The new-for-2024 S650 generation Ford Mustang is a notable vehicle for many reasons, including the fact that it’s part of what most would consider to be a dying breed of sorts. The Mustang doesn’t really have much traditional competition to deal with these days following the discontinuation of the Chevy Camaro and Dodge Challenger/Charger, though the Charger is making a comeback with twin-turbocharged inline-six power and as an EV. Despite this, it seems as if the all-electric Dodge Charger Daytona isn’t quite up to the task of beating the Ford Mustang Dark Horse, specifically.
Recently, MotorTrend pitted a Ford Mustang Dark Horse against the new Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack, which is certainly an interesting battle given the fact that Stellantis has touted its all-electric muscle car as being a superior performer versus everything else on the market. Otherwise, these are two very different machines, given the fact that the Ford Mustang Dark Horse packs the naturally-aspirated 5.0L V8 Coyote making 500 horsepower and 418 pound-feet of torque, mated to the 10-speed automatic transmission in this case.
The Charger Daytona Scat Pack, on the other hand, uses two electric motors to churn out 670 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque, driving all four wheels. However, the Dark Horse tips the scales at 4,028 pounds versus the Charger’s hefty 5,916 pound curb weight, which results in fairly similar performance – the Mustang did 0-60 in 3.7 seconds and covered the quarter-mile in 12.0 clicks, versus the Charger’s 3.2-second 0-60 and 11.5-second quarter-mile. In the handling test, the Dark Horse left the Charger Daytona in the dust and handily out-braked it, too.
Ultimately, the Dodge Charger Daytona proved to be a fairly competent machine in this test, but the Ford Mustang Dark Horse still emerged as the winner for a number of good reasons. MT noted that the Dark Horse is “capable of hanging with many of the rest of the world’s great sports car. Its front end has so much bite and grip and its chassis is so well-sorted and composed that a skilled driver can easily hang the Dark Horse onto the bumper of a Porsche or BMW on a curvy back road or take it to a track day and make no apologies. It’s a muscle car, but it’s also very much more.”
This is just the latest comparison test victory for the S650-generation Ford Mustang, however – the GT recently took down the old, ICE-powered Challenger, not to mention some non-traditional foes such as the Toyota GR Corolla, Honda Civic Type R, and Hyundai Elantra N.
Comments
The newer Mustangs are pretty competent in most sports car categories, even much more expensive options.
So the Charger is 1/2 second quicker 0-60mph and in the 1/4 mile (which is where most people who own these cars run them, not on closed race courses), but the very expensive dark horse version of the Mustang is the undisputed champion?
The better competition for the EV charger is the EV mach 1 gt.