After an extensive development cycle, Ford recently released the all-new seventh-generation Mustang lineup, which includes the track-focused, range-topping Dark Horse variant. Never satisfied with even the most generous of stock power figures, the Texas-based auto tuning experts over at Hennessey Performance Engineering has done what it does best and bestowed its signature upgrade treatment upon the 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse with HPE’s brand-new H850 upgrade kit.
Taking a page out of its hypercars’ playbook, Hennessey Performance Engineering’s new kit for the S650 Mustang features a bevy of cosmetic and aero upgrades. This includes an all-new front splitter, side skirts, and a rear spoiler, all of which are crafted from exposed carbon fiber. On top of optional “Heritage” graphics, the exterior of the car has also been gifted Hennessey badging and script along its quarter panels and rear fascia. Backed by a comprehensive 3-year / 36,000-mile limited warranty, the entire vehicle rides on a custom-developed set of forged aluminum alloy wheels that have been fitted with top-shelf high-performance multi-pot Brembo brakes fore and aft. Inside, the cabin of the vehicle has also been lightly reconfigured and now sports Hennessey’s embroidered head restraints and red accent stitching.
In typical Hennessey fashion, what makes this car special is undoubtedly the work that the Texas tuner has done under the Ford’s hood. Despite already putting down an impressive 500hp, the Mustang Dark Horse’s fourth-gen 5.0-liter Coyote V8 has received an up-specced supercharger, along with a high-flow air induction system, upgraded fuel injectors, and a new fuel pump. Once massaged and coupled with Hennessey’s motor calibration and engine management software upgrade, this collection of tweaks ultimately results in a 70% increase in power, allowing the upgraded Mustang to make 850hp and 650ft-lbs of torque — with the former figure giving the upgrade kit its name.
The 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse is available for order now and is slated for a release in Q4 of 2023 — at which time the Hennessey H850 Upgrade Kit will become available for the Dark Horse-spec Mustang, as either a standalone DIY upgrade kit or as a complete HPE-built turnkey key model. Pricing for this kit, however, has yet to be revealed.
