Ford is promising more horses for its gas-powered pony car with the 2024 Mustang Dark Horse.
The Dearborn automaker said Thursday that the specially modified fourth-generation Coyote V8 in the upcoming Dark Horse would deliver 500 horsepower and 418 pound-feet of torque, making it the most powerful non-Shelby Mustang edition to date.
“Mustang has always pushed the envelope. From Mustang GT to Dark Horse, this is our best 5.0-liter V8 yet. It’s naturally aspirated awesomeness,” Ed Krenz, Mustang chief engineer, said in a news release.
Details on pricing, fuel economy and 0-60 mph time are expected closer to spring. The 2024 Mustang coupe and convertible models, which are assembled at Flat Rock Assembly, are scheduled to go on sale in the summer.
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In addition to the Dark Horse announcement, Ford noted the standard 2024 Mustang GT would provide 480 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque and when equipped with the available active valve performance exhaust system should push that to 486 horsepower and 418 pound-feet of torque.
That exhaust system also promises to deliver a “custom-V8 sound with the ability to close the valves to restrict the amount of noise made by the car,” Ford said in its release.
“The fourth-generation Coyote V8 features a segment-first, dual intake and dual throttle body induction system that’s matched with structural improvements and upgraded oil pan. This helps minimize induction loss by enabling higher air flow rates. For Mustang GT and Mustang Dark Horse, horsepower and torque ratings are the same for automatic and manual transmissions,” the release said.
For those who don’t demand the V8, the turbocharged 2024 Mustang 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine promises 315 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque.
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The 2024 Mustang, billed as the last all gas-powered version, was revealed on the Detroit riverfront at this year’s North American International Auto Show.
“The reveal at the Detroit auto show was the final act in a celebration of the pony car that included 1,000 Mustangs and 1,600 owners from across the country who rolled into Detroit’s Hart Plaza on Wednesday lining Jefferson Avenue in what Ford called a stampede,” according to the Free Press story at the time.
Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Become a subscriber.