Here’s What a Ford Mustang Dark Horse Sounds Like With an X-Pipe and H-Pipe

This little science experiment produced some very interesting results as it pertains to the sound and output of this Ford Mustang Dark Horse.

Without a doubt, one of the most popular modifications Ford Mustang owners add to their pony cars is an aftermarket exhaust system. The reasoning behind such a move is quite simple, too – V8-powered Mustangs are just begging for more open pipes, which help increase the volume of those engines in various ways, and even unlock a bit more power, to boot. However, there are loads of exhaust options out there for the picking, not to mention debates over whether an X-pipe or H-pipe setup is the best. And that had Steeda wondering – what would their own Ford Mustang Dark Horse sound like with both?

As far as we’re aware, no one has ever installed both an H-pipe and an X-pipe on a Ford Mustang Dark Horse, let alone any pony car, until now. This is a truly interesting science experiment of sorts, and Steeda did it quite simply, by welding both of those pieces together. They even went so far as to see what kind of impact this setup has in terms of power output on the dyno, not to mention how it sounds.

The results of this experiment were, well, undoubtedly interesting, too. In terms of sound, the Ford Mustang Dark Horse has the same deeper tone as an H-pipe setup down low, coupled with the louder peak sounds of an X-pipe at the higher end of the rev range. As soon as our hosts let off the throttle, that sound reverts back to a deeper tone, making for a pretty cool combo, we’d say.

On the dyno, this combo actually made a significant seven pound-feet of torque more than just an X-pipe setup, compared to 10 pound-feet with only the H-pipe. In terms of peak horsepower, the dual exhaust combo made roughly the same as just an X-pipe setup, and two fewer than the H-pipe.

As a result, there’s certainly a business case to be made for combining these two setups, and Steeda admits that it may even sell such a thing eventually – but first, it wants to keep testing this prototype for a bit longer.

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Brett Foote

Brett Foote has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is a longtime contributor to Internet Brands’ Auto Group sites, including Chevrolet Forum, Rennlist, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, among other popular sites.

He has been an automotive enthusiast since the day he came into this world and rode home from the hospital in a first-gen Mustang, and he's been wrenching on them nearly as long.

In addition to his expertise writing about cars, trucks, motorcycles, and every other type of automobile, Brett had spent several years running parts for local auto dealerships.

You can follow along with his builds and various automotive shenanigans on Instagram: @bfoote.