2024 Ford Mustang Darkish Horse at Lightning Lap 2024
Table of Contents
From the March/April 2024 issue of Car or truck and Driver.
Lap Time: 2:51.2
Course: LL2 | Foundation: $68,805 | As-Tested: $74,500
Electric power and Body weight: 500 hp • 4024 lb • 8. lb/hp
Tires: Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS F: 305/30ZR-19 (98Y), R: 315/30ZR-19 (100Y)
As fans of lightweight things, we looked like cartoon figures with eyeballs popping out of their skulls when the Ford Mustang Dark Horse rolled onto the scales. Weighing in at 4024 pounds—just 43 less than the 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500—the Darkish Horse has spent as well significantly time grazing.
Much like a sumo wrestler, beneath the skin of this newest-era Mustang are parts that produce energy. Some of the heft can be attributed to the 15.4-inch, two-piece rotors up front and 14.-inchers in the rear, greater by .4 and 1. inch, respectively, than the former-era Mach 1’s. The Darkish Horse’s brake package is the authentic deal. The 500-hp Mustang barrels down the Front Straight at 145.9 mph, 2 mph more rapidly than the Nissan Z NISMO, nonetheless will get to the brakes around 60 feet later on than the 349-pound-lighter Nissan. Whilst that length may possibly not appear like a whole lot, shortening the braking zone by approximately 10 % is major. Lap after lap, the brakes by no means faltered. On one shoulder, physics tells you to give in. On the other, the Brembos whisper “go deeper.”
Nevertheless the tarpaper-sticky Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS tires do a superb occupation transmitting longitudinal forces to the tarmac, the Mustang did not very evaluate up to its predecessor when it will come to lateral g’s. The Dark Horse’s 1.05-g functionality in Convert 1 falls behind the 2021 Mustang Mach 1’s 1.13 g’s. And it’s not just in Flip 1, but in all places. Carrying about an more 213 kilos would not enable. On the upside, the Pirellis provided regular grip lap soon after lap. Soon after several hours of qualifying-lap pace, we have been even now capable to change rapid situations.
The Darkish Horse’s major letdown is its 10-pace computerized. It would not choose lots of laps prior to the gauge warns of rising fluid temperatures. And with the heat come equipment indecisiveness and untimely downshifts. It really is pretty very likely the 6-speed handbook could knock a minor time off. Nevertheless, the Dim Horse’s 2:51.2 lap is good adequate to dethrone the Mach 1 to turn into the new king of the LL2 phase.
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David Beard research and critiques automotive similar things and pushes fossil-fuel and electric-run stuff to their boundaries. His passion for the Ford Pinto commenced at his conception, which took area in a Pinto.
