2024 Dark Horse Mustang vs 2023 BMW M2 - Car and Driver Comparison Review

[Mustang406]

DH missed the boat, or GT w PP is the sweet spot?

Thus far for the S650 generation I would say GT PP1 is the sweet spot. Especially with FP releasing the Whipple with a warranty.

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[Mustang406]

I can only tell you that I owned a 2017 GT PP1 manual with the FP power pack 2/Borlas..... I made it about on block before I could tell the DH was different and the difference was enough that I knew I wasn't going back. Everything, I mean everything is an upgrade. The first bitch I have is that it is just slightly quicker than a Power Pack 2 gen two pushing about 405 to the wheels. It just accelerates different, smoother, more consistent, has more low end. I also like the fact that 61 MPH doesn't require 3rd gear. Second bitch is (though I prefer the sound of a DH) it's not as loud as S type Catbacks. That will be solved in the future, but I think this car will only require a Res delete to get to that point.

I think anyone saying these cars missed the boat probably just need to drive one. It doesn't feel like a Mustang.

I really bought this car with full intentions to Whipple it as I didn't feel the want to invest any more in my 17. I'm going to keep it a year and feel it out. Im really kind of hoping FP issues a tune that takes this car to 7800 rpms and 530 HP with a warranty.....then I will go that more cost effective route for sure.

Did you also drive a new S650 GT or just the DH?

For anyone modding their car and buying it with that intent Mustang is really hard if not impossible to beat.

 

[Klipshpoke]

Did you also drive a new S650 GT or just the DH?

For anyone modding their car and buying it with that intent Mustang is really hard if not impossible to beat.

Man I had no intentions of buying a new car until I found mine on a lot the exact way I would have spec'd it. I also wanted a Tremec and just really love the look of the DH.

So no. But a GT spec'd with the options I wanted cost 10K less than my DH HP. I'll get every cent of that difference back when I choose to sell if I choose to sell.

 

[dfanucci]

Man I had no intentions of buying a new car until I found mine on a lot the exact way I would have spec'd it. I also wanted a Tremec and just really love the look of the DH.

So no. But a GT spec'd with the options I wanted cost 10K less than my DH HP. I'll get every cent of that difference back when I choose to sell if I choose to sell.

You sure about that?

The Dark Horse is/was a horribly priced vehicle for what you get.

2k mile Used Dark Horse, nearly 4k under blue book for 61k

 

[Mustang406]

You sure about that?

The Dark Horse is/was a horribly priced vehicle for what you get.

2k mile Used Dark Horse, nearly 4k under blue book for 61k

My first thought is that is a buy back.

 

[Klipshpoke]

You sure about that?

The Dark Horse is/was a horribly priced vehicle for what you get.

2k mile Used Dark Horse, nearly 4k under blue book for 61k

Auto no HP. Those are the vehicles not selling. But yeah when these cars have some miles on them I feel pretty good about a DH HP six speed maintaining a minimum 10K value distance between a fully loaded GT PP with equal miles. Both will drop significantly with miles and even more so beyond three years just like any vehicle.

 

[roadpilot]

Ha! That’s hilarious.

So are most of the lather, rinse, repeat posts by the trolls and bots.

 

[Karguy]

I have a Toronto Red on order with the bicolor wheels though.

That is a good looking vehicle in ticket me red

 

[Karguy]

Where I am getting 75k from is how I would spec a DH. DH Premium, HP, Ember blue metallic is 72,705. TTL around 75k. Yes you can get one lower but without the handling pack I can't see myself driving it.

I never owned a 350. One of life's regrets. I did own several GT PP1s an SS 1LE and a Mach 1. The Mach 1 while I liked that car it didn't feel special. It didn't have a bespoke engine like the 350 and it drove on the street like a GT. I am making an assumption that the Dark Horse is similar. (People who have a DH let me know if I am mistaken).

For 69k Premium DH, HP no appearance package I feel as if Ford missed an opportunity. Thus far the S650 doesn't significantly outperform the S550 in my opinion and with an all new nameplate Ford could have offered something really special and we got a slightly faster (?) Mach 1 instead with a really cool color option.

If the Dark Horse is truly a vastly different driving experience like the GT350 was compared to a GT then I might change my mind. If it is a new Mach 1 that is slightly different but frustratingly also much the same experience as a GT then I can't see buying one over a GT.

Since you had both SS1LE and Mach 1 why dont you give us your opinion of both cars ! I had the SS1LE and really liked the handling which was very precise and neutral which made it easy to drive fast but it was not much fun as it was not playful and the engine made decent power but never felt like a sportscar engine like having a exiting top end…Factor in the awful cheap interior , squeaks and rattles , useless rear seat , small trunk opening and lack of visibility and she had to go…Tried the Mach 1 but it felt loose and not composed compared to the Camaro like the front and rear playing against each other and the Coyote feeling much weaker than the already not strong LT1 except for between 6500 and 7000 rpm where it felt it had the same power as the LT1 at 6000 rpm…But still better IMHO than the GT350 which really felt like a total letdown after the huge buildup and expectation I had…But I hated the sound , lack of power up to 4000rpm and vvvibration as also the twisting or flex of the body against the engine at full acceleration going in a straight line…A weird sensation ! Also the steering / front end grip did not feel better than the Mach 1 and the rear felt not any better either.I definitely would buy a DH over the GT350 because of the engine or regular GT because of the Tremec despite being at least $20K too expensive for what it is…Ford needs to upgrade the chassis , shed some weight and give it 5.8 liters to stay with the old numbers as in 351…As also look for inspiration for the front at the ‘69 Boss 302 as the sides and rear of the S650 look ok to me And give it a few knobs and buttons so you dont have to touch the screens anymore

 

[Karguy]

Thus far for the S650 generation I would say GT PP1 is the sweet spot. Especially with FP releasing the Whipple with a warranty.

I would say sweet spot only as far as you go automatic if you are going drag racing otherwise I would say the Tremec and with that the DH is a must…$$$

 

[CaesarX]

I can read " Mustang has better steering feel than the BMW " ... did i miss something in this new generation???

 

[Mustang406]

Since you had both SS1LE and Mach 1 why dont you give us your opinion of both cars ! I had the SS1LE and really liked the handling which was very precise and neutral which made it easy to drive fast but it was not much fun as it was not playful and the engine made decent power but never felt like a sportscar engine like having a exiting top end…Factor in the awful cheap interior , squeaks and rattles , useless rear seat , small trunk opening and lack of visibility and she had to go…Tried the Mach 1 but it felt loose and not composed compared to the Camaro like the front and rear playing against each other and the Coyote feeling much weaker than the already not strong LT1 except for between 6500 and 7000 rpm where it felt it had the same power as the LT1 at 6000 rpm…But still better IMHO than the GT350 which really felt like a total letdown after the huge buildup and expectation I had…But I hated the sound , lack of power up to 4000rpm and vvvibration as also the twisting or flex of the body against the engine at full acceleration going in a straight line…A weird sensation ! Also the steering / front end grip did not feel better than the Mach 1 and the rear felt not any better either.I definitely would buy a DH over the GT350 because of the engine or regular GT because of the Tremec despite being at least $20K too expensive for what it is…Ford needs to upgrade the chassis , shed some weight and give it 5.8 liters to stay with the old numbers as in 351…As also look for inspiration for the front at the ‘69 Boss 302 as the sides and rear of the S650 look ok to me And give it a few knobs and buttons so you dont have to touch the screens anymore

The SS chassis was a lot better. Mach 1 wasn't even close in that regard. When I went back to a Mustang, the seat position felt very high like I was driving on top of the car.

Mach 1 had a much better interior and was a lot easier to live with. In the SS my wife couldn't see out of very well so it made her carsick.

SS was difficult to drive at low speed and in traffic. Mach 1 was harder to drive fast but it was more fun.

The tremec in the SS felt better than the Mach 1 tremec.

Mach 1 sounded a lot better than the SS and the Coyote power band was better suited to track use.

Problem with both cars is that they weren't what I really wanted which was a GT350.

 

[Karguy]

I agree with you but dont understand what you mean with the SS was difficult to drive at slow speed and in traffic…Lack of visibility ? I remember the clutch had not a clean biting point…Is this what you meant ? As for the GT350 I think it was the car that I had the highest expectations for before the testdrive after all I had read over the years and was the biggest letdown/disappointment after the testdrive…Handling especially the body flex at full acceleration and the engine that made no beautiful V8 sound and felt so weak below 4000 rpm and not really powerful above and the vibration coming through the shifter…Not good ! Saved myself $65K back in 2019 and went to Chevy and bought a brand new 1SS1LE instead for $42K…Now 5 years later a DH as a car that has not raised the performance bar when it comes to engine & chassis at all or offers even a little less is a cool $30K more…Crazy times but it is what it is because Camaro and Challenger are gone and DH is the only game in town except for M2/3/4 if your needs are not V8 sound but practical sporty fun and performance with a manual still not completely out of reach for the working man…

 

[Mustang406]

I agree with you but dont understand what you mean with the SS was difficult to drive at slow speed and in traffic…Lack of visibility ? I remember the clutch had not a clean biting point…Is this what you meant ? As for the GT350 I think it was the car that I had the highest expectations for before the testdrive after all I had read over the years and was the biggest letdown/disappointment after the testdrive…Handling especially the body flex at full acceleration and the engine that made no beautiful V8 sound and felt so weak below 4000 rpm and not really powerful above and the vibration coming through the shifter…Not good ! Saved myself $65K back in 2019 and went to Chevy and bought a brand new 1SS1LE instead for $42K…Now 5 years later a DH as a car that has not raised the performance bar when it comes to engine & chassis at all or offers even a little less is a cool $30K more…Crazy times but it is what it is because Camaro and Challenger are gone and DH is the only game in town except for M2/3/4 if your needs are not V8 sound but practical sporty fun and performance with a manual still not completely out of reach for the working man…

For me it was hard to see where the front end of the car was a low speeds and the rear visibility was really bad. The long hood and high fenders gave me some depth perception issues and I never felt comfortable driving that car in a parking lot.

 

[Baldilocks]

Good man, the world needs more purple cars. I'd choose the same spec. Prefer the M240i to the M2 as is; it just looks sharper

As do I and it's the perfect all year round daily. I have the Mustang for shows and when I want to make noise. The Wrangler for when I wanna go off-road. I think I'm set.

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