Ford Mustang Dark Horse to slam down 373kW

Ford has finally revealed the outputs of the new sixth-generation Ford Mustang, the flagship Dark Horse variant of which is set to pump out 373kW/567Nm from its enhanced 5.0-litre Coyote V8, at least in the US.

The Dark Horse will be the most powerful core S650-series Ford Mustang offering before the inevitably hotter Shelbys emerge further down the track.

However, the future supercharged Mustang weapons are yet to be confirmed for our market – unlike the mainstream Mustang line-up, which will consist of the Dark Horse, GT and four-cylinder High Performance grades.

And Ford Australia is yet to confirm outputs for the new Mustang locally, saying only: "We look forward to sharing Australian-spec power and torque figures closer to launch”.

Changes have been made to both the V8 and force-fed four-cylinder powertrains to extract more power and performance, with both the Dark Horse and GT featuring the ‘fourth-generation’ Coyote bent-eight.

The enhanced V8 now develops 358kW/563Nm in standard GT form courtesy of a new dual intake and dual throttle body induction system, plus new ECU mapping to suit to the extra air flow.

A valved performance exhaust will be optionally available in North America (Aussie confirmation is pending) that’ll allow the engine to breathe out as well as it breathes in, boosting outputs to 362kW/567Nm.

The Dark Horse meanwhile ups the ante with a bespoke balanced crankshaft and forged connecting rods, as seen on the Shelby GT500, and its headline performance figures make it the most powerful non-Shelby Mustang to date.

“Every time someone gets behind the wheel of a Mustang, we know they want to feel that strong connection to their vehicle – and we’re just as invested in creating that bond,” Coyote engine program supervisor Suzanne Robinson said.

“With the increased responsiveness you get from the new dual throttle bodies, we’re wringing every ounce of performance we can out of our engine so Mustang enthusiasts can have that experience.”

For comparison’s sake, the current (sold out) S550 Mustang GT produces 339kW/556Nm, while the more focused Mach 1 churned out 345kW/550Nm.

Four-cylinder variants have never been big sellers here, but going into the S650 generation, the entry-level HP offerings will feature an all-new engine based on Ford’s new Modular Power Cylinder (MPC) architecture.

Highlights of the four-pot EcoBoost engine include a revised bore/stroke ratio, port fuel-injection coupled with direct injection, variable cam timing, integrated exhaust gas recirculation and twin-scroll turbo tech.

All this results in 235kW/475Nm being channelled to the rear wheels – 1kW down on the old engine but a significant 27Nm bump in torque.

Ford is also promising the force-fed four will offer noticeably improved fuel economy in addition to extra driveability provided by the additional torque.

Mustang chief engineer Ed Krenz said the Mustang had long been about pushing boundaries and described the uprated V8 as the best 5.0-litre yet.

“It’s naturally aspirated awesomeness,” he said.

“And Mustang EcoBoost fans are also getting a boost in power to make every Mustang more fun and visceral to drive.”

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