Ford Builds Mustang Dark Horse R For One-Make Racing Series

• Dark Horse R uses road engines, gearbox

• IMSA series will run Michelin slicks

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Ford Performance is launching a new racing Mustang designed for a spec series. The Mustang Dark Horse R will run in a new Mustang Challenge series sanctioned by IMSA.

The Ford Mustang Dark Horse R is not a street car. It’s meant to be strictly for the one-model series and work as a bridge between the roadgoing Dark Horse and the Mustang GT3 and GT4 endurance racers.

“Mustang Dark Horse R has been developed with Mustang racing enthusiasts top of mind,” said Jim Owens, Ford Mustang Marketing manager. “Ford Performance leaned into countless areas of expertise developed through years of racing the Mustang and honed in on an aggressive yet approachable package for customers to pick up and play with.”

It has some street car parts including the body, 500 hp 5.0L V8, and the Tremec manual transmission. It comes with the factory rear brakes, too. But Ford has added serious mechanical parts like upgraded cooling systems for every fluid in the car and a roll cage. The Dark Horse R has Multimatic DSSV shocks and adjustable camber and anti-roll bars.

Finally, there are flow-formed wheels wearing 19-inch Michelin slicks, a racing ABS module, and Brembo racing front brakes with cooling ducts.

The Mustang Challenge series starts next year and will have a 10-12 race calendar. The series will run under IMSA sanctioning and as a side series at sports car race weekends, but the series will be managed by the Ford Performance Racing School. Pricing for the turn-key racer starts from $145,000.