Celebrities often gain access to everything from events to the best seats at restaurants based on their fame. In the case of actor-turned-race-driver Frankie Muniz, being famous didn’t hurt, but being a successful driver for Ford in the ARCA series landed him behind the wheel of a car most people reading this dream of driving — the 2024 Mustang Dark Horse.

I got to drive the 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse and gave a bunch of amazing Ford employees rides. -Frankie Muniz, #30 Rette Jones Racing Ford Mustang driver

Engineered to be the most potent non-Shelby Mustang to date, the Dark Horse brings sharp handling, aggressive looks, and 500 horsepower to the party. To show some of its employees what the company’s forthcoming performance pony car could do, Ford invited Muniz to the M1 Concourse facility to give them some high-speed laps on the road course.

No stranger to racing, Frankie Muniz, known for roles in movies like Agent Cody Banks and TV series like Malcolm in the Middle, took a break from the entertainment biz back in the 2000s so he could race professionally. A crash eventually derailed that effort, but he is back behind the wheel racing the #30 Rette Jones Racing Ford Mustang in the 2023 ARCA Menards National Championship and running well. (Photo Credit: Ford Motor Company)

As the road-going version of a performance Mustang that will compete in a wide range of motorsports venues, the Dark Horse looked great zipping around the compact M1 track with Muniz showing why he quickly ascended to ARCA success after re-dedicating himself to racing after his high-speed dreams were sidelined by injury.

While we won’t know the specifics of what the Dark Horse feels like when a driver puts the spurs to it, the gleeful looks on the faces of those lucky Ford employees who described the experience as “awesome,” says that the company’s new performance variant delivers the goods. It would seem that Muniz also enjoyed his time behind the flat-bottom steering wheel.

More than just a powerful Mustang, the Dark Horse is built to handle and stop. It features standard MagneRide dampers, lightweight chassis braking, larger sway bars, and unique chassis tuning. Equipped with the optional Handling Package delivers more downforce thanks to a unique wing and sharper handling thanks to stiffer springs, larger sway bars, and wider Pirelli Trofeo tires. Muniz put that equipment to work on the M1 Concourse track.

“We just finished up at M1 Concourse it was an incredible incredible day I got to drive the 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse and gave a bunch of amazing Ford employees rides,” Muniz said. “I hope they have the time of their life. I know I did and I’m so grateful to Ford and Ford Performance. I love being part of the family…”

We can’t wait for a chance to drive the Dark Horse, but it sure looks and sounds great ripping around the road course with a pro driver at the controls.