All-New Mustang Dark Horse Designed in Groundbreaking Wind Tunnel

With each passing year, Ford vehicles are becoming more and more advanced, and the techniques used to design them are growing more sophisticated too. This is very much the case when it comes to the all-new Mustang Dark Horse, which was designed with the help of the latest wind tunnel technology and a vehicle sized treadmill in order to optimize the car for aerodynamics.

Wind tunnels have been a tool used in vehicle design for many years now, helping to design and test performance vehicles and energy efficient vehicles for their aerodynamic qualities. This latest wind tunnel, called the Rolling Road Wind Tunnel (RRWT), is capable of simulating wind and road surface speeds of 200 mph and can be used for vehicles from across the Ford lineup. According to North America Wind Tunnels Engineering Supervisor John Toth, “The amount of air moved by our wind tunnel is enough to fill a K-Class blimp in just over 5 seconds.”

The RRWT provides incredibly precise information about wind drag and downforce on the vehicles being tested, crucial data when designers are looking to optimize a vehicle’s performance, range, or efficiency. Unlike earlier wind tunnel designs, it also provides more information by simulating open-road conditions, reducing design costs and speeding up the entire design process.

“The closer we can get to reality in the lab, the better and faster we can create more energy efficient vehicles with great on-road and track stability,” said Toth. “Testing while the wheels and tires move is instrumental to improving aerodynamics for track-ready vehicles, like Mustang Dark Horse which has to balance both aerodynamic drags and downforce.”

The RRWT setup features a new five-belt rolling road system that can replicate real-world drag. Each wheel gets its own belt, and a large fifth belt runs under the center of the vehicle. Another single-belt system, which can operate at up to 200 mph, is also used in the testing phase, and a large crane helps operators get the testing vehicle where it needs to go.

The Mustang Dark Horse was the first of many vehicles that will eventually be tested and refined in the Rolling Road Wind Tunnel. “We spent approximately 250 hours in the wind tunnel developing the 2024 Ford Mustang which includes Dark Horse,” said Program Aerodynamicists for Mustang and Bronco, Jonathan Gesek. “The aerodynamics of Mustang Dark Horse along with several other factors have created the most track- and street-capable 5.0-liter Mustang to date.”

Interested in learning more about the Mustang Dark Horse or other Ford performance vehicles? Make sure you take a look at our available inventory online!