Dark Horse R and 'Mustang Challenge' Racing Series Revealed!

[Dub347sbf]

PRESS RELEASE

Ford Performance Debuts Track-Only Mustang Dark Horse R Bred to Race In Mustang-Only Racing Series

• Mustang Dark Horse R will be the official race car of Mustang Challenge, a new single-make, IMSA-sanctioned racing series designed for Mustang and Mustang enthusiasts.

• All-new, track-only Ford Mustang Dark Horse R from Ford Performance is intended to be eligible for competition in numerous grassroots racing series.

• Mustang Dark Horse R deliveries will begin in preparation for the start of the Mustang Challenge season in 2024.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 27, 2023 – Ford Performance today reveals the all-new Mustang Dark Horse™ R, offering the most demanding track enthusiasts a turn-key race car ready to compete in the all-new Mustang Challenge spec racing series, just for Mustang Dark Horse R and sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA).

The Mustang Dark Horse R powered by a new, fourth-generation 5.0-liter Coyote V8 is the third Dark Horse-based racing derivative to be unveiled this summer, joining its place alongside the Mustang GT3 and Mustang GT4.

"Mustang Dark Horse R bridges the gap between Dark Horse and Mustang GT3 and GT4," stated Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “Production-based Mustang vehicles have raced from the very beginning, all the way back to winning the 1964 Tour de France, even. Dark Horse R offers our passionate customers not just an attainable, factory-built race car, but also a racing series to compete with other Mustang enthusiasts.”

Mustang Dark Horse R Ready for the Track

With the Ford Mustang Dark Horse joining the herd as the most track-capable 5.0-liter V8 street-legal Mustang ever, Dark Horse R is a natural extension of the capabilities found in every Dark Horse.

“Mustang Dark Horse R has been developed with Mustang racing enthusiasts top of mind,” said Jim Owens, Ford Mustang Marketing manager. “Ford Performance leaned into countless areas of expertise developed through years of racing the Mustang and honed in on an aggressive yet approachable package for customers to pick up and play with.”

Dark Horse R is designed for track use only, but also shares several components with the road-going version. These include a Flat Rock Assembly Plant-provided body, 500+ horsepower 5.0-liter V8 engine, Tremec 3160 manual transmission, Torsen limited slip differential with 3.73 final drive ratio, aero and Brembo rear brake calipers/rotors. It’s also upgraded with a wide array of track-focused equipment.

Exterior

• Front and rear tow hooks

• Reinforced jacking points

• Underbody tie down hoops

Interior

· Recaro FIA racing seat

· Sparco quick-release steering wheel

· Sparco FIA racing harness

· Sparco FIA fire suppression system

· Safecraft FIA safety nets

· Driver keypad and button controls

· MoTeC data display and logging system

· Fuel cell

Powertrain

· Upgraded oil system

· Upgraded transmission cooling

· Upgraded differential cooling

· Borla racing exhaust system

· Ford Performance oil pan

Chassis

· Roll cage

· Multimatic DSSV dampers

· Adjustable front camber plates

· Adjustable anti-roll bars

· Select seam welding

Brakes/Wheels/Tires

· Performance ABS

· Brembo race calipers – Front

· Brembo race rotors - Front

· Brembo race pads

· Race brake cooling ducts

· Ford Performance Parts R1 Flow-Formed Wheels (19” x 10.5” front, 19” x 11” rear)

· Bespoke Michelin 19” slick race tire for Mustang Challenge, sold separately

· MSI wheel studs and open lug nuts

Mustang Challenge Provides Mustang Enthusiasts A Place to Race

Mustang Dark Horse R was born to compete in the new, single-make Mustang Challenge series.

The Mustang Challenge series will start in 2024, running a 10 to 12-race calendar in conjunction with a mix of five to six yet-to-be-announced North American sports car race weekends. All cars will compete on racing slicks developed specifically for Mustang Challenge by our series partners at Michelin.

“Mustang Dark Horse R owners will have the opportunity to race and test their driving skills with other Mustang enthusiasts at some of the world's most incredible tracks,” said Rushbrook.

Each round of the IMSA-sanctioned series, which will be managed by the Ford Performance Racing School, consists of two practice sessions, one qualifying session and two sprint races. To reward the most skilled drivers, there will be contingency payouts to top finishers in each race, as well as an overall series champion at the end of the season.

“The new Mustang Challenge series is a perfect addition to our IMSA family and we are grateful to our longtime partners at Ford for trusting us to be the sanctioning body for this spectacular new platform,” said IMSA President John Doonan. “When I was a little boy going to the race track, I vividly remember the rumble of the Mustang race cars and their V8 power, so imagining a full field of Dark Horse Rs charging into Turn 1 for the first time on an IMSA race weekend will bring back a flood of memories and be awe inspiring.”

Pricing for Mustang Dark Horse R starts at $145,000. Deliveries will begin in preparation for the start of the Mustang Challenge season in 2024.

For more information on or to order Dark Horse R, please visit (https://www.ford.com/performance/mustang-dark-horse-r/).

For more information on the Mustang Challenge, visit (https://performance.ford.com/series/mustang-challenge/news/articles/mustang-challenge-series/2023/07/dark-horse-r.html).

# # #

https://performance.ford.com/series...ng-challenge-series/2023/07/dark-horse-r.html

Sponsored

 

[Dub347sbf]

 

[Interstellar]

$145k can buy you a lot of car, both new and built. Still, badass car

 

[Dub347sbf]

It is LOUD! I would love to race in that series, really cool. Too bad I dont have 145k laying around. Maybe I'll get to see a race at some point.

 

[agreywolfe]

i mean, its a purpose built race car, GT3s can go for upwards of half a million or more. looks great and hope they bring the support series to a track near me lol.

 

[Q6543]

Lol thinking anyone is buying this car for 145k… better have 250k to even throw your hat in the ring

 

[agreywolfe]

for everyone that wanted to hear this 5.0 with straight pipes, here you go

 

[agreywolfe]

Lol thinking anyone is buying this car for 145k… better have 250k to even throw your hat in the ring

you arent buying this thing from a dealer, youre buying this through Multimatic through your racing team or business.

this car isnt for people that want a "track focused Dark Horse" this is a dark horse for people that want to race in a sanctioned racing series first. the "track focuses Dark Horse" spec will be the Dark Horse S

 

[Dub347sbf]

you arent buying this thing from a dealer, youre buying this through Multimatic through your racing team or business.

this car isnt for people that want a "track focused Dark Horse" this is a dark horse for people that want to race in a sanctioned racing series first. the "track focuses Dark Horse" spec will be the Dark Horse S

I forgot about the S, that may actually come in at a pretty reasonable(in today's world) price point for a entry level track car, maybe 120-130k.

 

[agreywolfe]

I forgot about the S, that may actually come in at a pretty reasonable(in today's world) price point for a entry level track car, maybe 120-130k.

im guessing the 90-100k price point. Ford may not want to come outright and say it, but this is definitely more of a GT350 replacement than it is a Mach 1 replacement at this point

 

[NegativeMultiplier]

...this is definitely more of a GT350 replacement than it is a Mach 1 replacement at this point

+1. For so many reasons, +1.

 

[GTP-J]

145k for a factory race car is pretty reasonable imo. Still have to pay sales tax and shipping. Tires will be expensive. Not clear if an individual can buy one for track days. I looked at the Multi matic form and it requires a race team website to be entered.

 

[BlackFerret69]

...looks great and hope they bring the support series to a track near me lol.

Agreed!

Awesome sounding car! It would break noise ordinances everywhere, LOL!!!

 

[BlackFerret69]

Awesome car!

I love those wheels:
Ford Performance Parts R1 Flow-Formed Wheels (19” x 10.5” front, 19” x 11” rear).

 

[Thomas]

Pretty sure it is not a GT350 replacement. The original articles around the announcement of the S and R stated that the S is just the R without the serialization, wheels, seam welding and fuel cell. Essentially, S was still a gutted car with a cage, nets and fire suppression gear. If still true, that is not a street car like Shelbys and will also be ordered through Multimatic via a company, racing team etc. Not Ford. No license plate. The Dark Horse you see on Ford's website now is it, and is closer to a Mach 1 replacement than a GT350 (pending any future, high-performance, street legal variants that get added to the lineup later).

Sponsored