered good value. Especially when the Dark Horse doesn’t seem to be that different to the regular Mustang GT upon which it’s based, despite costing $22,000 more. And yet it only takes about 10 metres to realise the Dark Horse is unlike any Mustang we’ve ever driven.

It starts with the steering. The Dark Horse scores a different calibration and rides on overhauled suspension compared with the GT for a tauter, more track-focused set-up, and as soon as you crank on some lock you know you’re dealing with something special. There isn’t much feel per se, but there’s none of the usual Mustang wooliness either, and around Lang Lang’s tricky mix of low- and high-speed corners, the Dark Horse is a riot.

Fast, loud and with an athleticism that belies its nameplate and 1822kg kerb weight, the Dark Horse delivers a driving experience that is surprisingly involving and rewarding. A big part of that is down to the gearbox. You can have the Dark Horse as a 10-speed automatic but our car is the six-speed manual (remember those?) and it is without question the better pick. The manual ’box is different to other V8 Mustangs, with Ford ditching the GT’s Getrag MT82-D4 in favour of the same Tremec TR-3160 unit that’s fitted to the Shelby GT350.It brings shorter ratios, a revised final drive and, crucially, a more positive shift action.

With 350kW/550Nm on tap, the Dark Horse shares the core of its naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 with the regular GT but it gains additional cooling and uses connecting rods taken from the Shelby GT500. It also scores an active exhaust with five modes, ranging from quiet to racetrack, and it sounds brilliant. Deep and menacing at idle, it also has enough light and shade as you rise through the rev range to sound properly exciting.

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Combine all this with a surprising litheness through the lane-change manoeuvre and an impressive ability to soak up Lang Lang’s lumps, bumps and surface changes (unique springs and MagneRide adaptive dampers are standard inclusions) and it’s little wonder the Dark Horse breezed through the first round of voting to become a finalist.

Amazingly, though, the Dark Horse is even more impressive on COTY’s road loop. Poise isn’t a word you’d usually associate with a Mustang but over our road course’s challenging mix of broken back roads, that’s exactly what the Dark Horse delivers. Given its track focus and wider wheel and tyre package compared with the GT, you could forgive the Dark Horse for feeling overly stiff but the compliance and control delivered by the tweaked suspension and MagneRide dampers is surprising. Grip and traction are strong, and instead of being upset by mid-corner bumps or skipping wide in traction zones, the Dark Horse offers a sense of connection, confidence and speed that suggests it’s a better road car than it is a track-day machine.

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It’s certainly comfortable enough to use everyday. The ride has a pleasing duality and the cabin, which has long been a Mustang weakness, is a welcome improvement thanks to better quality materials and a new dual-screen digital dash. The dash which includes a nerdy level of performance data and the ability to cycle through design themes for the instruments which can replicate the look and feel of previous hero Mustangs like the original ’60s model, an ’80s Fox Body and, my personal favourite, the white dials of an SVT Cobra.

As it stands, the Dark Horse is a remarkable machine – certainly one that delivers a driving experience that is more than the sum of its parts.

Ford Mustang Dark Horse Specifications