Rampant Stallion: Ford introduces Mustang Dark Horse R

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Gearheads have been racing Mustangs ever since the very first copy was accidentally sold at the George G. R. Parsons dealership in Newfoundland almost 60 years ago. With a fresh pony on the way for 2024, Ford is introducing the Dark Horse R, a turn-key race car prepped to compete in the all-new Mustang Challenge spec racing series.

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If you’ve never heard of such a series, that’s because Ford has invented it just for Mustang Dark Horse R. Sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), it’ll kick off next year with roughly a dozen races at tracks across America. All cars will compete on racing slicks developed specifically by Michelin for the Mustang Challenge.

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But back to the car. Ford says this beast is designed for track use only but shares several components with the road-going version such as its body provided by workers at Flat Rock Assembly and a 500+ horsepower 5.0L V8 engine. The stirring Tremec manual transmission, Torsen limited slip differential, and Brembo rear brakes are also shared with trims any Joe or Josephine can pick up at their neighbourhood dealer. To us, that speaks to the stock car’s capabilities right off the showroom floor.

There are, of course, many alterations for track duty. Heading the list is a roll cage, FIA-approved Recaro racing seat, and a quick-release steering wheel. Other safety kit includes a harness and fire suppression system sourced from Sparco and a dedicated fuel cell to keep flammables contained in the event of calamity. The powertrain itself is upgraded with a better oil system, more cooling for the transmission and diff, new Borla exhaust, and a Ford Performance oil pan.

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Buried in the parts list is mention of Multimatic DSSV dampers, a string of words not yet generally associated with the Mustang outside the GT4 race car. By showing up on the Dark Horse R, we can surmise that Blue Oval boffins are getting comfortable with the tech and we’re only too glad to stoke rumours of the things showing up on consumer-grade trims. Mustang Raptor, anyone?

Speaking of existing race efforts for the Mustang, company spox say the Dark Horse R is intended to pad Ford’s offerings in this arena. “Mustang Dark Horse R bridges the gap between Dark Horse and Mustang GT3 and GT4,” stated Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports, before going on to call this machine an “attainable, factory-built race car.” For what it’s worth, the quantity field on the online inquiry tool caps itself at 150, which is more than any one individual not named Jack Roush will need but could give us an insight into how many of these things they plan to build. Or it could just be a limitation of the form.

How accessible? Pricing for Mustang Dark Horse R starts at US$145,000 and deliveries will begin in preparation for the start of the Mustang Challenge season in 2024.