We’ve already driven the 2024 Ford Mustang EcoBoost with its turbocharged four-cylinder and the 2024 Mustang GT with its 480-horsepower V-8, but we recently got to drive the car you see here: the 500-hp 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse. It’s the new top-performance trim level of the Mustang, and it offers a more extreme, track-focused take on the Mustang GT. While the Dark Horse’s capability is impressive, what was more surprising is how livable this sports car is in everyday driving, a few trade-offs aside.
Related: 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse Runs With a Familiar Formula
How It Drives
For one, the Mustang Dark Horse rides exceptionally well for a high-performance sports car, and its ride quality is actually better than a lot of mainstream vehicles. It’s not what you’d necessarily expect after seeing the Dark Horse’s suspension changes with the available Dark Horse Handling Package, which is what we tested and includes stiffer springs, low-profile competition tires and bigger sway bars. But the car nonetheless does a good job soaking up bumps and cracks in the road when it’s in its Normal drive mode, and it prevents any harshness from reaching occupants. The Dark Horse comes standard with Ford’s adjustable firmness MagneRide adaptive shocks, and they do a great job here.
The extra-wide wheels and tires that are part of the Dark Horse Handling Package — the 19-inch wheels are 10.5 inches wide in front and 11 inches wide at the rear — do introduce some less desirable handling traits in everyday driving. The Mustang Dark Horse wiggles side to side a bit when driving over utility covers, and it also wants to follow grooves on the highway. You also hear the sound of sand and pebbles getting hurled against the fender wells after being picked up by the sticky tires. We’ve experienced similar things in previous Mustangs with extra-wide wheels and tires, so while it’s not necessarily unexpected, it’s something you don’t experience in a 2024 Mustang GT.
However, if that’s the penalty for the Dark Horse’s quick-reacting steering and overall nimbleness, I’ll take it. The car’s combination of responsive steering and a hunkered down, planted feel gives you a lot of confidence when barreling into corners.
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The Dark Horse is one of those cars that you come across every now and then that always seems to be urging you to drive faster — no matter how fast you’re already going. It’s like the devil’s horse is sitting on your shoulder, nudging you to press the gas pedal just a little bit more. And with a 500-hp V-8 under its hood, the Dark Horse has a lot to give, with the V-8 serving up big waves of power accompanied by its ever-present exhaust growl. Even when you’re cruising along at more than 70 mph on the highway, you don’t really feel like you’re moving that fast. It’s a testament to the car’s overall composure and poise.
Like the GT, the Dark Horse comes with a six-speed manual or 10-speed automatic transmission. The manual transmission, however, is from a different supplier and has different gearing: The GT uses a Getrag manual, but the Dark Horse gets a Tremec unit. Both shifters have short throws, but the Dark Horse’s Tremec manual is a bit more refined, with the stick moving more smoothly from gear to gear.
Also like the GT, the Dark Horse’s exhaust note is loud and omnipresent — even in the active exhaust system’s Normal setting. You can dial it up even more by choosing its Sport or Track modes, or make it considerably quieter by using the Quiet mode. The bellowing exhaust note fits the Dark Horse, but as in the regular GT, I could see it becoming tiresome in everyday driving.
Interior Needs More Attention
The Dark Horse’s drivetrain and suspension changes make it an impressive performer, but Ford should have given the interior of this special trim level something to make it feel … special. The unique design cues — things like a thicker flat-bottom steering wheel with suede inserts, blue stitching on various trim pieces and a titanium shift ball on manual-transmission cars — are subtle and don’t significantly differentiate the cabin from a regular GT. And the carbon-fiber-look plastic trim on the dashboard and doors looks even more out of place in the Dark Horse than it does in other 2024 Mustangs.
Driving the Dark Horse provided another chance to test the 2024 Mustang’s available Recaro front bucket seats, and it reinforced my view that they aren’t great for everyday driving. While the seats are comfortable, their large side bolsters get in the way when working the steering wheel back and forth; the backs of my arms were constantly bumping against them.
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Should You Pony Up for a Dark Horse?
The Dark Horse is a blast to drive, a car that’ll bring a smile to the face of any enthusiast who likes the feel and sound of a big V-8 engine and traditional sports car agility. The price premium over a GT, however, is significant and will likely give many buyers pause.
With a starting price of around $61,000 (including destination), the Dark Horse is more than $16,000 costlier than a GT, though in addition to the performance features, you also get convenience features like dual-zone automatic climate control and a B&O premium stereo. That said, it only takes a handful of high-priced options for the Dark Horse’s price to rapidly increase from there; the as-tested price of our Dark Horse Premium model, for instance, was around $77,000. Breathtaking, for sure — but so is the Dark Horse’s performance.
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