With 500 horsepower generated by a high-revving Gen-4 Coyote underhood, the Mustang Dark Horse has no trouble quickly galloping to triple-digit speeds. Balancing that potent acceleration is a robust braking system made up of Brembo six-piston calipers clamping 15.3-inch rotors in front with four-piston calipers squeezing 13.9-inch rotors out back.

I expected there to be temperature benefits when the car is out on track and at speed, but I did not expect such improved 60-to-0 mph braking distance… — Chris Cervenka

Chris Cervenka, who has stints at CJ Pony Parts and Steeda on his résumé, spends his days working at Continental Tire and most of his free time pursuing all things Mustang performance on his social media channels, including his most recent video detailing the installation and test of Baer’s Eradispeed+ rotors at all four corners. He previously owned a Shelby GT350 but decided to step up to the Dark Horse and hasn’t looked back.

“It was a tough decision. The GT350 is such a special car with a truly visceral driving experience. The decision to jump to Dark Horse was a leap of faith, having sold the GT350 on Bring A Trailer prior to driving or taking delivery of the S650,” Chris confessed. “I was confident Ford took the best of the S550 and put it into the S650 — and they did not disappoint! I do sometimes miss that unique snarl of the Voodoo 5.2-liter engine, but the increase in factory braking performance, paired with the drastically improved MagneRide calibration, backed with the reliability of the 5.0-liter Coyote, proved to be a solid level-up for the Dark Horse.”

Though both the GT350 and Dark Horse are highly evolved performers from the factory, enthusiasts are never satisfied with stock. Amping up the performance of his new ride was always part of the plan, and he followed a familiar path.

“So far, I have mirrored the Dark Horse build very similarly to how I modified the GT350. I am a big fan of dual-purpose parts that have proven performance benefits, paired with an OEM-plus aesthetic,” Chris said. “When it comes to running the car out on track, a small bump in horsepower has been made possible by the Steeda air filters, carbon-trap delete, and a full three-inch AWE Cat-Back Exhaust. Additionally, I am very familiar with the Steeda suspension for these cars, as I ran their full package on my GT350, so it was a natural segue to run a similar setup on the Dark Horse. It not only gives you the looks of a lowered car, but measurably increased performance out on track, too.”

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It turns out that the factory two-piece front rotors on the Dark Horse are pretty light, clocking in at 31.8 pounds versus the 34-pound Eradispeed+ rotors. Trading a couple of pounds for meatier, more durable rotors was a trade-off Chris was willing to accept. Besides, the rear Eradispeeds are lighter at 18 pounds versus the 21-pound stockers.

For his next upgrade, Chris was ready to enhance the braking system with an eye toward track durability despite the factory system’s impressive credentials. With an electronic power booster controlling the fluid pressure and a four-channel anti-lock braking system modulating the force, the factory binders offer more stopping force than the average drivers have bravado barreling into a braking zone. As factory performers go, the 2024 Mustang Dark Horse braking system is elite. When Motor Trend tested a Handling Package-equipped Dark Horse back in May, the current lead horse in the pony car corral out-braked everything the outlet had tested up to that point with a 60-to-0-mph distance of 86 feet.

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Not just for the Dark Horse, these Baer Eradispeed+ two-piece rotors will also fit 2024-and-newer Mustang GT or EcoBoost models with the Performance Package. Consisting of a purpose-cast rotor and a black-anodized, 6061-T6 aluminum hat fastened together with aircraft-grade hardware, these rotors are engineered with more mass in the friction area and a curved-vane design that increases cooling airflow.

In anticipation of more track time, Chris selected the Baer EradiSpeed+ two-piece rotor upgrades in the front ($894.95; P/N: 2261047) and rear ($794.95; P/N: 2262031). These units feature a cast rotor mounted to a black-anodized 6061-T6 aluminum hat. The rotor’s curved vane design is said to move more air to dissipate more heat, while the slotted rotors are said to release gases from between the brake pad and rotor surface, as well as allow for more even pad contact for improved performance. Plus, they look sharp.

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Not only do the Eradispeed rotors enhance performance and durability, but are a handsome upgrade for S650 stallions with the factory Brembo brake package. They are also a seamless upgrade that doesn’t introduce any NVH issues.

“After being around many track-oriented Mustangs, I knew that I eventually wanted to make the upgrade to two-piece rotors on all four corners. Thankfully, the Dark Horse does have two-piece rotors up front from the factory, which is an upgrade over GT/EcoBoost Performance Pack cars, but I was looking for more,” Cervenka said. “In addition to the weight savings, I am a big fan of the slotted look. Knowing there is also a performance benefit to slotted rotors out on track — and decreased stopping distance from my testing — it was a clear choice to swap to the Baer Eradispeed+ rotors.”

While the factory two-piece front rotors are actually 2.2 pounds lighter than the Eradispeed+ rotors, the latter’s beefier slotted rotors are engineered to endure the abuse of extended track sessions. Meanwhile, the rear Eradispeed+ rotors are three pounds lighter than the factory one-piece rear rotors, so they are a break-even from a weight standpoint.

With enhanced durability being the goal, Chris didn’t expect to reduce the car’s already impressive stopping times. However, his 60-to-0 testing revealed the surprise and delight of a shorter stopping distance. On average, his Dark Horse stopped 7.67 feet shorter with the direct-replacement Baer rotors in place.

“I was pleasantly surprised with the results of my testing!” Chris enthused. “As I mentioned in the video, I expected there to be temperature benefits when the car is out on track and at speed, but I did not expect such improved 60-to-0 mph braking distance. Now I’m able to get the aesthetic I was looking for along with the performance benefits as well!”

The Eradispeed rotor upgrade exceeded expectations by improving performance while enhancing the car’s aesthetic appeal. It also set the car up to endure more track sessions at his locale racetrack. Better yet, the upgrade didn’t change the way the car feels on the street or the track, which was already pretty great.

“In all honesty, it’s not noticeable — and that’s a good thing. I would want these rotors to drive and behave like stock rather than some others I’ve driven where the brake pedal pulsates, or they make additional unwanted noise when hitting the brakes,” Chris explained. “At the limit, it’s tough to feel if there is a real benefit, but I know they’re working under my feet, evacuating as much heat as possible out of the wheel wells before entering the next corner on the track.”

In the video above, you can follow the installation process and testing and learn the sequence to put the car into brake maintenance mode, which is a key step to the installation, but suffice it to say, this easy upgrade looks like a winner for S650 owners with big factory brakes.