2025 Ford Mustang 5.0 V8 Dark Horse 2dr Auto

Thanks to this update, Ford's Mustang will be with us a little longer. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Review

This seventh generation Mustang isn't really designed for the future. Instead, it mainly references the past, carrying over its engine and platform from the previous model. Ford wants to give its best-selling sports car a final stay of execution before this model goes the way of all combustion things - hence the sharper exterior and more modern cabin. So it's still authentic and if you loved it before, you'll love it now.

Background

So here we are at the end of an era. This seventh generation Ford Mustang will almost certainly be the last in this iconic model line of hairy-chested muscle-bound US sports coupes and convertibles, which dates back to 1964. Not to be confused with the all-electric Mustang Mach-E electric hatch, which stands for everything most 'Stang owners would abjectly hate. "Investing in another generation of Mustang is a big statement at a time when many of our competitors are exiting the business of internal combustion vehicles" said Ford CEO Jim Farley at this MK7 model's Autumn 2022 launch. Except that this isn't really another generation of Mustang; more a far-reaching facelift of the previous coupe and convertible. The engines and suspension are basically the same as those of the previous Fastback and cabrio models, which were launched back in 2015, as is the 'S-550' platform. So just how different is this MK7 Mustang from what went before? Let's take a look.

Driving Experience

Ford says that this MK7 S650-era design is the 'most authentic and confidence-inspiring Mustang to drive yet'. That seems a contradiction in terms because an 'authentic' slightly unwieldy heavy-set Mustang experience hasn't been in the past been one to deliver much confidence - at least not on damp tarmac. But the big sticky Pirelli P Zero tyres seem reassuringly wide, the rears being meaty 20mm wider 275-section items. And there's a whole heap of stopping power, with big Brembo six-piston front calipers paired with four-piston rear calipers. There aren't any significant changes to that classic 5.0-litre 'Coyote' V8 up-front (just a new dual cold air intake), so it puts out a similar level of power to before - 446PS in standard GT form and 453PS in the alternative more track-ready 'Dark Horse' guise. Both variants offer a gutsy 540Nm of torque and will be ordered by most customers with a lightly updated version of the previous 10-speed torque converter automatic gearbox, via which the car gets to 62mph in 4.9s in standard form (or 4.4s in 'Dark Horse' guise). We tried this car in 6-speed manual form, a transmission made by Getrag for this GT or by US specialist Tremec for the 'Dark Horse' version. Using a stick shift pushes up the 0-62mph times a little - to 5.3s (for the GT) or 5.2s (for the 'Dark Horse'). But it doesn't affect top speed, which across the range remains restricted to 155mph. What's perhaps more surprising is just how much you might enjoy twistier roads in this Mustang. If you haven't tried a Mustang for a few years, you'll be hugely impressed by the precision with which this one can be flicked from lock to lock. That's not only due to the now-faster steering rack - though that certainly play its part. Credit also goes to the thick anti-roll bars, the carefully calibrated shock absorbers and a rear suspension set-up stiffened with a cross-axle joint to reduce the unwanted movement at each corner that would normally lead to body-flex. Thanks to all this, in the dry at least, the back tyres are kept firmly in contact with the road virtually all of the time, hence excellent grip and traction as you power hard out of corners.

Design and Build

Ford describes the look of this MK7 Mustang as 'more edgy' and that's about right. As before, there are Fastback Coupe and soft-top Convertible versions offered, each providing a distinct design evolution. Slim LED headlights are hooded by an aggressive bonnet and there are dual air intakes in the front grille and dynamic 19-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels fitted out with the Brembo brakes that come as part of the 'Performance Pack' - standard-fit for our market. The rear is subtly different too, with an extended deck that features re-styled light clusters with the Mustang's unique 3-bar signature. It's inside though, that the changes you'll most notice prominently feature. Inevitably, this involves screen tech; a little disappointingly in a Mustang, analogue dials are no more, replaced by a 12.4-inch digital display (though you can configure it to show 'classic dials'). That's paired with a customisable 13.2-inch SYNC4 central infotainment monitor which of course can do a lot more than was possible with the previous generation screen and houses the standard 12-speaker B&O audio system upgrade. Arguably more significant than all of this is the improvement in cabin quality, though you still wouldn't mistake this for the interior of a premium German-branded rival. But maybe that's part of its appeal. Ford says the cockpit is more driver-focused and there's a thicker-rimmed flat-bottomed steering wheel and grippy sports seats. Everything else is as before. Cramped space in the back and (in the Coupe) a reasonable 408-litre boot. Ford reckons even the Convertible's 332-litre trunk will take a couple of golf bags.

Market and Model

Pricing started at around £58,500 at the time of our test in Spring 2025, for the Fastback manual 446PS V8 GT model, with an extra £2,000 to find if you want the 10-speed auto. There's £3,500 more to find in either case if you want the Convertible body shape. If you're happy with the Fastback, Ford offers a slightly faster 'Dark Horse' model (again in manual or auto forms) with 453PS at prices starting from around £71,000. The GT comes with 19-inch painted alloy wheels, silver triple-LED headlamps with welcome and farewell animations, a GT body kit with black door frame mouldings and GT front grille, LED rear lights with sequential indicators, selectable drive modes and adaptive cruise control. There's also keyless entry, a rear view camera, rear parking sensors and power-folding mirrors. Inside with GT spec, there's black sports seats with leather central bolsters, plus heating, ventilation and power-adjustment. The cabin also gets a 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen surround sound audio system, Electronic Automatic Temperature Control, a wireless charging mat and a 12.4-inch instrument display viewed through a heated flat-bottomed sports steering wheel. There are two key options you need to look at first - and which customers will be looking for on your car when the time comes to sell. First, for £1,750 more, there's the four-setting MagneRide damping system (standard on the 'Dark Horse'), which comes with Pothole Mitigation (useful to protect those big wheels). The MagneRide system monitors and adjusts itself thousands of times per second to improve stability, comfort and control. You should also consider the grippier Recaro seats (only available with the Fastback versions) - though it might seem painful to have to pay £2,000 more for these, then have to do without the standard heating and cooling functionality you get with the chairs of the standard model.

Cost of Ownership

Take a deep breath here because as expected with a V8 Mustang, you're going to have to pay for your pleasures. The combination of nearly 1.8-tonnes of kerb weight and a normally aspirated 5.0-litre engine couldn't really deliver any other kind of end result. The efficiency figures aren't much different from those quoted with the previous MK6 model and, as before, they're similar regardless of your choice between manual and automatic transmission. This time round, they see the Fastback V8 manual coupe manage 28mpg on the combined cycle and 275g/km of CO2 (or 278g/km as an auto). Inevitably, it's fractionally worse than that if you go for the heavier Convertible (27.4mpg and 280g/km as a manual - or 282g/km as an auto). For the 'Dark Horse' Fastback model, the readings are 27.2mpg and 279g/km for the manual version and 27.4mpg and 282g/km for the auto. What else? Well bad news first. That CO2 figure puts this Mustang into the highest VED band K, which will see a first year VED cost of £5,490, with £600 payable annually after that. And insurance is group 44 for the GT Fastback, group 48 for the GT Convertible and group 46 for the Dark Horse Fastback. On the positive side, residuals are quite strong (for a Ford); the Fastback Mustang is expected to retain around 56% of its value after three years and 36,000 miles; its 53% for the Convertible and 58% for the Dark Horse Fastback. Maintenance might be pricey, because servicing visits will need to be quite frequent - you're supposed to have to visit a dealer every 12 months or every 10,000 miles, whichever comes sooner. To help you budget ahead for this, the brand offers a three year Ford Service Plan with a 7,000 annual mileage limit, which costs around £1,000. There's the usual unremarkable three year, 60,000 mile Ford warranty and you'll have the option to extend that package for up to two more years and up to 100,000 miles at additional cost.

Summary

In this car's performance sportscar segment, something like a BMW M2 or perhaps a Toyota GR Supra is a very nice thing to have, but it'll never be the model you always promised yourself - in the way a Mustang can be. This is, after all, more than just a sportscar. It's the heart and soul of Ford. As for this MK7 model, well for 'Stang enthusiasts, there's both joy and sorrow here. Joy that against the current zeitgeist, Ford has seen fit to extend the life of its iconic sports car. And sorrow that this is almost certainly this Mustang's final curtain call - in combustion form anyway. If Ford had been serious about continuing this model line with the kind of feel and blood line an enthusiast would recognise, it would have created a properly new design for it; the brand's latest 'CD6' architecture that underpins the current US-spec Ford Explorer was ready and waiting for just such a thing. But what brand could commit to that in a market turning to Hybrids and EVs? As it was, Ford might well have ended Mustang Coupe and Convertible production completely, but didn't want to quite yet because the old S550-era sixth generation version sold so well, becoming the world's best-selling sports car. So it is that we've got the facelift which you may or may not think does enough to deserve it's claimed 'MK 7' status. But at least we have it. At least you can still buy a proper Mustang. And at least the 'Pony Car' story will have one last chapter.