We’ve not even seen the Dark Horse of Ford’s very latest generation of Mustang in the flesh yet and already tuning firms are hovering over it like flies. This is understandable, of course - the domestic market for Ford’s muscle car dramatically overshadows its export potential, and because its domestic market is North America, its buyers fully expect an exhaustive range of upgrade options. Ford itself has been on the case - we expect to see it launch a track-only Dark Horse R later this month - but so has the aftermarket: cue the ‘H850’ Mustang Dark Horse from Hennessey.
It’s worth remembering that the standard model is no shrinking violet before it gets to the Texas-based tuner. The Dark Horse is so called because Ford supplies it with the Coyote 5.0-litre V8 turned up to 500hp thanks to GT500 connecting rods and numerous other upgrades. Whether you get the manual or the 10-speed automatic, the flagship Mustang is a fast car. But like most tuners, Hennessey prides itself in ‘making fast cars faster’ - hence the telling introduction of a supercharger, a high-flow induction system, upgraded injectors and a new fuel pump.
Overseen by a bespoke HPE Engine Management system, the Hennessey's flagship Dark Horse develops 850hp and 650lb ft of torque, which is a hefty improvement in anyone’s book. Especially as Hennessey is apparently relying on the standard (albeit significantly beefed-up) chassis to handle the additional power - or at least it makes no specific mention of tweaking the suspension at this point. The tuner doesn’t mention performance figures either, although it’s fairly safe to assume that the blower’s presence is transformative under virtually any use case.
"Our supercharged Mustang builds have continually been customer favorites over the years, and Ford's improved S650 platform will prove to be its most capable,” said founder and CEO, John Hennessey. “Without question, our supercharged 850 horsepower Dark Horse model will be one of the most exciting and powerful muscle cars on the road – sure to turn heads with its distinctive supercharger wail and exhaust note."
Just in case the (presumably) huge noise doesn’t do the trick, the tuner has added custom side skirts, front splitter and rear spoiler - all in carbon fibre - to the Dark Horse’s already imposing styling pack, as well as a rather fetching set of forged aluminium wheels. You also get a smattering of Hennessey badges and associated embroidery inside, although it seems like the interior is also mostly left alone. No word on cost yet, although production is pencilled in for Q4 of this year. The starting price for a new Dark Horse is around £45k in the States - expect a premium befitting a supercharger.
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