2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse With Automatic Gearbox Still Impresses on Dyno
Hennessey recently put their 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse on the dyno, and even with its limitations, it still put down some solid numbers.
With quite a new S650 Mustangs landing in the hands of customers over the past few weeks, we’ve seen more than one hit the dyno, as expected. After all, everyone wants to know just what these new machines are capable of, and especially, what kind of power they’re actually making as opposed to what Ford says they do. Thus far, one thing has become abundantly clear – you’re going to get better dyno numbers out of a manual transmission car than one equipped with the 10-speed automatic, due to limitations from the factory speed limiter. That was once again the case when Hennessey Performance strapped its 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse to the dyno recently, too.
This particular 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse is bone stock, and equipped from the factory with the Handling Package and 10-speed automatic transmission. Its special version of the 5.0-liter Coyote V8 – which features different components versus the GT – is factory-rated to produce 500 horsepower and 418 pound-feet of torque, which is tops in the current pony car lineup.
On this particular day, this particular car managed to lay down 428 horsepower at 6,840 rpm and 379 pound-feet of torque at 5,020 rpm on the dyno, which is notable because those revs are a bit low compared to Ford’s ratings, which were achieved at 7,250 and 4,900 rpm, respectively. Of course, this is because of the aforementioned speed limiter. To achieve a proper 1:1 ratio, the 10-speed needs to be in seventh gear, which is impossible to hit on the dyno because of the limiter.
This isn’t a problem in manual Dark Horse models, however, which we’ve seen put down roughly 445 horsepower and 389 pound-feet on the dyno already, as they’re able to be tested properly. Regardless, Hennessey’s numbers aren’t terrible by any means, even if they aren’t exactly 100 percent accurate, as they represent a sub-15 percent parasitic loss in horsepower, and less than 10 percent in terms of torque. Plus, tuners will inevitably figure out a way to turn off the factory speed limiter soon, we imagine.
Of course, Hennessey isn’t just dyno testing their 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for fun, as they’re working on developing something a bit more sinister – the H850, which will add a supercharger, high-flow induction system, bigger fuel injectors, and a new calibration to generate 850 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque. Chances are, that’s just the beginning, however, as the latest version of the Coyote V8 seems – like its predecessor – capable of churning out some seriously impressive numbers with just a few mods.
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