Just in case you're feeling a little overwhelmed by all the OEM and aftermarket custom builds presented at the 2024 edition of the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, between November 5 and 8, let's take a quick break for a bit of action at the local quarter-mile dragstrip.
As always, the good folks over at the racing-focused ImportRace channel on YouTube are dwelling around their usual venue - Island Dragway in Great Meadows, New Jersey. Lately, we've seen quite a lot of commotion there with brawlers like the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Trackhawk, R35 Nissan GT-R, Fox Body Mustang, Subaru WRX, Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, older Camaros and Civis, and whatnot.
Those were just a couple of examples from the vast library of races this channel has accumulated. But the truth is that between Chrysler 300s and wheelie-pulling Chevrolet Bel Airs, we realized that we hadn't seen an S650 seventh-generation Ford Mustang Dark Horse in a while. No worries, the itching just got scratched by the latest 'test and tune' event at Island Dragway – and in the best way possible. So, the most recent video focuses on an inconspicuous dark gray Ford Mustang with proud Dark Horse badges on the side to signal that its ultra-popular 5.0-liter Coyote V8 has been massaged to the tune of 500 galloping horsepower.
The first skirmish is against a classic foe – a black sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaro RS, according to the description, featuring the 6.2-liter LT1 V8 engine from the SS model, which is shared with the defunct Corvette C7 and provides 455 horsepower to the discerning user. Well, tires screamed and squealed to reveal the level of Ford vs GM ferocity, and in the end, there was only one victor – the Camaro had a moment when it decided if it would lose control or not, and that was more than enough for the Dark Horse to take advantage: 13.17s versus 13.36s at 109 mph versus 113 mph.
With that victory in its pocket, the driver of the S650 Mustang confidently met its second opponent – a fellow FoMoCo driver who masters a small-wheel RCSB (Regular Cab short bed) Ford F-150. To make it more 'aerodynamic,' the truck owner even opened the rear gate (!), and while many would poke fun at it, this was probably the correct decision. That's because the F-150 relentlessly pushed and overcame its adversary's better reaction time to serve a truck versus sports car lesson: 13.28s versus 13.46s!
So, what do you think – was the black Ford F-150 modified with hidden 'sleeper' features or not? Also, when are we going to see the S650 Ford Mustang Dark Horse go back to the 12s – the Dearborn automaker promises the automatic version rockets in 12s flat at over 118 mph through the quarter mile while the manual does it in 12.6s at more than 113 mph!
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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