While the 2024 Mustang Dark Horse is already a potent machine with 500 flywheel horsepower from the factory, gearheads like Jacob Michael (ItalianStallion410 on YouTube) suspected it had more power to give. With tuning now unlocked for the S650 platform, they bolted on a ported manifold from 1320 Junkie Performance to see if the Coyote V8 could breathe even better. The results, as they found out on the dyno at Revolution Automotive, were genuinely surprising.

The day began by establishing a baseline number for the already modified Dark Horse, which features long-tube headers. In sweltering 103-degree Fahrenheit heat, the car laid down a respectable 497 rear-wheel horsepower on the shop’s in-house Dynojet chassis dynamometer.

With no other changes, the team at Revolution Automotive swapped the stock intake for the 1320 Junkie Performance ported version. With no tuning adjustments whatsoever, the immediate outcome was impressive.“So, with no tuning adjustments, just throwing the ported manifold like I told you guys today, the baseline was 497, and that just made 504.95, almost 505 right there,” Michael exclaimed. This represented an instant gain of roughly eight horsepower at the wheels from a simple hardware change.

This wasn’t the first time the team had experimented with this particular modification. Michael recalled, “If you guys have been following the channel for a very, very long time, you guys remember about a year ago, we actually put the same exact manifold on the car, and it picked up no power with the stock factory 93 tune in it.”

Unlocked Potential

This earlier experience underscored the importance of the now-unlocked tuning potential of the Dark Horse. With the restrictive factory tune out of the way, the owner could finally realize the benefits of the improved airflow from the ported manifold.

The initial success with the ported manifold is just the beginning for this Dark Horse build. The team at ItalianStallion410 has more modifications planned, including lightweight pulleys and an aftermarket intake system, with the ultimate goal of adding another 16 ponies to the tally.

“I want to see 520 to the rear wheels,” Michael enthusiastically stated. “I’ll be super happy with that.”

With tuning now in play, this Dark Horse is poised to become an even more formidable machine on the street and strip. You can also watch their previous tests on this ride by clicking here.