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The 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse is the first factory 500-horsepower Mustang without a Shelby badge. However, it isn’t quite as quick as some competitors.
The 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse is a stark departure from the Shelbys and Mach 1s of the previous generation. It’s a brand new, never-before-seen badge in the Mustang lineup and the most potent Coyote-powered ‘Stang ever. Still, even at the top of the 2024 lineup, it might not be able to live up to some of the Mustangs of the S550 generation.
Which Ford Mustang is the fastest?
The 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse is the fastest factory ‘Stang of the 2024 lineup. With a 500-horsepower naturally aspirated 5.0L Coyote V8 and hand-me-down parts from the previous-generation Mach 1, the noir pony car will outsprint the GT with either the six-speed manual or 10-speed automatic transmission options.
Unsurprisingly, the almost over-eager 10-speed automatic transmission returns quicker acceleration times than the TREMEC TR-3160 six-speed. Specifically, the manual-equipped Dark Horse will hit 60 mph in around 4.1 seconds, about a third of a second faster than the 10-speed auto. While that’s properly quick for a 500-horsepower Mustang with a taste for its own rear tires, it’s not sure-footed enough to outsprint other sports cars in the segment.
Despite being the king of Mustang Mountain in 2024, the Dark Horse isn’t fast enough to dethrone the competition
The 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse with a six-speed manual transmission is quick but not quite swift enough to outsprint several of its competitors. What’s more, the new Dark Horse won’t outpace several older Mustang models.
| Model | 0-60 mph | ¼ mile | Average/starting price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse | 4.1 seconds | 12.5 seconds | $60,865 |
| 2023 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 | 3.8 seconds | 12.4 seconds | $55,595 |
| 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat | 3.7 seconds | 11.7 seconds | $31,758 |
| 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 | 3.5 seconds | 11.6 seconds | $35,792 |
| 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Auto | 3.8 seconds | 12.1 seconds | $42,678 |
The Toyota GR Supra 3.0, with its 368-horsepower turbocharged B58 inline-six, will hit 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds, per Hagerty. As a result, the Supra 3.0 will overcome a 132-horsepower deficit to keep pace with the automatic-equipped Dark Horse. However, the news changes with a manual melee; the manual Supra will outsprint the rowable Dark Horse to 60 mph by around 0.2 seconds.
Moreover, the 2013 Shelby GT500, a decade-old manual Mustang, will outrun the manual and automatic Dark Horse. Of course, the Shelby is a 200-mph, 662-horsepower Shelby Mustang. The Shelby isn’t the only Dark Horse-beating performance car bargain; the Shelby GT500 and an early Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat have KBB values under $40,000. Still, lower-mileage examples will demand higher average prices.
The 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse might not be as fast as other performance cars, but it shines in other ways
The 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse might not be able to keep pace with some sports car staples, but it will prove its mettle in other ways. For instance, in Car and Driver’s latest 0-to-150-to-0 test, the Dark Horse outperformed the Volkswagen Golf R, Honda Civic Type R, and even the Toyota GR Supra 3.0.
| Model | 0 to 150 mph | 150 to 0 mph | Total time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Mustang Dark Horse | 24.2 seconds | 5.2 seconds | 29.7 seconds |
| Toyota GR Supra 3.0 | 24.7 seconds | 6.3 seconds | 31.1 seconds |
| Volkswagen Golf R | 33.3 seconds | 6.2 seconds | 40.2 seconds |
| Honda Civic Type R | 45.7 seconds | 6.3 seconds | 52.7 seconds |
While the Dark Horse couldn’t outsprint the Toyota GR Supra to 60 mph, the brutish Ford outmuscles the Toyota-BMW collaboration to 150 mph by half a second. More impressively, the range-topping Mustang will stop from 150 mph a full second and 112 feet before the Supra.
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