Anyone regrats their DH purchase?

[hoodscoops]

I've only got 45 miles on my car so far. I will say I regretted selling my 21 Mach 1 almost immediately. I missed out on the handling pack with the Mach 1 so made it a priority to get one this go round. I have it on the lift to finish the fender lip installs along with the wind diffusers. I hope I can get out and enjoy it this weekend. Enjoyed the drive home from the dealership though lol

A little tough coming to grips with the price escalation over the last few years, but I have always had a soft spot for Mustangs so I just bit the billet.

Does the HP really handle better?

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[Billycar11]

Does the HP really handle better?

never driven a non hp car but
its 1 inch lower from lower profile tires
has gurney flap for downforce some post on here said it starts to work about 30mph
different mag ride settings
stiffer springs
305 front
315 rear
bigger front splitter
softer tires trofeo rs but you get like 5k miles out of them
its going to have more grip for the track
the the street you just have worse mpg and a higher chance of a bent rim from low profile tires

 

[CliffClavin]

The difference in handling with the larger wheels and tires are substantial. I wish there was a little more feedback through the steering wheel, but that is an issue across the line.

 

[young at heart]

Does the HP really handle better?

In a word, yes.

The capability of the HP car is hard to imagine until you’ve experienced it. I’d love to see a video of a stock HP Dark Horse vs a stock 2020 GT350 nose-to-tail on the ‘ring for a couple of laps. But of course it’ll never happen. I suspect there would be way too much pearl-clutching in one of those camps!

I‘m not a track guy so I can’t speak to that aspect. But I do push pretty hard occasionally on good curvy mountain roads, not unlike TOTD. They’re all around me and I pretty much stay on them. I have not yet been able to go fast enough to kick the tail out in my HP Dark Horse. Not even close. Perhaps a better driver than I am could accomplish this feat.

My uneducated guess is that a lot of this is due to the very large factory wheel and tire setup combined with the incredibly sticky Trofeos.

Oh and you didn’t ask but IMO somehow the ride is still very good. This from an overweight mid-70s guy with multiple joint replacements and a back so bad no surgeon will touch it.

 

[ChitownStang]

In a word, yes.

The capability of the HP car is hard to imagine until you’ve experienced it. I’d love to see a video of a stock HP Dark Horse vs a stock 2020 GT350 nose-to-tail on the ‘ring for a couple of laps. But of course it’ll never happen. I suspect there would be way too much pearl-clutching in one of those camps!

I‘m not a track guy so I can’t speak to that aspect. But I do push pretty hard occasionally on good curvy mountain roads, not unlike TOTD. They’re all around me and I pretty much stay on them. I have not yet been able to go fast enough to kick the tail out in my HP Dark Horse. Not even close. Perhaps a better driver than I am could accomplish this feat.

My uneducated guess is that a lot of this is due to the very large factory wheel and tire setup combined with the incredibly sticky Trofeos.

Oh and you didn’t ask but IMO somehow the ride is still very good. This from an overweight mid-70s guy with multiple joint replacements and a back so bad no surgeon will touch it.

I will say that even the non-HP DH with the smaller tires is substantially more planted than the S550's . My Mach 1 would lose grip very easily around a corner especially if I gassed it a little .
I really have to try to get the DH to step out.
Personally for my needs the handling package would be a waste. I like spending less so I can customize it for my streets. The chassis on both non-hp and hp is basically the same other than tires and spring height.
I had a pretty in depth discussion regarding this with Steeda guy who was very knowledgeable on the matter.

 

[Yamazuki]

and the size of the sway bars.

 

[ChitownStang]

and the size of the sway bars.

Those are very close to the same.
I think the HP has a solid rear sway bar is only difference.
I’m not saying g the HP isn’t badass , please don’t get me wrong.

 

[Yamazuki]

Those are very close to the same.
I think the HP has a solid rear sway bar is only difference.
I’m not saying g the HP isn’t badass , please don’t get me wrong.

Was just looking at the '24 spec sheet....
https://www.mustang7g.com/forums/threads/2024-mustang-s650-specs-sheet-technical-data.156257/

Apparently, DH & DH-HP, as well as GT-PP all use the same size sway bars. 33.3mm front, 24mm rear.
Whereas everything else uses a 32mm front and 21.7 rear, except the verts use 20mm rear.
I was thinking the non-HP DH used the smaller ones as well.

 

[Thomas]

I don't have a GT350, but I suspect with the same Trofeo RS tires that come on the Dark Horse there is a larger gap than people expect given the ~250lb curb weight difference.

I would think there is minimal regrets with lightly optioned DH models as you are effectively getting a new Mach 1.

What utterly blows me away (from an inflationary standpoint, not trying to put down the DH so to speak), is that you can option out a DH without the CF wheels, or Recaros, or painted stripes, and the MSRP will be higher than a new, base GT500 in 2020....

...a FULLY tricked out DH is MORE than a CFTP equipped GT500 with the same options (or as close to apples to apples as you can get) was in 2021.

 

[Stanzi]

ventilated seats just seem gimmicky to me much like wireless charging. I have yet to get in a car where the ventilated seats made a significant difference. Heated seats are nice for my back but I’ve tested cooled seats on a lot of cars and it’s a wack feature imo.

I can promise you the cooled seats on my wife’s Acura ZDX are amazing.

 

[Frogdog1]

Paid BMW M2 money for Ford. And it is showing. Lots of vegan leather in the interior.

Why didn't you just buy the M2? Didn't you look at a Mustang before you bought it? Why not just get rid of the Mustang and get an M2?

 

[Yamazuki]

Why didn't you just buy the M2? Didn't you look at a Mustang before you bought it? Why not just get rid of the Mustang and get an M2?

I was just about to make a comment about how that resolve should remove the need for any further complaints, but....

then realized it probably wouldn't matter.

 

[Zig]

Isn’t a mass produced vehicle normally considered a deprecating asset?

 

[08mojo]

I recently traded my DH HP for a 2021 GT500. I was at the point of adding boost to the DH (aka $$$), as the car is just lazy in stock form. Adding up all the money needed to add boost and supporting mods, it put me over the cost of a GT500.

So, off the dealership I went, thinking for sure I would get hosed on trade for the DH--which would then solidify my decision to throw a Whipple on the DH. To my surprise, the trade in offer at the dealer (after a lot of back and forth) was really good.

If anyone is looking for a DH HP, blue ember premium, manual with standard seats (and yes, the seat coolers work great in the s650, on the s550 they don't do a whole lot), this would be a good one to pick up. The car was well taken care of and has PPF on the bumper, front fenders, hood, a pillars and impact area in front of the rear wheels. The car is also ceramic coated. https://www.jimtidwellford.com/inve...ark-horse-rwd-2-door-coupe-1fa6p8r09r5507640/

As an FYI, their listing price is more than I paid for the car brand new, but not by much.

All that said, the DH was a great car, but it definitely needed aftermarket help to make it exciting. The GT500 is a complete blast stock form. Without a doubt, the DH HP had noticeably more grip (likely largely due to the trofeo RSs), but the GT500 is no slouch. Everything else goes to the GT500.

Before the manual vs auto comes up: you really need to experience the DCT in the GT500, it is absolutely brilliant. I went on a spirited drive through the mountains over the weekend, and there was not a single instance where I missed the manual transmission.

All this is not to knock the DH--it's a great car and feels extremely planted which inspires a lot of confidence to toss it into corners. Part of me will always wonder if I just should have thrown boost at the DH--especially since I waited for tuning to open up.

 

[Junkyard Dog]

Take a look at the thread title and at least the first few posts prior to posting again.

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