Ford Mustang Dark Horse R Unveiled, Will Spearhead New One-Make IMSA Series

Ford Performance has unveiled the Mustang Dark Horse R, the latest in a long line of motorsport-focused S650s. But this one is particularly special because it will compete in its own racing series, reaffirming Ford's promise totake the Mustang racing wherever possible. The Mustang Challenge is a new, single-make, IMSA-sanctioned series designed especially for Mustang aficionados, and the season will begin in 2024.

So where does this new car slot into a lineup that will eventually span 11 different racing variants?

"Mustang Dark Horse R bridges the gap between Dark Horse and Mustang GT3and GT4," according to the global director of Ford Performance Motorsports, Mark Rushbrook. "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."

Like the street-legalDark Horse, the body is from the Flat Rock Assembly Plant; the engine is the 5.0-liter Coyote V8 (producing "500+ horsepower"); the transmission is the uprated Tremec 3160 manual six-speed (versus the problematic Getrag MT82 still utilized in the regularMustang GT), and the rear end boasts a Torsen limited-slip differential with a 3.73 final drive ratio. The Dark Horse R also shares some aero and its Brembo rear brakes with the street car.

那么有什么不同呢?The oil system, transmission coolers, and differential cooling system have all been upgraded. The Dark Horse R also boasts a Borla racing exhaust and a Ford Performance oil pan. The ABS has been reprogrammed, and the front brakes are Brembo race calipers, rotors, and pads, while new cooling ducts further enhance braking performance.