In January of this year, Ford China officially announced that the all-new Mustang Dark Horse will go on sale on February 19. This car will be a pure American high-performance sports car, powered by a 5.0L naturally aspirated V8 engine and equipped with a 10-speed automatic transmission. Many driving performance aspects have been improved and innovated. Before this car officially goes on sale, we had the privilege of visiting a professional test track to experience the charm of this powerful beast up close.
Due to the nature of the test drive, we will experience the ultimate driving control of this car more. After all, in this era of electrification, it is rare to have a pure 5.0L V8 gasoline sports car. So next, we will get in the car and experience the adrenaline rush that the new Mustang Dark Horse brings to you in the purest and simplest way.
Since it’s already a 5.0L model, we must feel its acceleration. But before we start accelerating, let’s first understand some “small settings” of this car. This function is called “warm tire front wheel lock”, which is very easy to understand. It locks the front wheels of the vehicle and releases the rear wheels, allowing the vehicle to burn rubber in place, thereby accelerating the increase in rear wheel temperature and obtaining better traction.
To activate this function, simply press the multifunction button on the left side of the steering wheel to put the vehicle into race mode, then select “warm tire front wheel lock” on the central control screen, and follow the instructions on the dashboard. Once the function is activated, we can press the accelerator directly, and the rear wheels will start spinning and burning rubber, but for a maximum of 15 seconds. If we want to end it early, just press the “OK” button on the steering wheel, and the vehicle can start moving directly.
After warm-up, the vehicle clearly has better grip, allowing for improved acceleration performance. Combined with the V8 engine’s exhaust sound, it instantly gives a thrilling feeling. To match the speed, the new Mustang Dark Horse is equipped with Brembo front six-rear four brake calipers, providing stronger braking power.
The all-new Mustang Dark Horse has an exciting feature that is not seen on other high-horsepower rear-wheel drive cars today, the “drift electronic handbrake”. This handbrake not only retains the traditional mechanical handbrake appearance but also has electronic handbrake functionality. When we want to drift, we can quickly lock the rear wheels and enter drift mode.
When it comes to drifting, the all-new Mustang Dark Horse is definitely a fun, personality-driven, and powerful car. This time, we also personally experienced its drifting ability on the track. When we entered the corner, just a deep press on the accelerator pedal, the rear of the car could instantly swing out, the sensation came so quickly and suddenly, it was simply too wonderful.
For many newbies, drifting may seem easy, but controlling it is actually quite difficult. Although we have driven many vehicles, it took us some time to adapt to the powerful rear-wheel drive of the new Mustang Dark Horse. The throttle response is very quick, so after initiating the drift, we need to quickly release the throttle and control the vehicle by constantly giving and easing off the throttle. If our rhythm is off, the vehicle will quickly spin out, so we recommend that newbies learn before attempting drifting.
During drifting, we also discovered that the handling of this all-new Mustang Dark Horse is actually very agile, and the steering is particularly precise. Once the vehicle drifts, the smooth feeling is wonderful. In addition, we were particularly satisfied with the performance of the suspension system, and the addition of the electromagnetic suspension has indeed made driving and riding in this car more comfortable.
When it comes to suspension, let’s experience it through the slalom test. As we drive the vehicle into the slalom section, we can clearly feel the strong suppression of the vehicle’s side tilt. Even when we pass through at a speed of 50km/h, the vehicle does not show much side tilt, whether we use the race mode or the sport mode. The vehicle’s side tilt is well suppressed, leaving us to focus on gripping the steering wheel and controlling the speed to pass through each obstacle.
When we drive the car over the continuous speed bumps, the all-new Mustang Dark Horse seems to change. The previous “toughness” is instantly withdrawn, leaving only comfort. This performance is all thanks to the car’s equipped electromagnetic suspension system, which can quickly adjust suspension damping according to the road conditions ahead, thus achieving better passability and comfort.
And in the upcoming stage of the Gold Cana, it’s time to show the comprehensive strength of this car. Here, there are various obstacles such as acceleration, corners, loops, and evasions, and also timed races, so everyone’s enthusiasm is very high. After all-round competition, the all-new Mustang Dark Horse easily dealt with all obstacles, even fast lane changes or high-speed corners, the vehicle showed extremely strong athletic talent, which was also recognized by everyone present.
The all-new Mustang Dark Horse not only impresses with its performance, but also comes equipped with a new remote roar function. This feature allows the engine to be started remotely using the car key, and also allows the revs to be increased using the key control, allowing the 5.0L V8 engine to roar to its heart’s content, showcasing the unique sense of ceremony of the all-new Mustang Dark Horse. Of course, if you’re in a garage or a residential area, it’s advisable not to use this feature, as the sound is really too loud.
The all-new Mustang Dark Horse, a high-performance sports car, features a unique dual throttle valve intake design for increased airflow. The intake openings on either side of the front grille are not just for decoration, but serve as actual air intakes.
At the end of the event, we had the opportunity to test drive the high-performance Mustang Dark Horse at the “Gao Huan” testing ground. This track is designed to test the vehicle’s maximum speed and cornering ability. The new Mustang Dark Horse easily exceeded 200km/h on the straight test track, with no abnormal noises or vibrations inside the car. Even at high speeds in the corners, the vehicle was able to maintain a speed of 150km/h, experiencing noticeable centrifugal force inside the car. However, the vehicle was able to firmly grip the track, providing a satisfying and solid feeling.
After a series of subjects and tests, we finally take a moment to take a look at the appearance and interior design of the all-new Mustang Dark Horse. The new car will continue its classic styling layout, including a long hood, rugged lines, and aggressive details.
In terms of the lighting system, the new car does not use any piercing light group shape, but retains a more classic headlight shape, with overall use of smoky black accents, including lampshades and linings with a smoky black effect, which also increases the vehicle’s aggressiveness. The full LED light source is also the current light source configuration that is being used, and in this regard, the all-new Mustang Dark Horse has done a relatively good job.
The entire front bumper is designed with a large grille to provide more airflow to cool the V8 engine. The ventilation openings on both sides of the grille are functional, ensuring the 5.0L engine receives ample air for powerful performance anytime, anywhere.
The side lines of the Mustang Dark Horse exude a sense of American muscle car power, with no need for extra decoration. The aerodynamics of the car, including the hood, roof, rear spoiler design, and rear fender shape, have all been carefully calculated to create this powerful beast.
Don’t be fooled by the 5.0L engine in the new Mustang Dark Horse. After careful consideration, it ultimately chose to use 19-inch wheels and a gunmetal color, with a simple design that also improves the overall brake system’s heat dissipation efficiency. Paired with 255/40 R19 tires, it balances comfort and driving performance. In addition, the car will also come equipped with Brembo piston calipers for better braking performance and shorter braking distances.
The design of the rear of the car is very Mustang, especially the most representative taillights. Whether it’s day or night, just seeing these taillights will make you think of Mustang. The taillight design this time is also very imaginative, using an inward folding shape that presents different effects at different angles.
The all-new Mustang Dark Horse, equipped with a 5.0L V8 engine, features a factory rear spoiler and dual exhaust with four outlets, producing a deep and powerful sound that sets it apart from 2.0L and 3.0L models. The impact of its sound can only be fully appreciated in person.
In terms of interior, the all-new Mustang Dark Horse features the popular curved screen, a 12.4-inch digital instrument panel, and a 13.2-inch central control screen, seamlessly integrated to add a touch of technology to this powerful beast. In addition, the overall interior of the vehicle has been significantly improved, including the use of more soft materials, and a more user-friendly design for the buttons and gear lever, making operation simpler.
The sports steering wheel is essential, with physical buttons for various functions. The left side integrates the driving mode and performance switches, making it convenient for the driver to control the vehicle. The instrument panel displays comprehensive information and the animation when switching driving modes is smooth and clear.
The 13.2-inch central control screen is very smooth to operate, and the commonly used functions are not mentioned here because the current models are all quite similar. What is more attractive is the new Mustang Dark Horse’s track application options. Here we can set functions such as “drift controller, warm tire front wheel lock, acceleration timer, braking performance, track timer” to unleash the performance of this rear-wheel drive beast.
The design of the handlebar is quite conventional, but the good thing is that the operation feels great and the design position is also very handy and suitable. The key point here is the electronic drift handbrake of the all-new Mustang Dark Horse. It has the appearance of a traditional handbrake, but it can achieve the function of an electronic handbrake, especially when we want to drift, we can completely initiate the drift through the handbrake, the response of the force and speed is very fast, and this is also the first model to apply this function.
In terms of power, the all-new Mustang Dark Horse is equipped with a 5.0L V8 naturally aspirated engine with a new intake design and forged components, making it a track-ready model. The new car will be equipped with a 10-speed automatic transmission for better shifting and improved driving experience and performance on the track. Summary: The car will be imported to China, and the test drive can only be done on the track. Compared to the previous generation, the acceleration is more aggressive, the handling is smoother, and the suspension is more intelligent. It is also equipped with electronic drift handbrake, warm tire front wheel lock, and remote sound wave, making it both fun and enjoyable to drive. If you are a drift enthusiast, you might already be considering this car. Look forward to the official launch of the all-new Mustang Dark Horse on February 19th.