Potent power-up for Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Ford’s range-topping Mustang Dark Horse just got a little meaner, thanks to legendary US tuner Hennessey’s unsubtle power-up kit for the track-focused ’Stang.

Dubbed the H850, the in-house reboot of Ford’s newest and fastest S650 Mustang is comprehensive, and results in a carbon-clad circuit warrior pumping out 634kW (850bhp in the old money and the obvious origin of the name) and 800Nm to the rear wheels. Ulp.

Out of the box, the Dark Horse – reportedly destined to hit Australia in the second half of 2023 – is already reasonably handy.

Replacing the GT500, the track-focused Dark Horse is based on a 373kW version of the fourth-generation Coyote 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V8, thanks to twin throttle bodies and connecting rods pinched from the GT500, as well as extra cooling capacity.

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It also runs bigger Brembos front and back as standard, along with trickier dampers, thicker anti-roll bars and extra body bracing.

And, in the US at least, it can be optioned with Australian-made Carbon Revolution rims to reduce sprung mass at each corner.

Hennessey techs take the Dark Horse into an even darker place, though, with the addition of a high-capacity supercharger, high-flow air intake setup and exhaust, bigger injectors and fuel pump controlled by Hennessey’s own ECU tune adding a claimed 70 per cent lift in power.

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Photo from the Ford Mustang Dark Horse

What’s more, Hennessey claims it can be teamed with either Ford’s Tremec six-speed manual or the Blue Oval’s own (and longer-legged) ten-speed automatic gearbox.

The go-fast accoutrements extend to the exterior of the Mustang Dark Horse, with carbon fibre side skirts, carbon fibre front splitter and carbon fibre rear spoiler complemented by a bespoke set of alloy rims and Hennessey badging.

The work is done at Hennessey’s Texas facility, and those lucky few who commit to this level of rear-drive lunacy will be invited down to the company’s test track to take delivery.

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Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Hennessey backs the upgrades with a three-year, 50,000km warranty, as well.

While dispatching your locally delivered Dark Horse to Texas for upgrading is technically possible, it’ll be far easier to reach out to Hennessey’s authorised Australian partner, KPM Motorsport in Adelaide, South Australia.

At time of publication, there’s no confirmation that the kit will be made available in Australia, but KPM is the only place in Australia and New Zealand which can make it happen with Hennessy’s backing.