If there’s one thing seven-time Supercars champion Jamie Whincup and Ford want you to know about the new Mustang Dark Horse T8 Spec pack, it’s that it is not, repeat not, a branding exercise. And they have the goods to back that up.

Ford Australia has partnered with Whincup’s Triple Eight racing team to give the Mustang a track-focused shot in the arm not by increasing its power, but by giving it a bit of Supercars DNA to help it do a better job of gripping the road.

White sports car on a race track, tires smoking as it performs a burnout, chain-link fence in the background.
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That meant improving the roll bar, springs, ride suspension and steering rack, as well as fitting the T8 with semi-slick Pirelli tyres. The process, which also involved Triple Eight team manager Mark Dutton and Ford Special Vehicles engineer James Holloway, took months to complete, with heavy input from Whincup.   

“After 20 years of going round-and-round in circles we’ve worked out what the key elements are to make a car handle well on the racetrack and be balanced overall,” Whincup said. “Suspension is what keeps the tyre on the ground. It’s a critical part, particularly over bumps and under braking.

“That’s where we’ve been able to bring our knowledge and experience to the Mustang Dark Horse. It’s already a nicely balanced car. It not only handles well, but it gives great feedback to the driver, so they enjoy the experience. We wanted to help take that to the next level with T8 Spec 1.

“We’ve recently celebrated our 20-year history as Triple Eight Race Engineering Australia. We like to think we know a little bit about setting up a race car.”

Front view of a white Ford Mustang speeding on a race track with motion blur and safety barriers in the background, Ready Set Ford banner visible behind the car
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Tom Dohrmann, Ford’s supervisor for Special Vehicles Engineering, said Whincup spent time in a Dark Horse in Queensland as the T8 was developed, resulting in “some very helpful feedback”. Ford, meanwhile, tested at the You Yangs Proving Ground outside Geelong. He also pinpointed what he sees as the most important change from the stock Mustang.

“This vehicle package is truly the sum of its parts, but the tip of the spear are the tyres,” Dohrmann said. “The Pirellis are basically a semi-slick, track-based tyre. Around that we’ve made changes to the springs, the roll bar, the ride suspension and the steering rack. It’s a whole package that comes comes together for a big uplift in handling performance.”

No more than 250 T8 Dark Horses will be made. They’ll come in exclusive Avalanche Prestige paint with a manual transmission. The 19×10.5-inch (front) and 19.11-inch (rear) alloys are clad in Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS rubber, 305/30R19 at the front, 315/30R19 at the rear.

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There’s also a larger rear spoiler, enhanced front aero splitter, Grabber Blue Triple Eight branding, Notorious Blue Brembo brakes, and a bespoke interior featuring Recaro sports seats with indigo bolsters, a unique gearshift knob and sequentially numbered build plates.

If you buy one, you’ll get an exclusive track experience at Queensland Raceway in the first half of next year. The T8’s manufacturer listed price is $138,888, which is a nice callback to Triple Eight’s involvement.