The Mustang Dark Horse represents Ford’s attempt to produce a track-focused Mustang that is analytically justifiable rather than simply powerful in the way that American performance cars have traditionally satisfied their performance requirements. The 500-horsepower 5.0-liter Coyote V8 is carried over from the Mach 1 with specific modifications — a new flat-plane crankshaft that allows the engine to rev faster and produce a different sound character — and surrounded by chassis, suspension, and aerodynamic development that is serious enough to require explanation rather than simply impressive horsepower figures.