Taking our 2024 Mustang Dark Horse to the Dragstrip!

We did some street testing, but it's time for the real thing! We headed up to South Georgia Motorsports Park to see what our 2024 Manual Handling Pack Dark Horse will do at the 1/4 mile! With a time of 12.6 by Motortrend to beat, we've got an uphill battle with the dead heat here in south Georgia. This isn't the end of the stock testing yet, so get subscribed for the Dark Horse's next outing!
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[@DWH300]

Watching the your video. It shows that rowing gears on the dragstrip has no margins for errors. A slow shift or a missed gear costs you the race. I read from many viewers commenting they want a manual transmission. On a road course it's the correct choice. Not so much on a dragstrip. If your going to use the Dark Horse or GT for drag racing. The 10R80 is the best choice. I bracket race my NA automatic car with some performance bolt on parts in pure stock. I often race with street tires. When using street tires. I drop rear air pressure. I ease through the water box. I skip the John Force burnout and spin my tires enough to remove any water and debris before staging and make my two qualifying passes to establish my mid to upper 12 second ET depending on DA. My street tires hook up when not overheated and clean from water and debris. I find the Dark Horse is a refined Mustang that as you mentioned was built for the track use yet has the added comfort for a solid allaround daily driver. I'm looking forward seeing you turn the Dark Horse from a track Mustang to 1/4 mile Stang.

[@CharlesEpps-sg2tm]

The 10 speed Auto will do good on a road course but as u can see that guy can't drive

[@CharlesEpps-sg2tm]

Paddle shifter

[@treaco89]

Motortrend got the same times as a stock 11-14 Coyote.

[@Drako_93550]

Exactly!

[@brooksallenyoung]

"But it's not a dud"

[@bigdaddypatty2420]

@@brooksallenyoung no you don’t understand Scott said it’s a TRACK car. lol what a joke

[@brooksallenyoung]

@bigdaddypatty2420 It's got over 100 more WHP. A 10 speed. Way more tq. It better slap a 11-14, track car or not "Lol what a joke."

[@bigdaddypatty2420]

@@brooksallenyoung agreed. But hey it’s not a dud

[@81mont]

It just ran an unofficial 7:34 on the ring, ZL1 record is 7:16 for reference. Considering it wasn't a planned record setting event that's impressive. I wouldn't doubt it ends up beating the ZL1's time within the next year.

[@hogsrmylifetbj]

The guy in the 10spd GT must be really happy he didn’t get the dark horse.

[@redtesta]

Honestly, when i had my C5 z06 stock (only k & n air filter) i was running low 12's , around 12.30's at around 117 mph. It was a 2002. A 2024, 500hp doing mid 12's ?? Prices STARTING at over $60k and the GT in the $50k.

[@norm1815]

I agree, I was running back to back 12.801 @ 107.26 in a Dual SU Powered Stroker 2.9L 1971 240Z with shitty tires 22 years ago.....

[@singlecab_brad]

9:47 exhaust tips slappin the bumper from wheel hop

[@728GT]

Buy a manual they said. It'll be fun they said 😂

[@CoyoteAUS]

I love manuals but the 10R80 is a must if you want to be fast drag or roll racing gen 6 and gen 7 mustangs. My whippled 10R80 is smoking MT82 whippled FN S550 stangs with more power in 30-130 mph rolls here in Australia. I don't think the Tremec manual would do any better either.

[@zrx1100zz]

We need an Evan Smith intervention 😁🥃

[@johnnygo1509]

Came to watch the dork horse run a similar time as a s197 🤡

[@norm1815]

Meanwhile....I was running back to back 12.801 @ 107.26 in a Dual SU Powered Stroker 2.9L 1971 240Z with shitty tires 22 years ago.....

[@davefreers9540]

Not too impressive nowadays. Ran 12.5 at 114 with my bone stock 2015 manual scat pack.

[@MrADVANCEDTEK]

These first time at the track vids really dispells any doubt what's better for 2024 Mustang. Personally I've always felt the auto cars have the edge with no missed gears and this alone can save any engine. I get wanting a manual for fun hoping from light to light and melting tires on the street. This brings me down though cause everyone would have taken the DH over the GT but you didn't use and slick and you didn't map out gear shifts. Anyone who drives daily with a manual will say their car feels stronger at a certain rpm or speed. Not so much with the auto, it goes through gears too quick to decipher. The auto covers that and so makes it quicker by .5sec. I'd beat all my friends time by .2sec driving their cars.... how? The slick,missed shifts(but you can powershift?? not second?)and not driving it everyday is a negative. More seat time, a slick(with skinnies up front)with a good cool down you'll pick up I'm guessing at least .7sec. When you get data log look for rpm and mph where you're gaining mph faster then chart your shift points best as possible. Is there a cold air set up yet? Remember every road course has a straight away were the racing happens. Clever driving knowing your engines peak power/grip point is key but if you're losing on straight aways you're losing. Road course drivers don't shift at a set rpm they map it out and use their buttdometer lol.....

[@davidhavard1908]

I ran a 13.4 with my 02 2v 4.6 full bolt ons 410 gears . 12.9 is terrible in my opinion

[@MaddNomad1015]

It’s pretty much a GT performance pack 2. Track carver more than anything

[@tomfromeyer6230]

The automatic does high 11s and 0-60 in 3.6 seconds for everyone reading the comments lol So the auto is much much faster.

[@hyracer6684]

My 2016 Ford Focus RS went 13.34 stock. Runs 12.80's with a tune.

[@joeharing9945]

Dark Horse beats my ecoboost by 4 lengths in the 1/4. Lets see thats about 9,000 dollars a length saved....I'll take it.

[@CruisinCaptures]

My dark horse was 60k then i put 19.5k down positive equity from my trade in and then walked out with a 40.5k loan

[@totov7673]

My bros MK7 audi quattro stage 2 12.3@108 these muscle cars are turds 😂

[@cormaro13]

Only loser buy eco , so take it loser 😂

[@LIMuscleBlackdevil]

It's a bit insane that this thing costs as much as my 2014 Shelby GT500 I bought new back in 2014.

[@CruisinCaptures]

Inflation and the union protesting wages blame that.

[@bigdaddypatty2420]

My bone stock 2016 Perfomance Pack MT82 car went 12.7 @ 113. 2k d/a. I’m sure it’s fun on the track, but these cars are 100% duds when it comes to the 1/4 mile performance.

[@user-xc5es2ut7t]

My 24 GT, 10 Spd Auto ran 12.13 first day out. That Dark Horse is a severe disappointment.

[@Spiritcr1jsher]

​@@user-xc5es2ut7t the 2018 gt auto ran 11.8 @ 118mph.

[@Spiritcr1jsher]

Huge disappointment

[@bigdaddypatty2420]

@@user-xc5es2ut7t even that isn’t that impressive really, the same day I was at the track my buddies 19 went 11.8 @ 118 bone stock right down to the tires

[@totov7673]

​​​​​​@@user-xc5es2ut7t There all duds muscle cars for the 1/4 mile Verry disappointing for real I keep telling my friends muscle cars like the mustang V8 are not that great for the 1/4 mile. They dont belive me until I show them my bros mk 7 audi A3 quattro stage 2 328HP only 12.3@108 😂

[@harveyezell7678]

This is why I bought a used (20K miles) ZL1 A10. Less money, more speed. And it's a ZL1.

[@seancolon9890]

This car is freaking gorgeous!!! Race Red is the only color dark horse I have not seen in person

[@g04tn4d0]

That 60' is murdering your times. I cut a 1.8 on the stock tires with a 3500rpm launch. I would expect to see the Dark Horse able to consistently run low 12's. With a slick and a IDGAF launch, might be able to eek into an 11.9.

[@toddthrockmorton3488]

I run a 12.0 consistently on a stock gt with mickeys in the back,hit 11.9 once

[@g04tn4d0]

@@toddthrockmorton3488 That sounds about right!

[@g04tn4d0]

@@toddthrockmorton3488 And I stand corrected, in a good way, again... I just watched someone take an N/A Dark Horse and go 11.8 with a tire. That's not bad at all!

[@fordmaster50]

#1 I appreciate this honest video with real-life runs. #2 This is why the 2024 dark horse along with the 2022-2023 mach 1 are, IMO, disappointments. They still can't outrun a gt350. You would think, 6 years after the gt350, they would come out with something lighter & more power.

[@brooksallenyoung]

Dark horse and mach one are for handling. Not for 1/4. Also, 5.2 is bigger than 5.0.

[@fordmaster50]

@@brooksallenyoung Like I said, I'm disappointed that neither one can outrun a gt350!

[@DumbCarGuy]

needs an aftermarket throttle body controller like from Soler even though they don't have one for this yet. It quickens the throttle plate opening speed. I can literally hear him floor it and then wait for the throttle plates to open up as they pleeze.

[@davej1212]

2019 GT {base} 6 speed MANual running very low 12s w/continental extreme in rear. T/C off hooks in 2nd gear {no wheel spin/hopping}

[@ElvisCarReviews]

I Love the Darkhorse but can't justify its asking price, especially if with $10k more, you can get a (2020 to 2022) Shelby GT500

[@billjames3030]

Buy a used base ZL1 with A10. Dark Horse waaaay overpriced for what you get. I got a 2020 PP1 with A10 and a Dark Horse or GT350 can NOT pull away from me in a 40-140 rolling race.

[@JP-dw1fp]

I remember a couple years ago Mustang Gt's with the auto trans running 11.9'S right out of the show room. Now with 20 or 30 more HP they barley get into the 12's? WTF

[@stephenturley1189]

Tell ding dong in the gt to roll his windows up!!!!

[@NITROUSnBIASPLYS]

2024 mustang is like when the 96 mustang came out. Just wait till GPF comes out, these cars will run 13.5 lol

[@totov7673]

😅 yea I keep telling my friends muscles cars like mustang are not that great for the 1/4 mile. Thats why I stick to Vag cars 😅

[@anthonybartholomew2173]

They are made for boost wich most other cars cant handle

[@bullittboost6046]

I think that’s the disconnect with the S650. It’s not focused on cutting a quick 1/4 mile time. Really don’t believe Ford cared that it will not match the S550 stock. It’s been proven over and over S550 is faster. It appears that Ford focused more on handling, braking and refinement of daily driving/ride quality. An of course nicer tech and interior upgrades. An for me the little slower and select tune-ability doesn’t bother me. Just a little pricey for me.

[@richieb74]

So you’re telling me keep my scat pack charger. This is 04 cobra stuff

[@scarringtonzr1]

Should drop rear tires down to about 20-22 lbs to stop the wheel hop

[@cnewell1971]

Damn! 500hp and runs mid 12's..my 1le runs low 12s and only has 455hp..lol. guess low rpm stump pulling torque does make a difference!

[@thomasgrace7850]

OMG, IT IS NOT A GURNEY FLAP!! It’s a wing! Since you do not know the difference, I will tell you. A Gurney flap is a small lip placed at the trailing edge of a blade to improve the aerodynamic performance of the blade. It is added to the rear WING AND/OR DECKLID to improve downforce and turn in/out grip on a road course. If you don’t know the difference stop calling it that. If you need proof google it! BTW, it was developed by Dan Gurney to help aid the cornering performance of the Ford GT at LeMans.

[@Hotrodclassic]

Thats where the mustang belongs … That obviously have trouble with corners as seen on hundreds of U/TUBE videos going off road…! 😂😵‍💫

[@MisterJ.J.]

So for street use and drag racing, the GT is very nearly as quick as a Dark Horse regarding straight line acceleration in a quarter mile drag race.

[@728GT]

Yeah 14 hp difference and more weight will do that.

[@user-xc5es2ut7t]

My 24 GT with 10 speed Auto. ran 12.13 first day out on stock tires. That Dark Horse is an OVERPRICED GT, nothing more.

[@CruisinCaptures]

@@user-xc5es2ut7t My dark horse was 60k then i put 19.5k down positive equity from my trade in and then walked out with a 40.5k loan

[@totov7673]

​@@user-xc5es2ut7tBro even your mustang GT 10 speed is An over price. My bros MK7 audi quattro stage 2 12.3@108 😂

[@tomfromeyer6230]

​@@totov7673mk7s look terrible

[@seanchernobyl2911]

Then people complain that about muscle cars without the manual option...

[@user-zp1pu5cf4z]

It was the track not the tires that got grease

[@RedHammerBodyShop]

So my slightly modded 31 yaer old dinosaur technology 93 Cobra will beat a dark horse, gotcha.

[@nickkostakis9600]

Excuses, excuses down the track the TEN R 80 it is much faster. I I have 2019 Mustang GTboy she is fast great show anyway thank you so much from Sydney Australia.😂

[@Sonic_1000]

Man thats slow for a 70k dollar car, especially compared to a to my 42k dollar Camaro SS. I own a 24 GT 10R80 as well. Less than 50k. I guess if you really wanna road race.....

[@CruisinCaptures]

My dark horse was 60k then i put 19.5k down positive equity from my trade in and then walked out with a 40.5k loan

[@CruisinCaptures]

If you got money for what you! Want nothing else matters

[@chrisarnold769]

If you want to think that way, then you're still in the wrong car. In Jul '22 I bought my $3,800 foxbody and installed an $800 Zex system. Then, went 12.0@114.

[@CruisinCaptures]

@@chrisarnold769 nitrous is always fun I went 12.0 in my 5.3l Silverado with a wet plate kit 150 shot so we can be here all day ....bottle fed is fun but it runs out and refills down here in my town are 38 bucks a fill id rather be boosted with a supercharger or pro charger. But everyone has there niche. I'm happy in my ride 😎

[@chrisarnold769]

@@CruisinCaptures Agreed. Gonna be another $5k to run 11s NA, and still squeeze the juice for hopefully 10s. It's a lot more fun puahing a $10k car than an expensive one.

[@horsepowerbankhead4043]

That’s so slow my q60 doing 11.5 all day light mods

[@gmholden85]

Du du du dud!!!

[@stevesmith6236]

WTF is a gurney flap?? Is that anything like a rear spoiler?

[@Gimmesand]

It’s a lip that bolts onto the rear wing for added down force on the track. Helps push the car down in the turns at speed but slows it down also.

[@Freddy_Confetti]

Don’t think this guy can come up with anymore excuses

[@TheNlograsso]

Yowza! The Coyote exhaust note is awful.

[@queefreak666]

I could've made a turkey sandwich in between your shifts

[@razerginn]

21 lbs rear stock, 50lb front

[@RetaliationProductions]

My car bone stock did 12.4 @ 112 with a 1.9 60ft with crap Goodyear RF’s. 2019 Camaro SS with the 6spd NLS Tremec. I was able to hot lap the car because it has so many coolers. Bought it CPO with 18k miles for $33k. 🤙

[@totov7673]

Thats sad my bros MK7 A3 audi quattro stage 2 12.3@108 24k including mods 😂

[@RetaliationProductions]

@@totov7673 you missed the stock part, stage 0. 😄

[@totov7673]

@@RetaliationProductions Does not matter you can not tune a camro ss You miss that part!

[@RetaliationProductions]

@@totov7673 Lmao your car slow as shit without mods?

[@RetaliationProductions]

@@totov7673 so you’re audi slow unmodified and a modified tuned 6th gen Camaro SS makes 2500hp. So you lose either way 😆

[@stewart-D]

Looks like these cars like air moving through them. Track day 👍 , auto cross and drag strip 👎, luv the stick shift

[@dmocksautosnstuff]

Makes no sense I had a few 05-06 and a 07 most recently. Last one I had was a black automatic 373 gears sct tune smaller pulleys no cats no mufflers just a set of mid pipe cherry bombs just to quiet it down a notch lol and ran a 13.20s -13.40. On nitto summer tires stock 17s rims And only paid $4500 and had the parts laying around. 😂😂😂. I told my wife there no reason to buy a new mustang for 40k and now prices are on the 50s lmaoo

[@RDTimm]

$8000 worth of Steeda suspension parts will fix this car. Well that and Jamie's knowledge and help.

[@justa3v619]

😂

[@wallyc7349]

Horrible times. Way too long of a burnout for street tires and too much psi. Very short burnout to just clean off the tires and 25psi. Your slightly higher mph on the last pass was not from running less tire psi. You ran the car at night in cooler weather and the sun wasn't beating down on the track surface.

[@biged2193]

Moral of the story buy a base GT automatic and save 40 grand and win

[@justa3v619]

No the moral of the story is you gotta buy $10k worth of suspension to make a s650 mustang complete with the stock s550 😂

[@cellularsouth85]

it's not that the car ain't got the power to run a good time, it's the damn weight they're getting too heavy.

[@voodooreddevil7325]

So you guys going to put in 331 gears to go faster because you only have to shift 3 times that is what you guys want to put in my stock tuned gt350 I call bullshit

[@walterrezendes5716]

Sweet car but the times blow,camaro lt1 auto would be stought against this,34k msrp,very expensive slow car.

[@toddthrockmorton3488]

I’m running 12.0-11.9 on a stock 24 gt base 🤷🏻🤣

[@razerginn]

17 inch slicks, e85, mt82, 5000 rpm launch, 11.7-11.9 all day long in California heat. 2015 gt standard brakes

[@brooksallenyoung]

You csnt tune the 2024. So no e85

[@CruisinCaptures]

False you can use E85 it has been provin by many channels on youtube especially by a KZbin by the name of Zak Smith! Also other channels have dynoed the s650 and gain about 20+ HP with no tune and up to E30 ​@@brooksallenyoung

[@brooksallenyoung]

@@CruisinCaptures and those guys running e30 on a whipple tune are BLOWING THEIR SHIT UP. But hey. They get their shit for free. So I guess who cares

[@CruisinCaptures]

@@brooksallenyoung Zak Smith is not sponsored by no one and he is not Whipple tuned he's been running e30 for awhile now and has raced a ton of cars he just uploaded another s650 vs the world yesterday lmao

[@brooksallenyoung]

@@CruisinCaptures he can keep doing stupid shit. But I don't wanna hear anyone crying when he blows his shit up. I'll stick with non-dud coyotes for now :D

[@ravenstylea2]

Why did Ford make these new Stangs so overweight???

[@septienmarquez81]

A waste of money. The Dark Horse needs a 4.10 gear, that’s all it need

[@speeedy_rc]

$60-70k for a high 12 to low 13 sec car. 💩

[@konablues5504]

Man just sell it as soon as possible to get your money back

[@LMBC6Brian]

Manual. Yeah take it to a road course on a great tire and lets not do this again.

[@nickkostakis9600]

Forget the dark horse it doesn’t worth anything mate. I stick with my old mustang much better and faster.😂

[@tomfromeyer6230]

Stock for stock, s650 is faster.

[@Spiritcr1jsher]

Why are these so slow ? Car and driver , mustangs and fast ford and even MOTORTREND of all people got 11.9 @ 118mph in a 2018 gt auto with all season tires !

[@tomfromeyer6230]

They're not, Motortrend also got the dark horse with those times as well and 0-60 in 3.6 seconds. Every run is different.

[@allanstriber5272]

Instead of going thru all that bullshit. Buy a camaro

[@Drako_93550]

Manuals suck!! Automatic is the way to goooooo! Best all around transmission by far!

[@Teddyatlastwobrsincells]

If u gay

[@chrisarnold769]

Not on road course or auto-x.

[@scottcarr1534]

Dark horse isn't a straight line car 😑... just ANOTHER good reason to never buy Steeda...

[@tedampazis9806]

After you dump a bunch of money in your 75k car you can run mid-12’s. LOL Wow!

[@CruisinCaptures]

My dark horse was 60k then i put 19.5k down positive equity from my trade in and then walked out with a 40.5k loan

[@tedampazis9806]

@@CruisinCaptures YOUR car may be a base 60k car. That car is the video was a Premium with a handling pack. At minimum it is a 71k MSRP add taxes and fees and your are at/over 75k for a high 12/low 13 sec car. YMMV

[@CruisinCaptures]

@@tedampazis9806 my dark horse was 60 k with taxes and fees I got a deal on my car it was a custom built / specd car lmao you got to know what you are doing in the car world to get good deals. And I got my dark horse for the different cams and forged internals it comes with, for my future mods I got coming to mine. I can afford this car and I'm happy with it so I'm good. Lol 😂

[@CruisinCaptures]

@@tedampazis9806 My car was a custom built car specced the way different options built out by Ford I got what I thought was necessary in the car my main thing that caught my eye was the forged internals that it comes with , and prepares my future plans for the car. I was able to afford the car, my payments are hella low I got no complaints I'm happy and that's what matters. And after tax title license it was 60k my trade it canceled out the taxes due to the dealers policy when you trade in with them they cancel the taxes. You need to learn up on buying cars my boy

[@Q6O-Ninja]

ford liter v8's have zero torque. trash can v8.

[@CrookedlegGreg]

And you drive a what ya dork 😂

[@Q6O-Ninja]

@@CrookedlegGreg the best twin turbo charged V6 platform money can buy. The VR30 in my Infiniti Q60 Red Sport.

[@tomfromeyer6230]

​@@Q6O-Ninjav6? Lol

[@jp23x]

the audacity of Ford to call these cars a new generation. i feel bad for people who paid and continue to pay msrp.

[@CruisinCaptures]

My dark horse was 60k then i put 19.5k down positive equity from my trade in and then walked out with a 40.5k loan

[@jp23x]

@@CruisinCaptures but you still paid MSRP, in my opinion these cars aren't worth MSRP.

[@CruisinCaptures]

@@jp23x I got It cause it got my eye 👁️ but when I found out about the different forged internals and other forged parts it has . I have the 10 speed auto darkhorse. Yeah I could of got something better with 60 k but I got what I got and I'm happy. 🚀😎

[@jp23x]

@@CruisinCaptures oh don't get me wrong. I love the car, I just think that Ford got too greedy with its pricing, but this is obviously just an opinion.

[@CruisinCaptures]

@@jp23x Ford and any other major car manufacturers are in the same boat right now with inflated pricing for example the Toyota supra over priced 60 k for the car ! Lmao it's either spend the money or don't at all lol oh well the world as we know it.

[@trmpgod9976]

THE 10 SPEED AUTO'S WILL SMOKE THE 6 SPEED MANUALS ALL DAY LONG !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

[@davedave2882]

Smoke? What,a 10th of a second? I wouldn't call that smoking, I'll take my manual all day long over a automatic.

[@trmpgod9976]

@@davedave2882 MUCH MORE. I'VE SEEN IT MANY TIMES.

[@wallyc7349]

​@@davedave2882 10 speed has been high 11's

[@terminatorcoyote6319]

Its a dud just admit it 😂

[@tomfromeyer6230]

Motortrend got the auto dark horse 0-60 in 3.6 seconds. Way better than the s550.

[@terminatorcoyote6319]

@@tomfromeyer6230 they do rollout 0-60

[@mikeriv60]

Drop 500 lbs off these cars then maybe I'll be interested.. Ridiculous what Ford did to the weight of these whales.

[@chadottenbacher3154]

After all these years of having an IRS and still can't fix wheel hop. GJ Ford.

[@jerrywilliams6820]

What a piece of junk car 🤮

[@350R19]

Wow what a terrible video 😂