2025 Mustang Dark Horse Price Update

2025 Mustang Dark Horse. The seventh-generation Mustang has debuted, bringing back turbocharged four-cylinder and V8 power to the stable’s newest pony. In the most recent model, there is no electrification, but there is a new Dark Horse trim level that is intended for track days.

2025 Mustang Dark Horse Design

The brand-new Mustang successfully reinterprets famous design cues from the 1960s original. It has a more upright front grille with squared-off edges, giving it a little more angular appearance than its predecessor.

The headlights are not as pointed as they once were, but they are now thinner, making the vehicle appear more menacing and aggressive. Depending on the engine you choose, there are several possible bumper designs, but they all appear simpler and less complicated than on the outgoing Mustang.

The side profile of the new Mustang is quite similar to the existing generation. There is a long bonnet, a raked windscreen, and a sloping roofline, but Ford has modified the roofline to make it easier to enter and exit the new car while wearing a helmet.

The tail lights of the vintage automobile feature one bend in each vertical bar, as opposed to two. However, the Mustang’s iconic quad exhaust pipes remain underneath. And you can bet your last dollar that these are authentic.

2025 Mustang Dark Horse Engines

The new Mustang will be offered with a selection of familiar engines, beginning with the 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-four. This produces 320 horsepower and 475 Nm of torque, an increase of nearly 30 horsepower over the previous model.

That’s all well and good, but let’s get down to brass tacks… Yes, this new Mustang is still available with a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8. The standard output is 486 horsepower and 562 Nm of torque. That’s over 30 horsepower more than the previous Mustang GT.

Not quite enough for you? Additionally, an available performance exhaust system unlocks six additional horsepower, bringing the total output to 492hp.

Interior

The inside is one area where Ford has deviated from the traditional Mustang formula. The 7th-generation vehicle features an all-new infotainment system with a 12-inch display for the driver and a 13-inch touchscreen on the dashboard with Amazon Alexa.

You can choose from a variety of seat styles and materials and the remainder of the cabin has a more contemporary (but less distinctive) appearance.

Even if you’re small, you won’t want to spend too much time in the backseat of any of the new models, which feature a few small seats similar to those in the old car.

If headroom is a concern, you may always go for the Mustang Convertible instead.

The new Mustang features a six-speed manual transmission with a rev-matching feature that facilitates flawless downshifts every time.

If you’d rather not manually shift gears, you can spend extra for a 10-speed automatic transmission. This is only available on GT vehicles with a V8 engine (for now, at least).

2025 Mustang Dark Horse Performance

All new Mustangs use independent front and rear suspension, similar to the previous generation, and Ford has installed a new steering rack that should make the car seem livelier to drive.

If that does not seem enticing enough, the 2018 Mustang is also available with an optional Performance Pack. This adds additional bracing, a limited-slip rear differential, bigger rear tires, and improved Brembo brakes with additional cooling ducts.

In addition, you receive an active exhaust, optional Recaro sports seats, and an enhanced adaptive suspension.

All of these features are quite common in most serious performance vehicles. The new Mustang’s “drift brake,” however, is not really serious. This is a manually operated electronic parking brake that locks the back wheels to assist you skid the vehicle — in a safe, controlled manner, and not on public roads (of course).

Dark Horse

The new “2025 Mustang Dark Horse” variant is one of the most intriguing aspects of the next Mustang.

Consider this the Ford equivalent of BMW‘s “Competition” M vehicles. It is a more potent, track-focused variant of the V8 Mustang GT with a revised bodykit and a 760-horsepower Shelby GT500-sourced engine.

It is not specified how much power this new Dark Horse truly possesses, simply that it “projects” to have 500 horsepower. This puts the new vehicle on par with the 510-horsepower BMW M4 Competition.

The Mustang will not be available with four-wheel drive, but it will be available with either an automatic or a manual transmission. A handling pack is also available, which adds bigger tires, stronger coil springs, thicker anti-roll bars, and a new rear wing.

It’s all meant to improve your racetrack traction, stability, and control.

Price of a new Ford Mustang

In 2023, the new Mustang will go on sale in the United States. Ford has not officially disclosed the price, although it will likely cost slightly more across the board than the previous model.

A 2.3-liter Ecoboost Mustang costs just under $29,000 in the United States, while a V8 GT model costs just under $40,000. Expect the new Mustang to increase these prices by many thousand dollars.

Also Read: 2019 Ford Mustang GT500 Engine Specs & Review

2025 Mustang Dark Horse Update

If you haven’t already, be sure to read our post about the introduction of the 2025 Ford Mustang to learn everything new about Ford‘s warhorse. The Mustang Dark Horse builds upon this by incorporating the performance package, which is otherwise optional, as standard equipment. It has a Torsen limited-slip differential with a larger rear sway bar, in addition to a strut tower brace and updated front dampers. Beefier tires sit at all four corners, and larger Brembo brakes with blue calipers handle stopping responsibilities.

Ford is not yet prepared to announce horsepower ratings for any new Mustang models, although the Dark Horse’s 5.0-liter Coyote V8 will provide somewhat more power than the GT’s. According to Ford, specialized tuning and other enhancements boost power to an engine that is already more potent than its predecessors. The previous-generation Ford Mustang Bullitt and Mach 1 drew 480 horsepower (358 kilowatts) from the V8, while Ford‘s goal for the Dark Horse is 500 horsepower (373 kilowatts). Customers may opt for either a six-speed manual or 10-speed automatic transmission.

Design

The Mustang Dark Horse’s exterior has the aforementioned blue Brembo brakes, as well as darker LED headlights and a unique gloss black grille. The improvements include side skirts, a noticeable rear wing, and a diffuser. Dark Horse is the only method to obtain the exterior color Blue Ember, a dark shade of blue, and the inside seats and trim are also blue. To optimize the new digital cockpit of the Mustang, Dark Horse emblems have replaced pony logos. There is more Dark Horse branding on the exterior as well.

There will be a Dark Horse S variant designed exclusively for racing for individuals looking for something more extreme. It is a legitimate race car with a racing seat, a quick-disconnect steering wheel, an FIA-approved safety cage, and a fire-suppression system affixed to an interior that has been gutted. Ford states that it is the foundation for the company’s 2023 Mustang GT3 racing program.

The Ford Mustang Dark Horse’s pricing and availability will be announced closer to its on-sale date. Recent global trademarking of the term Dark Horse by Ford makes it likely that the special model will be marketed outside of North America.

Also Read: Ford GT90 Concept Update Review

2025 Mustang Dark Horse News

The Dark Horse is a completely new breed of Mustang that has no ancestry with previous models. While it is based on the new seventh-generation, V-8-powered Ford Mustang GT, the Dark Horse is more aggressive out of the box and bred for racing, with various standard performance upgrades and track-focused choices.

The 2025 Ford Mustang Dark Horse is the offspring of the departing Mach 1 and Shelby variations, neither of which are available for the first model year of the revamped Stang. Similar to the Mach 1, the Dark Horse is the most track-capable Mustang without Shelby branding. It also possesses components from the Shelby GT350 and GT500, including its lightweight carbon-fiber wheels. It is the first time Ford will put the exotic wheels on a non-Shelby Mustang, and when they become available later in the model year, they will likely cost a hefty lot.

Powertrain

Similar to the standard Mustang GT, the Dark Horse model is only available with Ford‘s 5.0-liter Coyote V-8. Not only is this the most recent model of the engine, which now features dual throttle bodies fed by dual air intakes, but the Dark Horse’s version is considerably more advanced. It has forged internal components and connecting rods from the GT500’s 5.2-liter, 760-hp supercharged Predator V-8. Ford claims that the Dark Horse engine is the most powerful naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V-8 it has ever produced, with a predicted output of 500 horsepower. It is paired with a conventional Tremec six-speed manual transmission (GT models utilize a separate Getrag gearbox), and the shifter knob is made from 3D-printed titanium. The alternative transmission is Ford‘s 10-speed automatic, and both transmissions drive the rear wheels through a Torsen limited-slip differential.

Ed Krenz, Mustang’s lead nameplate engineer, told Car and Driver that Ford had been mulling over the Dark Horse moniker for quite some time before settling on it for the seventh-generation Mustang. “With the S650, we knew from the beginning that it would be a standout vehicle,” said Krenz.

While heritage model names such as Bosses, Bullitts, and Mach 1s were considered, Dark Horse was chosen in part because it describes the unexpected. According to Krenz, this played into the company’s claim that some competitors are exiting the segment, while Ford has released a brand-new Mustang.

Appearance

According to Krenz, the Gloomy Horse name was also inspired by the model’s subdued, dark look, which is intended to give off a sleeper-like vibe. However, we would argue that the Mustang Dark Horse does not qualify as a sleeper due to its intimidating appearance. Even when compared to the standard GT model, which already has an aggressive face, the Dark Horse’s unique front end features larger grille openings and wide nostrils for enhanced cooling.

Its smoked headlights and taillights contribute to its aggressive appearance. In addition, the body of the coupe is embellished with unique aerodynamic components, including a fixed rear wing and distinctive Dark Horse emblems on the front fenders and decklid. The rear bumper also features a large diffuser and four tailpipes with quadruple tips. A Dark Horse can also be identified by its special Blue Ember metallic paint (shown), and Ford offers a variety of painted or applied graphics in a variety of colors and designs.

Each Dark Horse is outfitted with MagneRide adaptive dampers that support 19-inch wheels shod with Pirelli P Zero PZ4 summer tires. The basic front and rear wheel widths are 9.5 inches and 10.0 inches, respectively. With the optional Handling package, the front and rear wheel widths expand to 10.5 inches and 11.0 inches, respectively. Additionally, the package includes stiffer springs, thicker front and rear sway bars, and a rear wing with a Gurney flap to increase downforce. Even without the Handling option, all Dark Horses have front Brembo calipers with six pistons and 13.9-inch rotors.

Deep Indigo Blue

Inside, the 2025 Mustang Dark Horse features the same updated, technology-focused cabin as other Mustangs. This involves a digital dashboard with a 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster and a 13.2-inch touchscreen. The latter incorporates the latest Sync 4 interface that has been customized for the Mustang, and it also accepts upgrades over-the-air. While the Black Horse’s interior layout and features, such as the new electronic drift brake that allows novices to cosplay as Vaughn Gittin Jr., are not unique, its blue interior highlights and glossy dark metallic trim pieces are. Additionally, Ford offers an appearance package that includes Deep Indigo Blue seats with unique perforations.

Ford has not yet announced the price of the 2025 Mustang Dark Horse, but we estimate that it will begin at roughly $60,000, a few thousand dollars more than the current 2022 Mustang Mach 1. We anticipate the Dark Horse to go on sale during the summer of 2019.