Driving The Mustang Dark Horse Convinced Me Ford Needs A 4-Door Mustang
The Ford Mustang Dark Horse is a nearly perfect pony car. The model sits atop the 5.0-liter V8 Mustang lineup with a 500 hp tune and a track focused body kit and chassis setup to go with it.
Equipped with the optional handling package that comes with steamroller Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS tires, it grips the pavement like it has a slot car’s magna-traction As long as that pavement isn’t wet. You might as well be on a water slide at that point.
Despite its performance prowess and the low profile rubber, I found during a recent test that it’s not that bad around town. A Mustang GT isn’t as high-strung, but you won’t mind driving the Dark Horse every day and even bringing some family or friends along for the ride.
The one in the front seat will be very happy, but there are height limits for the rest thanks to the fastback roofline. I found five feet, eight inches is about the max and, even then, their hair will be brushing the rear glass over their heads. The amount of legroom available is at the mercy of the front passenger’s generosity.
just two weeks earlier, I’d been testing the Dodge Charger Daytona, which is also a two-door, but nearly two feet longer. Four six-foot-tall occupants can fit without any issues with legroom or head room and the rear glass, which is in a hatchback, isn’t an issue.
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Much like the last Dodge Challenger, which wasn’t quite as roomy but was more spacious than the Mustang, it reminded me that a car with just two usable seats really is half as useful.
Even so, the Charger Daytona’s two-door design also reminded me how inconvenient it is to get people into and out of the rear seats, not to mention for the driver to reach back for the seatbelt. It’s a stretch. These are reasons why Dodge will be launching a four-door version of the Charger Daytona soon that is otherwise exactly the same as the two-door.
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Ford has been hinting that a four-door Mustang might be in the works, and not just the Mustang Mach-E SUV. It’s even shown one to dealers and trademarked the Mach 4 name.
Considering that the Mustang’s U.S. sales have dropped by half over the past decade, even as the Chevy Camaro and Dodge Challenger went out of production, it seems pretty clear we’re way past peak two-door Mustang. While I don’t want to see that model go away completely, I couldn’t even consider buying one right now with a family of four, but a four-door that’s not too big would fit the bill nicely.
No, I’ve never seen a horse with four people riding on it, but a horse pulling a carriage for four? That’s old school.
(The Gas Station is where American Cars And Racing Executive Editor Gary Gastelu vents his opinions. Feel free to let us know if you think they stink.)