Blown Dark Horse Dazzles On The Dyno With More Than 1,300 HP

When it comes to what qualifies as “stock,” there are as many definitions as there are for “street car.” However, when a bolt-on Mustang Dark Horse topped by a Whipple supercharger belts out four digits on a hub dyno while spinning to 9,000 rpm, you have to walk away impressed.

Now, from the moment that Ford engineers told us the Mustang Dark Horse would share the same rugged connecting rods as its 760-horsepower Predator 5.2 cousin, we wondered just how much boost these bad boys would be able to handle. However, it wasn’t until the aftermarket unlocked tuning that tuners and shops could unleash the full potential of the Dark Horse variant of the Gen 4 Coyote 5.0-liter V-8.

One of those leading the charge in four-digit development for the S650 era is Evolution Performance, which recently pushed its fully built Dark Horse into the deep four digits with an impressive 1,369-horsepower pull on the dyno, set out to see what the stock engine could do with a proper supporting cast (see sidebar below). Topped by the aforementioned Whipple 3.0-liter GEN 6 supercharger delivering undisclosed boost, its only internal mods were a set of Boundary Dual Rotor Oil Pump Gears and a Boundary Anti-Cavitation Backing Plate, which are only in place for the sake of durability.

Sturdy Stallion

“This engine has consistently undergone rigorous testing, including numerous high-boost dyno sessions and in excess of one hundred boosted quarter-mile passes,” the shop said.

To extract maximum power from this bolt-on combination, Evolution worked with longtime partner, Lund Racing, which calibrated the Dark Horse using HP Tuners hardware and software. The results were flat-out impressive, as this S650 put down nearly as much power as its fully built stablemate. The final numbers clocked in at 1,346.9 horsepower and 873.3 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels.

The idea that a modern car with the engine it was born with still under the hood can easily and consistently deliver more than 1,300 horsepower at the rear wheels, as seen in this blown Dark Horse, is a concept that would have seemed insane just a few years ago. We are just at the outset of the tuned S650 era, so it will be interesting to see what the Gen 4 Coyote, particularly the robust Dark Horse variant, is capable of in the future.

2024 Dark Horse Modifications

• Stock 5.0-Liter GEN 4 Engine

• Boundary Dual Rotor Oil Pump Gears

• Boundary Anti-Cavitation Backing Plate

• Whipple 3.0-Liter GEN 6 Supercharger

• Whipple 10-Rib Pulley System

• Whipple 120mm Throttle Body

• Whipple Competition Air Boxes

• Whipple Dual Intercooler Pump

• ICChiller Interchiller

• 170-Degree Thermostat

• GripTec 10-Rib Pulley

• Injector Dynamics ID1750 Fuel Injectors

• Fore Innovations Triple Pump Return Fuel System

• Brisk Racing Spark Plugs

• UPR Products Pro Series Catch Can

• Kook’s 2-Inch Long-Tube Headers

• 3-Inch Titanium Race Exhaust System

• Billy Built 10R80 Transmission

• Circle D Pro Series Converter

• Carbon Fiber Driveshaft

• Amsoil 5W50 Oil

• Sunoco EPX Race Fuel