Flashback to Ford’s Stampede reveal event for the 2024 Mustang line last September, and it was that empty spot on the stage that stole the show. Ford’s ‘one more thing’ moment shocked the world as to took the wraps off Mustang’s fresh special edition — the Dark Horse.
The sinister and track-hungry attitude of Mustang Dark Horse inspired us to curate colors and materials in a way that underscores the vehicle’s athleticism. Carrie Kennerly, Ford
At that time we didn’t know much about the 500-horsepower S650, but with the opening of the Chicago Auto Show today, the company shared more about its interior and exterior styling features, which complement the car’s impressive performance.
Buyers opting for the Mustang Dark Horse Appearance Package enhance their performance ponies with bolstered RECARO performance seats with grippy Dinamica suede center inserts, Deep Indigo Blue bolsters, and Bright Indigo Blue accent stitching. Other blue accents include Deep Indigo Blue seatbelts and seat perforations with blue accents underneath. All the Dark Horse models feature a dark-metallic Black Alley finish on the vents and bezels. Meanwhile, all the surfaces feature unique textures, including a carbon-fiber grain accents on the dash, door panels, steering wheel, shift bezel and more. The dash also wears a unique plaque bearing the car's chassis number. (Photo Credit: Ford Motor Company)
“The sinister and track-hungry attitude of Mustang Dark Horse inspired us to curate colors and materials in a way that underscores the vehicle’s athleticism,” said Carrie Kennerly, Ford’s senior color and materials designer. “We spent extra time on the cockpit, ensuring the look, feel, and function of everything a performance driver could want conveys the performance Mustang Dark Horse is capable of.”
The most striking of the appearance options is the Blue Ember metallic paint seen on display at the Stampede and in many of the first images of the car. This color-shifting hue harkens back to the Mystic hue deployed on the 1996 Mustang Cobra, but Blue Ember features pigments of deep blues infused with a warm amber that allows it to shift colors depending on the type and angle of the light that hits it.

The Dark Horse can be ordered with vinyl or painted stripes. The former are designed to accentuate the bulging hood with Tarnished Dark and gloss black finishes meant to accent the unique Dark Horse parts. Cars optioned with the Appearance Package get vinyl accents that tie into the painted black roof.
“If color is a reflection of a vehicle’s personality, Blue Ember transforms the Mustang Dark Horse and highlights a natural saddle-color horse hidden inside the strong chiseled fastback’s exterior form,” Kennerly says. “Multiple elements are combined to give Blue Ember its intriguing and stealthy appearance that really drives home how unique Mustang Dark Horse is.”

We gave you the full details on the lightweight, anodized blue titanium shift knob on the six-speed manual-trans equipped Dark Horse last year. It is hollow to reduce weight and sluff off heat when it is warm out. Those opting for the 10-speed automatic transmission are fitted with anodized silver paddle shifters.
Accenting that color are two optional striping packages, one painted on and the other a vinyl appliqué. The accents continue inside for those who opt for the Mustang Dark Horse Appearance Package, which adds a range of Deep Indigo Blue accents and seat belts along with Bright Indigo Blue stitching.
In all the Dark Horse looks the part of a special stallion, particularly when sprayed in that special Blue Ember paint. It is set to gallop off dealer lots this summer, and the word on the Internet says its Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price clocks in at $57,970, which is $1,400 more than the outgoing 2023 Mustang Mach 1.
Opting for the premium-painted stripes adds a design element inspired by the airflow over the car. These Tarnished Dark and black stripes extend from the grille to the rear spoiler. They are painted using a process unique to the Dark Horse.