Just a few weeks ago, longtime pony car tuner and parts maker Steeda purchased a brand new 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse to add to its stable, which it plans to modify both visually and mechanically, and perhaps even use it to develop and evaluate new parts as well – as it already does with its GT-based Silver Bullet 2.0. Now, with its Ford Mustang Dark Horse in hand, Steeda recently took it out to the track for a bit of a shakedown run before that process begins.
Steeda didn’t just take its Ford Mustang Dark Horse to any old regular track, however, but rather, the famous Sebring International Raceway in Florida, where it put the pony car through its paces and set a benchmark for future testing once the car is modified. In stock form, the Dark Horse performed quite admirably, according to the tuner.
“We wanted to see what lap times it would lay down around the 3.7-mile historic course. As expected, the sticky Pirelli Zero Trofeo RS tires that are standard on the Handling Pack optioned Dark Horse did not disappoint!” said Glen Vitale, Steeda’s VP of Operations. “It took some laps to orient ourselves with these tires and get them up to proper tire pressure, but once done, the car laid down a blindingly fast 2.27 lap time on our second session out. This is impressive considering how hot the central Florida temps were.”
“We are incredibly excited to welcome the 2024 Dark Horse Mustang into the Steeda stable,” said Dario Orlando, President of Steeda. “This vehicle embodies the spirit of performance and adrenaline that defines our brand. With our expertise and dedication, we aim to unlock its full potential and set new standards on the track. In initial testing, the stock MagneRide gave a great ride at the track and around town. The rough nature of Sebring proved very challenging for the stock programming of the MagneRide system, and I look forward to dialing that in for a more track-focused calibration. The added aero was very evident in the high-speed corners of Sebring. The Tremec was also noticeably better than the MT-82. Every shift felt like direct contact with the transmission.”
As it works to develop new bits and pieces for the S650 generation Mustang, Steeda already offers a pretty expansive list of parts and accessories for the all-new pony car. Currently, that list includes things like a new line of ProFlow air filters, a set of spherical bearings for the rear lower control arms, the Extreme G-Trac K-Member Brace, and a differential cooler kit designed to keep temps down for those that spend time on the track.
We’ll have more parts and accessories to share soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Ford Mustang news and ongoing Ford news coverage.
Comment
Ford is doing some rather impressive things I must admit. Rolling out soon will be the GTD-which by any standards could be construed as an exotic. The Dark Horse is another addition to a powerful stable of performance vehicles that already include the Ford GT, Mustang GT. etc. Whatever horsepower addiction you have, Ford’s got the fix for it.