Ford has announced it will build a track-only version of its new Mustang Dark Horse: the Dark Horse R.
Designed only for track and race use, the 5.0-litre Coyote V8 Dark Horse R with manual gearbox will join the Mustang GT3 and Mustang GT4 in the racing Mustang line-up.
Ford wants to encourage Dark Horse R owners to compete in its new one-make Mustang Challenge series, which is set to kick off in 2024 with a 10 to 12 event race calendar.
This is the new Ford Mustang Dark Horse R track car
Some of these events will be in conjunction with five or six IMSA North American sports car race weekends.
Dark Horse R deliveries are set to begin early in 2024 in preparation for the Mustang Challenge season.
Ford of America confirmed to Chasing Cars that the Mustang Dark Horse R will not be sold outside the USA, but if a buyer was keen enough, a car could be shipped back to Aussie soil.
Engine outputs are likely to match the road-going Dark Horse
The road-honed Dark Horse variant, however, has been confirmed for sale in the Australian market.
The new S650-generation Mustang is scheduled to arrive here in the first quarter of 2024, after being delayed by six months.
What exactly is a Dark Horse R? What do you get for USD$145,000?
The roll caged and slick tyre-shod Dark Horse R isn’t a road-legal track car, like a Porsche 911 GT3 RS for example. Instead, owners will be restricted to using their mega Mustangs only on track.
A special wheel, tyre and brake package is standard for the Dark Horse R
Costing USD$145,000 (AUD$214,500), the Dark Horse R is fully equipped to race straight from the factory and includes the following features as standard:
Interior
- Recaro racing seat
- Sparco quick release steering wheel
- FIA racing harness
- Fire suppression system
- MOTEC data display and logging system
- Full roll cage
Chassis, wheels and braking system
- DSSV dampers
- Adjustable anti-roll bars
- Adjustable front camber plates
- Brembo race rotors, callipers and pads
- Ford Performance 19-inch wheels
- Bespoke Michelin 19-inch slick race tyres
The Ford Mustang Dark Horse R is set to cost USD$145,000
Drivetrain enhancements
- Upgraded oil system
- Upgraded differential cooling
- Upgraded transmission cooling
- Borla racing exhaust system
- Ford Performance oil pan
The Dark Horse R features a 5.0-litre Coyote V8 engine with “500+ horsepower” (372kW+), a Tremec 3160 manual transmission and Torsen limited-slip differential.
The road-going Mustang Dark Horse offers 372kW from its Coyote V8. It’s expected the R variant will use a dual-throttle body intake setup and the same connecting rods found in the full-blown supercharged Mustang GT500.