Ford is offering a comprehensive lineup for the S650 Mustang with a plethora of street-legal models and race cars. The pony car with a license plate can be had in EcoBoost, GT, and Dark Horse flavors whereas its track-only sibling is getting no fewer than six iterations. Depending on the specification, these will compete in GT3, GT4, NASCAR, and NHRA Factory X. Then there’s the Dark Horse S “for the weekend track day enthusiast” and this, the Dark Horse R.
Following an initial preview (see photo below) from mid-September 2022, Ford Performance has released a second teaser image. The Blue Oval took to Meta’s new social media platform Threads – where it already has 51,000 followers – to exclusively share a low-resolution design sketch of the seventh-generation Mustang in race car form. The Dark Horse R won’t be the first motorsport-spec S650 to be revealed as we’ve already seen the GT4, GT3, and Supercar.
The newcomer inherits all the goodies from the Dark Horse S track car, which itself is based on the road-going Dark Horse but in a stripped-down form. Ford Performance adds an FIA-compliant safety cage, a race seat, a quick-release steering wheel, and a race steering wheel. In addition, there’s also a fire suppression system and a switch to turn off all the electronics. The dashboard boasts a central panel with controls for the headlights, wipers, and mirrors, while a pit speed limiter and a data and acquisition display system are also included. An optional passenger seat can be added.
The Dark Horse S – and by extension the R version – has front and rear tow hooks, hood pins, a different exhaust system, configurable dampers, upgraded brakes, and an adjustable rear wing. Exclusive for the R are Ford Performance Parts wheels, “strategic seam welding,” and a fuel cell for extra range.
According to the post published on Threads, Ford Performance intends to unveil the Mustang Dark Horse R on July 27.
