Car and Driver Lightning Lap 2024 - Dark Horse Mustang Results

[Vickstang]

Dark Horse part starts at 11:40 into the video:

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[Tones GT]

Crickets.

 

[horned-toad]

It's C&D. What did you expect?

 

[raceheart77]

While the dark horse being great, 500 hp at 4k lbs will not set off any fire works.

 

[9secondko]

Dark horse is a bit fat. 500 BP is a lot of power. Sucks the weight makes it seem like a bull for Mach instead of something better.

 

[Upacurb]

I didnt realize the weight was that close to a GT500 ....

 

[Dragster]

I didnt realize the weight was that close to a GT500 ....

I didn’t either. That’s pretty ridiculous.

 

[Hack]

I played the video while I was doing other things, so I was a little distracted, but what I remember is the cornering Gs were lower than the Mach 1 (and they said it was probably due to the weight of the Dark Horse), but the Dark Horse was still quicker around the track than the Mach 1.

So my takeaway is that either Ford improved the aero of the DH even beyond the Mach, or the Dark Horse HP is higher (or a combination).

Correct me if I got that wrong.

 

[Mustang406]

Hold up. The 2021 Mach 1 Lightning Lap was manual right? And the DH was auto and only 0.2 sec faster?

 

[Hack]

Hold up. The 2021 Mach 1 Lightning Lap was manual right? And the DH was auto and only 0.2 sec faster?

Good point there. Although I remember a Randy Pobst 911 manual vs. auto test where they were very similar at Big Willow.

 

[Mustang406]

I guess it comes down to better braking vs better cornering Gs. But 0.2 sec is so close the DH seems a bit disappointing.

 

[Upacurb]

Look before you guys get too disappointed…

I’m going to point out the same thing I point out when people try to compare lap times to the 16 GT350R in 2016

you can’t compare lap times a year… much less years apart

What was the temperature
What time of day?
what was condition of track surface?
same driver? And if same driver has his skills improved or deteriorated over time?
how fresh were the tires?

lots of variables here… it’s why I hate when people try to compare to the GT350R times from 4 or 5 years prior … not to mention there were definitely changes to the GT350R between 2015 and 2020 …

I would love to see someone run all of these cars same driver same day same time exc.

 

[horned-toad]

I would love to see someone run all of these cars same driver same day same time exc.

making wild-eyed proclamations from incomparable/inconsistent/unrepeatable data is how the ENTIRE automotive industry operates. How dare you sir, try to bring scientific methodology to an emotional argument with but a thin veneer of what English majors conflate with something that identifies as data.

I said Good Day, sir!

 

[728Autos]

I played the video while I was doing other things, so I was a little distracted, but what I remember is the cornering Gs were lower than the Mach 1 (and they said it was probably due to the weight of the Dark Horse), but the Dark Horse was still quicker around the track than the Mach 1.

So my takeaway is that either Ford improved the aero of the DH even beyond the Mach, or the Dark Horse HP is higher (or a combination).

Correct me if I got that wrong.

Tires.

 

[cosmo73]

It doesn’t change the fact the DH is 400 pounds heavier than it should be. And I’m sorry but the tweaks to the engine for a measly 14hp cannot overcome its heft. The suspension is wasting half its energy trying to keep that pig in contact with the road.

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