Dark Horse poorly received??

[Jays Stang]

I love my DH w/HP in Vapor Blue. It handles great. It's fast and sounds great. I actually preferred it over a 9/11 I test drove so for me I don't "wonder" if it's over priced. I plan on SC so it will be crazy fast. Last thing is maybe cuz it's new but I get tons of compliments on the car from random strangers. People even ask me what it is and I have to tell him it's a mustang. The wing and splitter and badging make it look unique along with the color and different than what mustangs usually look like.

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[Karguy]

So what if you don't want a Mach 1?

I hear you as after a testdrive I did not want a Mach 1 either because it was basically a GT with the same low torque engine and loose handling But at least had the much needed additional oil coolers and the Tremec 6 spd ! I was looking for the DH to raise the bar by going at least to 5.4 if not all new block 5.8 liters as also new lighter and better handling chassis but except for a price hike over the already compared to SS1LE overpriced Mach 1 we pretty much got exactly the same except for new name and a little nip & tuck… Ford thought they had not to do better as Camaro and Challenger gone , Corvette auto only and really 6 figure prices and BMW M2,3,4 inline-6 only…Hope Mustang brings something more exiting on the to be realistic existing platform before a really all new Mustang generation comes like a Boss 351 / 5.8 like in the days of the Boss 302 street and Laguna Seca more track oriented version With a better looking front as in at least get rid of the black bags under the eyelids as the S650 still has the too tall beltline between the hood and wheel wells inherited from the S550…Better than on the S550 but still not right on the S650 where the fender and hood curves down at the front but to make this look right would probably require a all new design of the body…

 

[9secondko]

I got one. I'm not disappointed. Is your buddy the final arbiter? Nope.

I didn't pay $85K. I paid $68K. No need for incorrect rhetoric.

EDIT: Boy can't handle facts, so he blocks/ignores. Boo hoo hoo.

man’s neither are you the final arbiter. But hey, personal opinion is noted. It’s all opinion. However, when it comes to spending 70k, I’m going to want plenty more for my car.

The OP noticed evidence that there isn’t much demand for the dark horse. And some of us who are honest about it have shared why. From the pricing to the last gen performance the car just doesn’t make sense. If it were a GT (and priced like one), great. That’s a slight upgrade from last gen. But no, ford wanted to pretend it was some new legendary model to squeeze a few extra dollars from customers and it just isn’t.

I’m glad you like your car and that you feel it’s a great value for seventy thousand dollars. To me, it’s nowhere near. And based on what the OP posted, way too many Americans agree.

 

[GripTime]

man’s neither are you the final arbiter. But hey, personal opinion is noted. It’s all opinion. However, when it comes to spending 70k, I’m going to want plenty more for my car.

The OP noticed evidence that there isn’t much demand for the dark horse. And some of us who are honest about it have shared why. From the pricing to the last gen performance the car just doesn’t make sense. If it were a GT (and priced like one), great. That’s a slight upgrade from last gen. But no, ford wanted to pretend it was some new legendary model to squeeze a few extra dollars from customers and it just isn’t.

I’m glad you like your car and that you feel it’s a great value for seventy thousand dollars. To me, it’s nowhere near. And based on what the OP posted, way too many Americans agree.

It appears that at least 90% of the people on this forum and others share your sentiment. Too slow, too expensive too heavy, not selling, should have been the next GT. Most DH threads seem to trend to this conclusion. Very surprising but understandable. GT350^ or bust.

 

[roadpilot]

It appears that at least 90% of the people on this forum and others share your sentiment. Too slow, too expensive too heavy, not selling, should have been the next GT. Most DH threads seem to trend to this conclusion. Very surprising but understandable. GT350^ or bust.

Did you know that 87.43% of all statistics are made up on the spot?

Too slow? So slow that the 90% bought the faster GT instead?

Too expensive? Maybe the 90% should have made better career choices.

Not selling? Most difficult car to find on the lot in decades (compared to other car searches), at least for me. Found lots of other Mustangs on the lots, though.

 

[Mustang406]

Did you know that 87.43% of all statistics are made up on the spot?

Too slow? So slow that the 90% bought the faster GT instead?

Too expensive? Maybe the 90% should have made better career choices.

Not selling? Most difficult car to find on the lot in decades (compared to other car searches), at least for me. Found lots of other Mustangs on the lots, though.

Generally speaking I haven't seen very many S650 Mustangs at all and I have never seen a Dark Horse in person. Part of that is where I live (Montana) but it is early spring so I expect to see more this summer.

I am surprised to see several Dark Horse models for sale at msrp on the internet. Last fall they were asking 10-20k or more ADM.

My opinion is Dark Horse needed to come in around 550hp to really put separation between it and the GT. 14hp is so close it probably is only noticeable on a dyno. The HP is an obvious upgrade over the PP1.

I will say despite the price or my opinion of the car overall the Dark Horse looks a lot better than a GT. The GT sits way too high and without an obvious front splitter it looks awkward to me. And the blue ember and vapor blue are awesome colors.

 

[GripTime]

Did you know that 87.43% of all statistics are made up on the spot?

Too slow? So slow that the 90% bought the faster GT instead?

Too expensive? Maybe the 90% should have made better career choices.

Not selling? Most difficult car to find on the lot in decades (compared to other car searches), at least for me. Found lots of other Mustangs on the lots, though.

My response was just more of a yielding to what I perceive in the forum. It seems like every DH discussion ends in its too slow, needs 550HP, too expensive, too heavy. I love the car but tired of defending it. Every thread with a DH follows the same path and instead of being able to talk about the car, I feel like I am just defending it all the time which is boring.

 

[Mustang406]

My response was just more of a yielding to what I perceive in the forum. It seems like every DH discussion ends in its too slow, needs 550HP, too expensive, too heavy. I love the car but tired of defending it. Every thread with a DH follows the same path and instead of being able to talk about the car, I feel like I am just defending it all the time which is boring.

S550 generation was arguably the best Mustang generation ever. Expectations for S650 were understandably high. S550 had a rough start as well. The 15-17 GT actually had worse acceleration than the 13-14 and the 2016 GT350 non track pack cooling issues plus all the issues with the MT-82. Ford turned things around with the 2018 refresh and they have a chance to do so again. Will they remains to be seen.

 

[Karguy]

I live in Commifornia and the only place I have ever seen a DH was at a Ford dealership while on vacation in mexico…So its definitely not a hit ! I was really looking forward to it but I was simply underwhelmed looking at what is basically a Mach 1 with some black make up applied for $20K too much Ford asking for it…I be honest about it for that kind of money Ford should turned the Coyote into a 5.8 to give it much needed low to mid rpm Torque it lacks and made the car lighter and given it a better chassis instead of masking its flaws by putting super sticky race tires on it ! Having said that I think the S650 has a better looking front than the S550 from 18 on whose front fenders going into the headlights look weird like a birds beak to me but if Mustang I would only consider Mach 1 / DH over a GT or GT 350 because of much needed oil coolers and Tremec as also a Coyote beats any Vodoo on reliability , power below 4000 rpm where the Vodoo has literally Nothing as also sound…I think flat plane crankshaft V8s sound boring compared to a real V8 with a crossplane V8 that make the beautiful music we all love and what attracts most of us to these cars in first place…

 

[roadpilot]

My response was just more of a yielding to what I perceive in the forum. It seems like every DH discussion ends in its too slow, needs 550HP, too expensive, too heavy. I love the car but tired of defending it. Every thread with a DH follows the same path and instead of being able to talk about the car, I feel like I am just defending it all the time which is boring.

Jealousy often makes some people act poorly. Enjoy you DH.

 

[Skye]

I love the car but tired of defending it.

I've accepted discussions like this as part of the experience. Sometimes I participate. Most times, I don't.

When the Mach 1 debuted, a lot of people couldn't crap on it enough. Countless, voluminous threads ensued.

Discussions akin to this one continue, years after a particular car ended production. Someone chimes in why a GT500 is an over-priced POS, why a 350R is a ticking timebomb or their modified M1 will always be better than someone's factory car. Non-owners are often critical or negative, owners positive.

People weigh all kinds of tangible and intangible matters when selecting a vehicle to purchase. For the overwhelming majority of them, they're happy with the decision.

Enjoy the car. Leave the rest to history.

 

[Rated R]

I was tempted to get one, but I'm waiting for whatever Ford has up its sleeve. I applied for the GTD as well so we will see.

 

[roadpilot]

I was tempted to get one, but I'm waiting for whatever Ford has up its sleeve. I applied for the GTD as well so we will see.

Tempted to get a $70K car but decided to wait for a $300,000 car? Congrats on making better career decisions than me!

 

[Karguy]

The real reason we see this discussion is that Ford did not spend money on a new Mustang…The elephant in the room is the SS1LE that came out in 2017 and the DH was only able to “beat” by putting Trofeos on it…That is cheating as a 7 year old car would still beat an all new one being able to run the same shoes.I had a 19 SS1LE and know what I am talking about.Handling way better than a C7 Corvette with no snap oversteer but driving like on rails…Engine the same but better transmission with no long linkage and 3 overdrive gears…But not playful and the LT1 feels boring pretty much making the same linear power no matter if you are at 2,3,4,5 or 6000 rpm…Nasty cheap plastic interior , useless rear seat , small trunk and horrible visibility…If you cant see you cant drive.The Mach 1 did not convince me as the Coyote sounded great but felt weaker except at 6500 rpm and the chassis felt like the front and rear played for different teams…Waited for the DH but the same with slightly different wrapper and $20K more expensive… BMW M2 was powerful practical and playful but missed the V8 sound…Ended up getting a car I never had on my radar screen despite to good looking…Challenger 392 WB with a 6 spd…Lots of TORQUE and so much fun to drive on the street with the short gearing and how it rotates into turns…Moral of the story be open minded , test drive before you buy and get what gives you the biggest smile

 

[Rated R]

Tempted to get a $70K car but decided to wait for a $300,000 car? Congrats on making better career decisions than me!

Keep the GT3 and get the next Mustang above the DH, or sell the GT3 if they grant me a GTD. Even then it'll be a very tough decision.

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