The Only Naturally Aspirated Mustang With More Power Than A Dark Horse Is Now Actually Cheaper
Few nameplates in American performance history carry as much weight as the Shelby GT350 — and right now, in an era when the Mustang lineup is more exciting than it has been in decades, that legacy deserves a fresh look. The Ford Mustang Dark Horse arrived as the most potent naturally aspirated pony car Ford had built in years, turning heads with its sinister styling and bespoke V8. But it turns out there is an older Mustang that quietly outguns it on the spec sheet — and thanks to the used-car market, it can actually cost you less. Ford Mustang Dark Horse
The Ford Mustang Dark Horse was the first new Mustang performance series in 21 years, and it looked sinister. This street and track-capable performance Mustang rumbles along on carbon fiber wheels, with darkened LED headlamps, and a unique lower front bumper with high-gloss ‘fangs.’ At the heart of the Dark Horse is a bespoke 5.0-liter Coyote V8 engine, modified with piston connecting rods first introduced in the 760-horsepower Ford Performance Mustang Shelby GT500, mated to a unique six-speed TREMEC manual transmission operated by a 3D-printed titanium shift ball. The naturally aspirated engine in the Dark Horse is good for 500 horsepower and 418 lb-ft of torque, propelling this ‘Stang to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds.
In a world where forced induction or electrification is the key to performance in most modern cars, the Dark Horse is without a doubt one of the most potent naturally aspirated Mustangs ever built. Or is it? There is actually an earlier Mustang that seemed to cosplay as a Ferrari, with a screaming V8 that makes even more power than the Dark Horse. The best part? It’s now cheaper. Read on to find out more about this muscle car.
The Shelby GT350 Features The Most Powerful Naturally Aspirated Ford Production Engine Ever
First, a quick bit of history. The original Shelby GT350 was introduced in 1965 with more power (306 horsepower), and Carroll Shelby himself tuned the suspension and upgraded the brakes, proving that the Mustang had a serious performance car for the track hiding underneath its pretty skin. The car quickly took on legendary status and is one of the most expensive muscle cars on the market today. When the GT350 Shelby Mustang returned in 2015, it had big boots to fill.
The GT350 Has A Range Of Ford Firsts Built In
Ford wasn’t going to acknowledge the historical significance of bringing back such a model by fitting the new GT350 with a new air filter and a few stickers and calling it a day — the Dearborn company went all in. Ford said it took an innovative approach with the GT350, making sure every new component and change would work in unison with the rest of the car. Front stiffness of the Mustang was improved with a cutting-edge injection-molded carbon fiber composite grille opening and an optional lightweight tower-to-tower brace.
The GT350 was the first-ever Ford to feature continuously controlled MagneRide dampers, filled with a hydraulic fluid impregnated with iron particles, allowing them to adjust almost instantaneously. The extra-stiff 19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels hide huge 394-millimeter rotors clamped by Brembo six-piston fixed calipers with integrated caliper bridges, while 380-millimeter rotors at the rear use four-piston calipers. The fascia was redesigned to supply the aggressive lower front splitter with maximum pressure, and a ducted belly pan delivers significant downforce.
The Voodoo Magic Was In The Engine Bay
All of this was impressive, giving the Mustang substantially more road-holding and stopping power, but it wouldn’t have amounted to much without a meaningful power increase to match. This is where Ford and Shelby’s engineers truly delivered. The so-called Voodoo engine was an all-new high-revving 5.2-liter V8 and the first-ever production V8 from Ford with a flat-plane crankshaft. Yes, that’s the engine architecture typically found in mid-engined Ferraris.
A Closer Look At The Shelby GT350’s Powerplant
Traditionally in a V8, the connecting rods are attached to the crankshaft at 90-degree intervals, but in the 5.2-liter flat-plane design of the GT350 the connecting rod journals and weights are evenly spaced at 180 degrees opposite each other. This means that the cylinder firing order alternates between cylinder banks, helping to reduce the overlap of exhaust pressure pulses. In turn, the GT350 benefits from better cylinder breathing, which further improves performance.
The Voodoo Was Incredibly Powerful For A Naturally Aspirated V8
The result was the most powerful naturally aspirated production Ford engine ever built — surpassing even the later Dark Horse — with output rated at 526 horsepower at 7,500 rpm and 429 lb-ft of torque at 4,750 rpm. Even more remarkable is the GT350’s dizzying rev limit of 8,250 rpm. Rounding out the package is a lightweight six-speed manual transmission and a standard Ford-tuned Torsen limited-slip differential.
There Was An Even More Hardcore Version Of The GT350 Available
Announced in 2015, the Shelby GT350R Mustang was heralded as the most race-ready road-legal Mustang ever produced. If the standard GT350 was Ford’s answer to the Porsche 911 GT3, then the GT350R was its take on Stuttgart’s GT3 RS. Along with that epic V8, the GT350R received a specially tuned suspension consisting of a lower ride height, revised spring rates and anti-roll bars, unique track-tuned alignment settings, cross-axis ball joints in the front suspension, revised bushings and jounce bumpers, plus new calibration controlling the MagneRide dampers.
The GT350R was also given revised aerodynamics for better downforce, including an all-new high-efficiency carbon fiber rear wing. Ford then started stripping out the bits we would normally take for granted: air conditioning, rear seats, stereo, carpet, backup camera, and the emergency tire sealer and inflator were all removed, saving 130 lbs in the process. Whereas the standard GT350 hits 60 mph in 4.2 seconds, the R reached the same speed in 3.9 seconds. Top speed is roughly 180 mph for both cars.
The Shelby GT350 Is Cheaper Than A Mustang Dark Horse In 2025
If all these performance figures are staggering, there is probably one figure that is the most surprising. When the GT350 went on sale in 2016, it cost less than $50,000 — $49,995 to be precise — a remarkable value for such a focused machine with an exotic powerplant. The R version didn’t cost that much more, coming in at $63,495. Compare that to a track-focused Porsche or Ferrari of the same era, and it’s a different league entirely — a 2016 Porsche 911 GT3 RS cost around $175,000 new.
How A Used GT350 Compares To A New Dark Horse
Admittedly, one is a brand-new car and the other used, but if you really can’t choose between the GT350 and the Dark Horse, here’s how much the prices vary. A new Dark Horse in 2025 starts at $64,380, whereas average used prices for nearly new examples, according to Classic.com, are actually higher at $73,708.
For comparison, GT350 prices have remained very healthy, so you don’t get much off its original MSRP. A 2016 GT350 will cost on average $55,321, according to Classic.com, with prices climbing to $72,318 for the final model year. Keep in mind that most of the examples you’ll find for sale will be cheaper than these auction averages.
In the end, if you really want that Voodoo V8, it will cost less than a Dark Horse — but you’ll be getting a used car rather than a new, or nearly new, one. The choice is yours.
Source: Classic.com.
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