1,000 Mile Honest Review | 2024 Mustang Dark Horse

Heading up for a 12-hour round trip to North Carolina seemed like a great time to shoot a 1,000-mile review on the Dark Horse. Overall, I'm really happy with this car whether it be evaluating from a comfort standpoint, or performance. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that the S650 is truly an evolution of the S550, not a revolution. If you manage expectations from there, and walk in with an open mind, the S650 (especially Dark Horse) has some very impressive improvements that make it a great all-around performer AND cruiser right out of the box.
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Thumbnail Base Photo: Crvnka Photography // www.crvnka.com/
0:00 Intro
0:53 My Background
2:11 Exterior
4:05 Tail light Angles
5:03 Spoiler Options
5:22 Headlight Options
6:52 Interior
8:17 Digital vs Analog
9:11 Ford Pays Attention: Gen X
9:47 Interior Downside: BMW?!
10:55 Comfort Level
11:50 Complaints?
12:25 "Squatt-ier" is definitely a word.
12:43 Performance
13:11 Evolution vs Revolution
15:12 Better Than S550?
15:58 Unlock Tuning, Please!
16:58 Mach 1, feels better... but is slower
17:22 Slowering Than GT350 In Straight Line
17:54 Outro
#2024Mustang #DarkHorse #Review #DrivingReview #FordMustang #S650Mustang

[@analogguy5548]

I’m definitely not a millennial - I’m 76 and hate the iPad dash. I’ll be hanging onto my 2010 S550 with “analog” style dash. Happy motoring 🇺🇸🤠

[@analogguy5548]

Opps - That’s a 2018 S550 😬

[@user-nj5gx7ti4k]

Went round Daytona in this with Joey Hand last week, and I was stunned with the sheer grip and agility of it to be honest. And the brakes...! I was not expecting it to stop that quickly.

[@therealcervenka]

The brakes will rip your retinas out. And I love it 😂

[@MyCalculatedRandomness]

From one content creator to another and Dark Horse owner, excellent review/overall content. Keep up the amazing work bud "Subscribed".

[@therealcervenka]

Thanks so much for the kind words!

[@Davido50]

Have '24 Dark Horse 🐎 on order now ! Cant wait. 💯

[@jeremyclarkson-69]

Nice

[@1234zcrom]

Thanks this was actually the best review for me that I’ve seen on the new one. Congrats. I love it but just paid off my s197 gt500 and that i traded an s550 GT for. I guess I’m old school - I prefer the solid axle lol the danger makes it more raw.

[@nightcoregirlprinzeugen7234]

The dark horse with the five spoke oem wheels is awesome.

[@MikeWolf-427]

Awesome sauce!

[@kiranherman5668]

Keep it up!

[@paulabes4220]

I have had my Dark Horse for three days now and I love It. It has the handling package so I'm running those big sticky tires. Now I'm waiting for my Whipple supercharger that I have pre ordered from lethal performance don't know about the internet numbers of 840 hp. I will be happy with 650 to the wheels. I guess I will find out soon. Keep up your Dark Horse content. Oh, I watched your video on the dash but I'm still trying to figure it out, but it was a great help I'm 61 so that might explain a lot.

[@xavierfischer6618]

How much was the Whipple supercharger?

[@paulabes4220]

I live in Canada so with the exchange on the dollar, taxes and duties and shipping. It was $16,000 Canadian@@xavierfischer6618

[@therealcervenka]

A Whippled Dark Horse?! You’re gonna have some serious power going to the ground! Thanks for the kind words and enjoy your Dark Horse!

[@shannonpatrick77]

Dont feel bad Im 44 and havent figured it out yet.

[@paulabes4220]

I'm thinking of keeping my laptop in my car so I can KZbin videos so I can figure out how to use it lol@@shannonpatrick77

[@gbass7328]

Glad I found you again Chris. I have the Focus RS that is getting a new motor thru CPO warranty. How did you sell the GT350 with a new motor? We can discuss off line.....

[@therealcervenka]

Sorry to hear, man. Sugar is always sweeter. My 350 was covered through Ford Certified Pre-Owned warranty. No drivetrain mods were made to the car, so coverage was pretty straight forward. You can always find me on FB or IG - happy to PM there!

[@Dangerous_Drivers_of_CA]

Awesome car!

[@speedfiend925]

Can you expand maybe in a future video the ordering process? I placed an order for a Darkhorse months ago and Ford still has not picked up my order so I am not sure if this is due to dealer incompetence or something else. Color me jealous at the moment. 😁

[@danielmarcin8983]

First, I really like your feedback. Well explained. I do have 2 questions. How much difference are there on road courses with the DH without the handling pkg. Vs with the handling pkg. 10%, 20%? When my DH comes in, if ever, ordered on 6/22/23 and no build date yet😢 . Anyway, I was thinking of squaring my extra set of rims/tires to 305's, so I could rotate. Wouldn't it change your speedometer if you change sidewalls or move up to 20" rims and tires? How do you calculate that, so you know what to order?

[@therealcervenka]

Thank you! I haven't driven both Dark Horse Handling Pack and Dark Horse non-HP on track quite yet. I can tell you that the Handling Pack does have a specific spring/sway bar setup and different MagneRide calibration. However, if you want to save a couple bucks, the base Dark Horse is stout and with a select few upgrades you could out corner a stock Handling Pack car, for sure. Your biggest benefits of getting the Handling Pack are the wheels/tires and additional aero with the splitter and spoiler/gurney flap. Aside from that, the suspension can be easily upgraded. Sorry to hear about your build date 😕 Have your dealer keep following up on your behalf to get things rolling! However, make sure your dealer has an allocation for your car. If you don't have a VIN yet, that may be a good question to ask... For the wheels & tires, I honestly could make a video on that subject. Yes, these did add additional height in comparison to the factory setup, especially with the Handling Pack tires being small, skinny 315/30-19s in the rear. My speedometer is roughly 5-6 mph off at 70 mph. But, I always have Waze or Google Maps up on the center screen which shows GPS speed. In the older cars if you were to correct this, you would use a tire size calculator (linked below) to calculate the revs/mile. And then use a tuner to correct the revs/mile in the tune so the speedometer can read correctly. Since we aren't sure when these things will be able to be tuned, I'd recommend finding a tire that is close to your factory rear tire height. So, if you go with a base Dark Horse, that has a 275/40-19 in the rear with a overall diameter of 27.7". If you go with a set of 20 all around with a 20x11 in the rear, I'd recommend going with a 305/35-20 in the rear which comes out to about 28.4" tall tire. At 70 mph with the new tires, your speedometer will read 71.8 mph... not too bad. You could obviously run this square as well, just need to make sure you either get a spacer to run up front if it's 4 identical wheels, or the correct offset front wheels. Hope this helps! tiresize.com/calculator/

[@danielmarcin8983]

@@therealcervenka Thanks, I appreciate your reply. Good information

[@gordydexter2615]

Hi Chris, great overview of what you see as improvements on the S650. I am in agreement with your assessment!!! That’s why I ordered a Dark Horse. 🐎 What tires are you running on your DH? I heard the vossen rims at 10”F / 11”R with 315/35R20 What are you running on the front plus what brand???? When my DH comes in I will be replacing the Trofeo RS for daily driving but not sure if I should go with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S or Nitto 555? I am curious what you decided on and why please? Thanks Bro. Was surprised hearing that you are leaving Valdosta & Steeda. Blessings for you in all your endeavors!!!‼️👍👊💪😎🇺🇸

[@therealcervenka]

Thank you! For the street setup, it's a set of Velgen VF10 in Gloss Gunmetal. 20x10 in the front, and 20x11 in the rear. Tires are Nitto NT555 G2. 275/35 in the front, and 315/35 in the rear. If you are looking for a set of summer tires, Nittos are always a great cost-conscious choice. But if you're looking for great performance for an everyday summer tire, I'd recommend the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S or Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02. Both tires are equal in dry performance and the Conti is a bit better in the wet. Let me know if you have any other questions and thanks so much for the kind words!

[@gbass7328]

Wow the 2.3 ltr blew too. omg hard core Ford. Good for you!

[@therealcervenka]

Haha thanks! The Eco was tuned pretty aggressively. I would put the blame there over anything Ford. Tough lessons to learn as a young 20-something, but it’s made me a smarter person today in modifying my cars.

[@KG5SNU]

Nice review. What’s your height and how is the interior space? I’m 6’3” and curious.

[@therealcervenka]

Thanks! I’m 6’ 2”. Interior space is good… unless you’re in the back seat 😂

[@genearoth3970]

Hello Chris , I found your review on the Dark Horse Mustang interesting . I have been looking at the new GT models . Both fast backs and the convertiblie . I do like the extra horse power in the Dark hose . . . How do you like the recaro seats in the Dark Horse . Congraduations on your new Dark Horse ! ' Gene ,

[@therealcervenka]

Thank you! I love the Recaros in the Dark Horse. They’re a must-have if you do any time of performance driving.

[@brad265]

Is the regular 5.0 built for boost? Wondering if I should save the $20k and go with a GT add a supercharger. But I want to use is at the track too...

[@oscaraguilera4172]

the coyote has been able to take boost for a long time, i wouldn’t hesitate to get it if your goal is just around 800 wheel. if you’re going past that, maybe go for the dark horse. things like the gt500 rods is cool for huge boost numbers

[@hankjuliao7987]

Adding this to the shortlist. So far 1. C8 corvette | 2.The new CLE from MB when it comes | out. 3. Mustang dark horse | 4. Nissan Z

[@bwuki]

How’s the interior been in terms of quality? Any rattles or squeaks like the s550s? The dash rattle on the s550s is the thing I hate the most about the interior curious if it’s changed

[@Skm1608]

Everything is refreshed and looks very clean. No rattles except the volume knob is far right. Everything is great

[@therealcervenka]

No rattles so far after 1500 miles! It seems they definitely spent more time figuring those rattles out. All of my S550s rattled in some way or another. Yes, the volume knob being on the right is kind of weird.

[@analogguy5548]

2018 GT Premium, PP1, 6 speed, Magna ride, active valve exhaust - 65,000+ miles. NO RATTLES or SQUEAKS. Near perfect car.🇺🇸🤠

[@bigrichreptiles0272]

PROCHARGE IT SOUNDS SO GOOD PROCHARGED

[@therealcervenka]

wwwwoooossshhhhhhh

[@youcdtube]

Does the goofy lap top disconnect to hand it over to the passenger for goofy video games?

[@therealcervenka]

Lol. Check one out in person, it may change your mind!

[@ChrisFromFloriduh]

Does the Dark Horse fix the numb handling of the GT? One thing I couldn’t stand with the s650 compared to Camaro is the handling.

[@therealcervenka]

I answered your other comment 😄

[@ivanroman3870]

Hey Chris does your car have the handling package ?

[@therealcervenka]

Yes, it does!

[@marcramrattan]

I definitely want to get one, but still on the fence whether to go auto or manual. It’s like I love the traditional manual and shifting your own gears but at the same time with the 650 as you said, it’s almost like it went to college and having a human shift versus the computer it’s almost like you’re letting the car not reach its full potential by not getting the auto as far as speed. The manual also has the cool factor knowing that many people can’t drive it.

[@FastLane-Grip]

I have a manual and love it. The way Ford has got that Coyote revving I can certainly see how an auto would be incredible because you have more gears. Tough choice.

[@matthewfolson]

Nice car! How do you see the top speeds? In my challenger, I was able to see my top speeds.

[@therealcervenka]

What do you mean top speeds? Have I taken it to its top speed? No, I haven't lol

[@Geoolol]

he's referring to being able to see the top speed youve hit in the vehicle. @@therealcervenka

[@Sloimer]

Lol who cares

[@wriv819]

Wow it took 80k to graduate?? What about us who purchased the high schoolers we were used as testers for 50k 😂

[@christenn32]

I think it looks great. The iPad dash is growing on me after I went to the dealership to look at them. For whatever reason, it looks big and out of place in videos and pics, but in person, it's really not that bad. My only rub is why call it a new generation? It would've been like calling the New Edge Mustang the next generation after the sn95. Now I understand that's not exactly a 1 to 1 comparison because there was more redesign involved with the s650, but at the end of the day it's just a refreshed s550. Why not go with a completely new body style?

[@therealcervenka]

I’m no insider, but my best guess… money. In a shrinking segment, Ford was able to accomplish a heck of a lot on a refreshed S550 platform in the 7th gen. Developing an entirely new chassis is incredibly expensive and time consuming. I hope we see one come down the road, but I can tell you Ford still made enough changes to the S650 that it’s quite an improvement over the S550.

[@christenn32]

@therealcervenka Yeah, that was suspision as well. The sports car marker has never really recovered since the 2008 recession. Mustangs were doing really well up until then. Even with the exterior redesign and phenomenally better engine upgrade in 2011, it didn't help sales at all. We saw a small bump with the s550, but it leveled out pretty fast. Ford's got figure out a way to get these younger guys hooked again...if that's even possible. 👌

[@johnholyfield8704]

Boost the engine

[@SuperDagbo]

The one thing about the exterior is that there are no fog lights.

[@mavricxx]

Idk about those screens, I've heard several people talk about how after all the updates it got sluggish. If there's one thing I can't stand is a sluggish infotainment and no physical knobs/buttons for HVAC & other things. I also HATE that rear end, I've tried to like it but man everytime I see one, I can't stand those taillights!

[@CClososs]

Is recaro seat all manual adjustment?

[@therealcervenka]

Yup, all manual. Cuts down on some weight from the standard heated/cooled seats which is nice.

[@CClososs]

@@therealcervenka thanks, Ford Australia configurator says Recaro seat is 6 way power adjustment , which really confuses me

[@abelw71]

Hard pass on the dolled up GT. Much, Much prefer a 350.

[@therealcervenka]

To each their own!

[@LoveSportsCars]

I love mustangs but the interior is NOT very similar to a BMW interior.

[@jamesestrada82]

Save some money kids, and buy a used GT350. Way more car (especially if you like the rawness) without big goofy screens, and gimmicks.

[@nvadorzim9575]

I know reliability on the DH remains to be seen, but Shelby Gt350s/350Rs either have the initial sketchy version of the Voodoo, or are newer and therefore cost the same as the DH. Source: been shopping both for a year

[@jamesestrada82]

There are plenty of good GT350 examples with 20-30k miles going for less than $48k right now - which is significantly less than the cost of an overpriced new DH. With 20-30k miles on the odometer, you can pretty much rest assured that the engine is safe from the oil consumption issues, or that it’s already been replaced under warranty.

[@xavierfischer6618]

Dark Horse is the superior vehicle, way more gangsta. The interior is definitely a step up

[@reshelby4178]

I owned my GT350 for 4 years now. No way I’m replacing it with a overpriced Darkhorse. Dealers are asking 20k markups. No thanks

[@jamesestrada82]

@@reshelby4178 Words of wisdom right there.

[@higg2156]

The irony is too much to ignore…for the mustang’s 60th anniversary ford trots out a camaro replica…instead of a progression we got regression.

[@InfoumusMOBB]

They have made a good change to the 10 speed buts its still trash compared to its competitors. The 10speed was designed to tow or hyper millage. Not be performance based and it shows. Especially when driving something with a dual clutch or the ZF transmissions.

[@Stealth_Rider91]

I would say the Mach 1 is a much better option than the Dark Horse.

[@therealcervenka]

The Mach 1 is no slouch whatsoever!

[@RickyLopez123]

Did you ask him why it looks like a Camaro?

[@tomg6480]

Not really a new model, same as my 550 with fresh makeup. Love the rear end, looks better than 550. Front end very unattractive, worse than 550. Dash is horrific ugly and super shit looking, by far a major step down from 550 dashboard. I wanted to update my my19 gt to the new model, but no chance after now. Hopefully Ford fix the front end and dashboard so i can buy one in the future.

[@wallyparker1416]

I seen a few in person to me its a beautiful machine overall but we all have our opinionns

[@avocado9763]

Congratulations! It's not that different. It's the same motor. The same plastic interior. The same color inside grey. Small changes nothing mind blowing. The seats are vinyl not leather. 20 more horse power wow. It's a $40 thousand + car, not $64000.

[@therealcervenka]

Have you driven one yet? I’m not arguing that they aren’t major changes, but they are meaningful changes. As for price, inflation sucks. And, cars are not immune to it. No doubt about that.

[@avocado9763]

Enjoy your new car.congrats

[@johnholyfield8704]

I hate to be critical but you drag things out way too long you lose interest of people real quick by first time I've ever seen your channel and this is the first time I've ever actually been negative about anything but I'll just letting you know my opinion

[@marktarascio4766]

MUSTERO... 70 grand to draw Camero owners..looks like a kit car. 2 bad Transmissions for that price should had the 350 trans. BTW Autocross is not racing .

[@wallyparker1416]

It's has the tremac six manual or ten speed auto where u getting your info

[@marktarascio4766]

@@wallyparker1416 Opps sorry one bad 10 speed trans . Now just wait to see if the engine tics.I have had Mustangs all my life have 2 now but tired of fixing what FORD says there is nothing wrong with using my time and money .Going to Mopar !

[@wallyparker1416]

@@marktarascio4766 have a good day if you can get what u want I'm happy for you

[@charleswhite5482]

Have fun going slow with slopar. Keep crying maybe they will call you and design a car just for you.

[@marktarascio4766]

@@charleswhite5482 Pick it up today...Hellcat with a zf trans and they did build a model for me.Dont cry I'll give you a head start .

[@jrvbamafan1]

Nice car bro but i think ill keep my 22 mach 1. Cars are too similar and i cant see paying more for a heavier car...as far as being faster you mentioned the gt350 was faster than the dark horse, and the dark horse is supposedly faster than the mach 1, but ive seen 2 different track tests where the mach actually was a tick faster than the 350, making it faster than this as well. Truthfully i think they are all so close it depends purely on the driver and conditions more than the cars at this point. Ive seen a 12.4-12.7s at 117 for the dark horse in the 1/4 amd 12.2-12.5s for the mach at 114....with slight variations on both cars depending on the tester. I guess i said all that to say i think they are about as equal as 2 cars can get with nearly identical packaging. You have a nice car for sure. I just wish ford would learn that 20 or so extra hp each year doesn't mean much when you keep increasing the weight 100-200+lbs everytime. At the end of the day both these cars and all the way back to the 2011 5.0s that were roughly 300lbs lighter are all capable of 12s....so really just in pure speed, they havent gained all that much in 13 years. I just wonder what this one would do if it was still 3200-3600lbs like the old foxes up to the s197s. Both it and the mach would be mid to high 11 cars off the showroom floor, but again ford wants to stuff as many IPAD screens and gadgets in as possible, and the light and nimble mustangs of yesteryear have turned into bloated, overweight cars that honestly like all new cars, are overpriced. My mach is my 9th mustang. Had an 00v6, 01gt, 03 cobra, 04gt, 08gt, 08 saleen red flag edition, 11 5.0, 17 5.0, and now my 22 mach...so im with you on the mustang love. Had a 99z28, 04 gto, 13 camaro ss, and 19 c7 stingray thrown in there too, but im a bit older than you. Truth is the c7 would wax everyone i just named in a drag or on a track, but you basically have to fall in and out of that car because its so low....lol

[@dannyMCDelight]

Meh. Basically you're impressed with IPad apps in a car.😂