The Ford Mustang Dark Horse R Hits the Track

Make way for the Ford Mustang Dark Horse™ R from Ford Performance – a powerful racing machine explicitly created for the all-new Mustang Challenge spec racing series. This sports car is ready to hit the track straight out of the box, with all the necessary features to compete professionally. Furthermore, the Dark Horse is sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), making it a top competitor on the racing circuit.

The Mustang Dark Horse R has a powerful fourth-generation 5.0-liter Coyote V8 engine. Ford’s racing vehicle receives inspiration from the Dark Horse and is the third generation of its kind. The Dark Horse R will debut sometime this summer (2023) and compete alongside other impressive Mustang vehicles, such as the Mustang GT3 and Mustang GT4.

“Mustang Dark Horse R bridges the gap between Dark Horse and Mustang GT3 and GT4. Production-based Mustang vehicles have raced from the very beginning, all the way back to winning the 1964 Tour de France, even. Dark Horse R offers our passionate customers not just an attainable, factory-built race car, but also a racing series to compete with other Mustang enthusiasts.” 

– Global Director of Ford Performance Motorsports, Mark Rushbrook 

Born to be a Track Star

The Dark Horse Mustang is a 5.0-liter V8 sports car designed for high performance on the track. It is street-legal and offers impressive capabilities enthusiasts can enjoy while driving their Dark Horses.

“Mustang Dark Horse R has been developed with Mustang racing enthusiasts top of mind. Ford Performance leaned into countless areas of expertise developed through years of racing the Mustang and honed in on an aggressive yet approachable package for customers to pick up and play with.” 

-Ford Mustang Marketing Manager, Jim Owens 

Please note that the Ford Mustang Dark Horse R model is explicitly designed for track use and should not be driven on regular roads. However, it shares many components with the standard version of the car. Flat Rock Assembly Plant delivers a resilient body style, but the power horse propels through a 5.0-liter V8 engine that produces over 500 horsepower. The sports car features a Tremec 3160 manual transmission and a Torsen limited-slip differential with a 3.73 final drive ratio. Furthermore, the Fords sports car also features aero and Brembo rear brake calipers/rotors and other specialized equipment designed for the track. 

The Mustang Challenge series will begin at the start of 2024 with a 10 to 12-race calendar and the vehicle will accompany five to six North American sports car race weekends that are still to be announced. Additionally, all cars will use racing slicks specially designed for the Mustang Challenge by Michelin, the Blue Oval’s series partner.

“The new Mustang Challenge series is a perfect addition to our IMSA family and we are grateful to our longtime partners at Ford for trusting us to be the sanctioning body for this spectacular new platform. When I was a little boy going to the race track, I vividly remember the rumble of the Mustang race cars and their V8 power, so imagining a full field of Dark Horse Rs charging into Turn 1 for the first time on an IMSA race weekend will bring back a flood of memories and be awe inspiring.”

-IMSA President John Doonan 

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Photo Source/Credit: Ford Media