With the exception of Shelby variants, Ford debuted the Dark Horse in December 2022, making it the most powerful 5.0-liter V8 Mustang version ever. Shelby American retaliated on April 17, 2023, with the Super Snake, a supercharged Mustang that produces 830+ horsepower and has the same fourth-generation Coyote engine as the 500-hp Dark Horse.
Three months later, Hennessey announced an even wilder Mustang, the H850, boasting 850 hp. Unlike Shelby, the Texas tuner started with a Dark Horse as a base. Hennessey added a supercharger to create the most extreme Super Snake yet.
Hennessey revealed its plans for the Dark Horse around the same time Shelby began producing the Super Snake in mid-July. Now, Hennessey is testing the H850 on the dynamometer to showcase its capabilities. The tuner claims a 70% power increase, from Ford’s 500 hp to an impressive 850 hp.
The Dark Horse’s 5.0-liter V8 produces 418 lb-ft of torque naturally aspirated, equating to 507 PS and 567 Nm. Hennessey pushed these numbers to 850 hp and 650 lb-ft, achieving 862 PS and 881 Nm, enough to rival supercars.
Hennessey in Sealy, Texas, is known for proving their claims through track performance and output measurements. Every model they build undergoes testing on a DynaJet dyno. The Dark Horse H850, announced for this treatment, is now ready.
The base 2024 Ford Mustang S650 Dark Horse recorded 427.61 hp and 379.08 lb-ft (433.54 PS and 513.96 Nm) at the rear wheels. The H850 features a 3.0-liter Whipple supercharger, high-flow air induction, upgraded fuel injectors, and a new fuel pump. With these enhancements, the Hennessey Dark Horse delivers 712 hp at 7,490 RPM and 569 lb-ft at 4,700 RPM at the wheels, translating to 722 PS and 772 Nm. This performance raises the question of how much more can be extracted from a 5.0-liter V8 Coyote.
