By Otsile Kadiege

Customers who want a more ferocious seventh-gen Mustang can opt for the Mustang Dark Horse edition. It’s a street and track-capable performance Mustang with striking visual cues. The Dark Horse nameplate is the first new performance name for the brand since Mustang Bullitt was introduced in 2001.

Mustang Dark Horse exterior styling

At the front, a bold, shadow graphic surrounds the darkened LED headlamps, which complements a unique, gloss black grille with trapezoidal nostrils and Mustang Dark Horse-unique lower front bumper with high gloss ‘fangs.’ Lower side skirts and, to the rear, a fixed rear wing, new race-inspired diffuser and darkened quad exhaust tips demonstrate the car’s track-focused design cues.

New Mustang Dark Horse badges were designed for this performance version of Mustang to visually separate it from other models. The badges are placed on the fenders, trunk and door sills, while a dark, anodized version of the famous pony stays on the front. Inside, unique Mustang Dark Horse badging is featured on the instrument panel and digital display screens, and each car features an individual chassis number.

Unique to Mustang Dark Horse is Blue Ember metallic paint, a cool, dark shade that emits a warm glow when it catches the light, setting the tone for the car’s overall look. A choice of applied or painted feature graphics along the roof and down the hood are also available in a variety of colors and styles. The optional Appearance Package includes dark Notorious Blue Brembo brake calipers with a brighter Grabber Blue logo.

Mustang Dark Horse interior styling

Inside, the new Mustang Dark Horse gets a thicker, flat-bottomed steering wheel wrapped in suede and finished with Bright Indigo Blue accent stitching. It incorporates anodized silver paddle shifters on models ordered with the 10-speed automatic transmission and also features a dedicated drive mode button.

More Dark Horse-specific features include contrasting blue stitching across the door panels and seats, gear shift gaiter, center console and unique blue seat-belts. Its interior trim, bezels and vents are finished in Black Alley – a dark metallic gloss replacing the familiar bright silver shades of other Mustang trim levels.There’s also a new Appearance Pack which adds Deep Indigo Blue seats with a unique seat perforation.

As is the case with the rest of the Mustang range, the Dark Horse also gets a 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster and a 13.2-inch touch display with Ford’s SYNC4 infotainment system. It also gets a 12-speaker B&O Sound System with a subwoofer.

Mustang Dark Horse performance

Powering the Dark Horse is a 5.0-litre V8 engine specially modified with piston connecting rods first introduced in the 760-horsepower Ford Performance Mustang Shelby GT500. The Dark Horse will deliver the highest level of performance in the new Mustang family, developing 334kW of power (6kW more than the Mustang GT) and 540Nm of torque. As standard, the Mustang Dark Horse comes with a unique six-speed TREMEC manual transmission. The 10-speed automatic transmission with sport paddle shifters is available as an option.

The Ford Mustang Dark Horse provides unique chassis tuning, larger rear sway bars and heavy-duty front shocks. Stopping is courtesy of 19-inch Brembo front 6 piston brakes with 13.9-inch rotors. Steering response and grip is further enhanced with a new lightweight Ford Performance-designed strut tower brace and K-brace for even better handling and feedback from Mustang Dark Horse. Mustang Dark Horse puts the torque down without losing traction through a Torsen rear differential and standard Pirelli P Zero (PZ4) tyres with staggered fitting wheels (19-inch-by-9.5-inch front and 19-inch-by-10-inch rear wheels).

Pricing and warranty

Mustang Dark Horse 5.0L V8 10AT – R1,500,000

The recommended Retail Price includes a 6-year/90 000km Ford Optional Service Plan, four-year/120 000km Ford warranty, four-year/unlimited distance Roadside Assistance and five-year/unlimited distance corrosion warranty. The recommended service interval is 15 000km or annually, whichever occurs first. In addition, over the counter parts (OTC) and service parts warranty (SPW) are covered for two years/unlimited distance.

Customers have the option of purchasing Ford Protect Service or Maintenance Plan upgrades up to eight years or 165 000km. The warranty can be extended up to seven years or 200 000km, while the Roadside Assistance can be extended for an additional one or two years.