New RRWT turns Ford Mustang Dark Horse into meaner, faster machine

The all-new Ford Mustang Dark Horse is now a meaner, faster machine thanks to a new state-of-the-art Rolling Road Wind Tunnel (RRWT), the carmaker said.

Per the American automotive brand, the new RRWT is capable of simulating wind and road surface speeds of 321 kilometers per hour to support testing for efficient and performance-driven vehicles across the Ford lineup.

“The amount of air moved by our wind tunnel is enough to fill a K-Class blimp in just over five seconds,” commented Ford North America Wind Tunnels Engineering Supervisor John Toth.

Ford used its new RRWT to improve the aerodynamics of the Mustang Dark Horse. While passenger cars and trucks are developed with low drag in mind, the Mustang Dark Horse trades low drag for increased downforce, which helps cars stick to the road or track and improves handling feel while cornering.

“The closer we can get to reality in the lab, the better and faster we can create more energy-efficient vehicles with great on-road and track stability. Testing while the wheels and tires move is instrumental to improving aerodynamics for track-ready vehicles, like Mustang Dark Horse which has to balance both aerodynamic drags and downforce,” Toth added.

Prioritizing track-ready performance, Ford offers the Mustang Dark Horse with an available Gurney flap, which is an extra plate attached to the rear wing to help generate additional downforce.

Additionally, the Ford Mustang Dark Horse can be had with three vertical plates coming off the underbody near each front wheel called strakes.

The said strakes, Ford pointed out, help disrupt airflow generating greater downforce on the underside of the vehicle, which can help the car stick better in corners at higher speeds.

Other notable aerodynamic upgrades offered by the Ford Mustang Dark Horse include a redesigned front bumper, a lower valence, a spoiler, and unique wheels.

“We spent approximately 250 hours in the wind tunnel developing the 2024 Ford Mustang which includes Dark Horse. The aerodynamics of Mustang Dark Horse along with several other factors have created the most track- and street-capable 5.0-liter Mustang to date,” stated Ford Mustang and Bronco Program Aerodynamicists Jonathan Gesek.

Photos from Ford

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