The 2024 model year Ford Mustang Dark Horse will feature carbon fiber wheels as the only option.
Ford has offered carbon fiber wheels on top-of-the-line models such as the GT supercar, Mustang Shelby GT500, and Mustang Shelby GT350R, and soon they will be available on lower-line but performance-oriented models. The 2024 Mustang Dark Horse will have carbon fiber wheels as a stand-alone option, Ford announced Thursday at the Chicago Auto Show.
The five-spoke wheels will feature a new flat-face design, carbon fiber with blue accents, and will be 19x10.5 inches at the front and 19x11 inches at the rear. They will again be manufactured by Australian company Carbon Revolution. This will be Ford's first single-piece carbon fiber wheel
as a separate part for the wheel hub is no longer needed.
The front wheel will use a heat shield made of metal and ceramic to protect the carbon fiber from the heat generated by the six-piston front rotor. These wheels will be offered only to buyers who opt for the Handling Package. According to Jim Owens, Mustang product manager, the wheels will be available about 90 days after market. Ford is still tuning the car for this wheel, but it has already undergone more than 200 tests for structural and environmental validation.
The carbon fiber wheels, a lightweight material, will reduce unsprung mass and rotating mass. According to Ford, they will be 37% lighter than dark horse alloy wheels of the same size. This translates to a total weight reduction of approximately 21 pounds.
The Mustang Dark Horse sits above the GT and offers higher performance in the Mustang lineup, replacing models like the Bullitt and Mach 1. Lighter carbon fiber wheels will slightly increase performance by reducing the horsepower required to spin the wheels and making the wheels spin slightly faster.
Pricing for the wheels has not yet been determined and will be announced closer to launch; the GT350R's carbon fiber package was $18,500, but includes Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, an adjustable carbon fiber rear wing, carbon fiber instrument panel, and Recaro bucket seats were added. Wheels are expected to cost at least a few thousand dollars less.
