Latest news with #DarkHorseR
The Advertiser
27-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Advertiser
2026 Ford Mustang Cup racing series set for Australia
Ford has announced the Ford Mustang Cup will take place as a national series in Australia across six rounds in 2026 – a breeding ground for future talent – and is seeking expressions of interest from would-be competitors. Using the formidable Ford Mustang Dark Horse R racing model, a field of around 20-25 competitors is expected in the first expansion of the series beyond the United States, where it kicked off in 2024. "Mustang holds a special place in the hearts of Australians, and a dedicated one-make series featuring the Dark Horse R is a natural and incredibly exciting fit for our market," said Andrew Birkic, Ford Australia president and CEO, in a statement. "This new championship provides a clear pathway for aspiring drivers and adds another thrilling dimension to the Mustang's legendary racing heritage down under." Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. The Dark Horse R takes the Mustang Dark Horse road car a step further by adding 18-inch forged alloy wheels with slick racing tyres, bigger Brembo brakes and a larger exhaust from renowned specialist Borla. There's no additional power from the 5.0-litre V8 – making a claimed 'more than 500 horsepower (373kW)' – which is teamed with a Tremec 3160 six-speed manual gearbox and Torsen limited-slip differential. The Dark Horse R's race-readiness is capped off with a Recaro racing seat approved by the FIA – the governing body of global motorsport. Mustang Cup cars come to Australia through Miedecke Motorsport, Australian agents for Multimatic – the company behind the Dark Horse R as well as a host of Ford Performance models, including the 2016 Le Mans-winning Ford GT race and road cars. The cost of a Mustang Cup Dark Horse R is, according to Ford Performance, $US159,000 ($242,700). The lower-spec 2024 Mustang Dark Horse with a manual gearbox is currently priced at $98,017 before on-road costs, with the automatic at $101,917 before on-roads. The Ford series is expected to cost less than the Porsche Carrera Cup, both a national and global one-make racing series using the Porsche 911 which is speculated at around $1 million per year to compete in. Showroom rival Toyota – which will compete against Ford in the Supercars championship with its Supra sports car from 2026 – also runs a national one-make series in Australia, the Gazoo Racing Cup (GR Cup). It's also designed to develop young racing talent, with current Supercars championship leader, Broc Feeney, one of its star graduates, having won his first race in the Toyota series as a 15-year-old in 2018. The GR Cup uses the much-lauded Toyota GR86 sports car, with a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine, but in the V8 Dark Horse R the Mustang Cup will offer a more powerful, faster race car closer to 'higher' series such as the Super 2 category, one step down from Supercars. "The Mustang Dark Horse R was designed to be a turnkey race car to provide a thrilling, accessible, and competitive platform for drivers," said the global director of Ford Performance, Mark Rushbrook, in a statement. "Seeing it embraced by our team in Australia and set to form a new national championship is fantastic. Rushbrook pointed to 20-year-old Australian racer, Cameron McLeod, who won two Mustang Dark Horse R races at the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours earlier this month. The races were part of the US-based 2025 IMSA Ford Mustang Challenge. "The success of Cameron McLeod at Le Mans showed the world what talented young drivers can do in this car and bringing that level of competition to Australia is a vital addition to the global Mustang racing ecosystem," he said. The Ford Mustang ecosystem is extensive, with the US car giant offering customer racing versions of the iconic V8-powered sports car in multiple categories, including GT4, GT3 and Supercars racing in Australia. MORE: Everything Ford Mustang Content originally sourced from: Ford has announced the Ford Mustang Cup will take place as a national series in Australia across six rounds in 2026 – a breeding ground for future talent – and is seeking expressions of interest from would-be competitors. Using the formidable Ford Mustang Dark Horse R racing model, a field of around 20-25 competitors is expected in the first expansion of the series beyond the United States, where it kicked off in 2024. "Mustang holds a special place in the hearts of Australians, and a dedicated one-make series featuring the Dark Horse R is a natural and incredibly exciting fit for our market," said Andrew Birkic, Ford Australia president and CEO, in a statement. "This new championship provides a clear pathway for aspiring drivers and adds another thrilling dimension to the Mustang's legendary racing heritage down under." Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. The Dark Horse R takes the Mustang Dark Horse road car a step further by adding 18-inch forged alloy wheels with slick racing tyres, bigger Brembo brakes and a larger exhaust from renowned specialist Borla. There's no additional power from the 5.0-litre V8 – making a claimed 'more than 500 horsepower (373kW)' – which is teamed with a Tremec 3160 six-speed manual gearbox and Torsen limited-slip differential. The Dark Horse R's race-readiness is capped off with a Recaro racing seat approved by the FIA – the governing body of global motorsport. Mustang Cup cars come to Australia through Miedecke Motorsport, Australian agents for Multimatic – the company behind the Dark Horse R as well as a host of Ford Performance models, including the 2016 Le Mans-winning Ford GT race and road cars. The cost of a Mustang Cup Dark Horse R is, according to Ford Performance, $US159,000 ($242,700). The lower-spec 2024 Mustang Dark Horse with a manual gearbox is currently priced at $98,017 before on-road costs, with the automatic at $101,917 before on-roads. The Ford series is expected to cost less than the Porsche Carrera Cup, both a national and global one-make racing series using the Porsche 911 which is speculated at around $1 million per year to compete in. Showroom rival Toyota – which will compete against Ford in the Supercars championship with its Supra sports car from 2026 – also runs a national one-make series in Australia, the Gazoo Racing Cup (GR Cup). It's also designed to develop young racing talent, with current Supercars championship leader, Broc Feeney, one of its star graduates, having won his first race in the Toyota series as a 15-year-old in 2018. The GR Cup uses the much-lauded Toyota GR86 sports car, with a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine, but in the V8 Dark Horse R the Mustang Cup will offer a more powerful, faster race car closer to 'higher' series such as the Super 2 category, one step down from Supercars. "The Mustang Dark Horse R was designed to be a turnkey race car to provide a thrilling, accessible, and competitive platform for drivers," said the global director of Ford Performance, Mark Rushbrook, in a statement. "Seeing it embraced by our team in Australia and set to form a new national championship is fantastic. Rushbrook pointed to 20-year-old Australian racer, Cameron McLeod, who won two Mustang Dark Horse R races at the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours earlier this month. The races were part of the US-based 2025 IMSA Ford Mustang Challenge. "The success of Cameron McLeod at Le Mans showed the world what talented young drivers can do in this car and bringing that level of competition to Australia is a vital addition to the global Mustang racing ecosystem," he said. The Ford Mustang ecosystem is extensive, with the US car giant offering customer racing versions of the iconic V8-powered sports car in multiple categories, including GT4, GT3 and Supercars racing in Australia. MORE: Everything Ford Mustang Content originally sourced from: Ford has announced the Ford Mustang Cup will take place as a national series in Australia across six rounds in 2026 – a breeding ground for future talent – and is seeking expressions of interest from would-be competitors. Using the formidable Ford Mustang Dark Horse R racing model, a field of around 20-25 competitors is expected in the first expansion of the series beyond the United States, where it kicked off in 2024. "Mustang holds a special place in the hearts of Australians, and a dedicated one-make series featuring the Dark Horse R is a natural and incredibly exciting fit for our market," said Andrew Birkic, Ford Australia president and CEO, in a statement. "This new championship provides a clear pathway for aspiring drivers and adds another thrilling dimension to the Mustang's legendary racing heritage down under." Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. The Dark Horse R takes the Mustang Dark Horse road car a step further by adding 18-inch forged alloy wheels with slick racing tyres, bigger Brembo brakes and a larger exhaust from renowned specialist Borla. There's no additional power from the 5.0-litre V8 – making a claimed 'more than 500 horsepower (373kW)' – which is teamed with a Tremec 3160 six-speed manual gearbox and Torsen limited-slip differential. The Dark Horse R's race-readiness is capped off with a Recaro racing seat approved by the FIA – the governing body of global motorsport. Mustang Cup cars come to Australia through Miedecke Motorsport, Australian agents for Multimatic – the company behind the Dark Horse R as well as a host of Ford Performance models, including the 2016 Le Mans-winning Ford GT race and road cars. The cost of a Mustang Cup Dark Horse R is, according to Ford Performance, $US159,000 ($242,700). The lower-spec 2024 Mustang Dark Horse with a manual gearbox is currently priced at $98,017 before on-road costs, with the automatic at $101,917 before on-roads. The Ford series is expected to cost less than the Porsche Carrera Cup, both a national and global one-make racing series using the Porsche 911 which is speculated at around $1 million per year to compete in. Showroom rival Toyota – which will compete against Ford in the Supercars championship with its Supra sports car from 2026 – also runs a national one-make series in Australia, the Gazoo Racing Cup (GR Cup). It's also designed to develop young racing talent, with current Supercars championship leader, Broc Feeney, one of its star graduates, having won his first race in the Toyota series as a 15-year-old in 2018. The GR Cup uses the much-lauded Toyota GR86 sports car, with a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine, but in the V8 Dark Horse R the Mustang Cup will offer a more powerful, faster race car closer to 'higher' series such as the Super 2 category, one step down from Supercars. "The Mustang Dark Horse R was designed to be a turnkey race car to provide a thrilling, accessible, and competitive platform for drivers," said the global director of Ford Performance, Mark Rushbrook, in a statement. "Seeing it embraced by our team in Australia and set to form a new national championship is fantastic. Rushbrook pointed to 20-year-old Australian racer, Cameron McLeod, who won two Mustang Dark Horse R races at the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours earlier this month. The races were part of the US-based 2025 IMSA Ford Mustang Challenge. "The success of Cameron McLeod at Le Mans showed the world what talented young drivers can do in this car and bringing that level of competition to Australia is a vital addition to the global Mustang racing ecosystem," he said. The Ford Mustang ecosystem is extensive, with the US car giant offering customer racing versions of the iconic V8-powered sports car in multiple categories, including GT4, GT3 and Supercars racing in Australia. MORE: Everything Ford Mustang Content originally sourced from: Ford has announced the Ford Mustang Cup will take place as a national series in Australia across six rounds in 2026 – a breeding ground for future talent – and is seeking expressions of interest from would-be competitors. Using the formidable Ford Mustang Dark Horse R racing model, a field of around 20-25 competitors is expected in the first expansion of the series beyond the United States, where it kicked off in 2024. "Mustang holds a special place in the hearts of Australians, and a dedicated one-make series featuring the Dark Horse R is a natural and incredibly exciting fit for our market," said Andrew Birkic, Ford Australia president and CEO, in a statement. "This new championship provides a clear pathway for aspiring drivers and adds another thrilling dimension to the Mustang's legendary racing heritage down under." Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. The Dark Horse R takes the Mustang Dark Horse road car a step further by adding 18-inch forged alloy wheels with slick racing tyres, bigger Brembo brakes and a larger exhaust from renowned specialist Borla. There's no additional power from the 5.0-litre V8 – making a claimed 'more than 500 horsepower (373kW)' – which is teamed with a Tremec 3160 six-speed manual gearbox and Torsen limited-slip differential. The Dark Horse R's race-readiness is capped off with a Recaro racing seat approved by the FIA – the governing body of global motorsport. Mustang Cup cars come to Australia through Miedecke Motorsport, Australian agents for Multimatic – the company behind the Dark Horse R as well as a host of Ford Performance models, including the 2016 Le Mans-winning Ford GT race and road cars. The cost of a Mustang Cup Dark Horse R is, according to Ford Performance, $US159,000 ($242,700). The lower-spec 2024 Mustang Dark Horse with a manual gearbox is currently priced at $98,017 before on-road costs, with the automatic at $101,917 before on-roads. The Ford series is expected to cost less than the Porsche Carrera Cup, both a national and global one-make racing series using the Porsche 911 which is speculated at around $1 million per year to compete in. Showroom rival Toyota – which will compete against Ford in the Supercars championship with its Supra sports car from 2026 – also runs a national one-make series in Australia, the Gazoo Racing Cup (GR Cup). It's also designed to develop young racing talent, with current Supercars championship leader, Broc Feeney, one of its star graduates, having won his first race in the Toyota series as a 15-year-old in 2018. The GR Cup uses the much-lauded Toyota GR86 sports car, with a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine, but in the V8 Dark Horse R the Mustang Cup will offer a more powerful, faster race car closer to 'higher' series such as the Super 2 category, one step down from Supercars. "The Mustang Dark Horse R was designed to be a turnkey race car to provide a thrilling, accessible, and competitive platform for drivers," said the global director of Ford Performance, Mark Rushbrook, in a statement. "Seeing it embraced by our team in Australia and set to form a new national championship is fantastic. Rushbrook pointed to 20-year-old Australian racer, Cameron McLeod, who won two Mustang Dark Horse R races at the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours earlier this month. The races were part of the US-based 2025 IMSA Ford Mustang Challenge. "The success of Cameron McLeod at Le Mans showed the world what talented young drivers can do in this car and bringing that level of competition to Australia is a vital addition to the global Mustang racing ecosystem," he said. The Ford Mustang ecosystem is extensive, with the US car giant offering customer racing versions of the iconic V8-powered sports car in multiple categories, including GT4, GT3 and Supercars racing in Australia. MORE: Everything Ford Mustang Content originally sourced from:
Perth Now
27-06-2025
- Automotive
- Perth Now
2026 Ford Mustang Cup racing series set for Australia
Ford has announced the Ford Mustang Cup will take place as a national series in Australia across six rounds in 2026 – a breeding ground for future talent – and is seeking expressions of interest from would-be competitors. Using the formidable Ford Mustang Dark Horse R racing model, a field of around 20-25 competitors is expected in the first expansion of the series beyond the United States, where it kicked off in 2024. 'Mustang holds a special place in the hearts of Australians, and a dedicated one-make series featuring the Dark Horse R is a natural and incredibly exciting fit for our market,' said Andrew Birkic, Ford Australia president and CEO, in a statement. 'This new championship provides a clear pathway for aspiring drivers and adds another thrilling dimension to the Mustang's legendary racing heritage down under.' Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Supplied Credit: CarExpert The Dark Horse R takes the Mustang Dark Horse road car a step further by adding 18-inch forged alloy wheels with slick racing tyres, bigger Brembo brakes and a larger exhaust from renowned specialist Borla. There's no additional power from the 5.0-litre V8 – making a claimed 'more than 500 horsepower (373kW)' – which is teamed with a Tremec 3160 six-speed manual gearbox and Torsen limited-slip differential. The Dark Horse R's race-readiness is capped off with a Recaro racing seat approved by the FIA – the governing body of global motorsport. Mustang Cup cars come to Australia through Miedecke Motorsport, Australian agents for Multimatic – the company behind the Dark Horse R as well as a host of Ford Performance models, including the 2016 Le Mans-winning Ford GT race and road cars. Supplied Credit: CarExpert The cost of a Mustang Cup Dark Horse R is, according to Ford Performance, $US159,000 ($242,700). The lower-spec 2024 Mustang Dark Horse with a manual gearbox is currently priced at $98,017 before on-road costs, with the automatic at $101,917 before on-roads. The Ford series is expected to cost less than the Porsche Carrera Cup, both a national and global one-make racing series using the Porsche 911 which is speculated at around $1 million per year to compete in. Showroom rival Toyota – which will compete against Ford in the Supercars championship with its Supra sports car from 2026 – also runs a national one-make series in Australia, the Gazoo Racing Cup (GR Cup). Supplied Credit: CarExpert It's also designed to develop young racing talent, with current Supercars championship leader, Broc Feeney, one of its star graduates, having won his first race in the Toyota series as a 15-year-old in 2018. The GR Cup uses the much-lauded Toyota GR86 sports car, with a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine, but in the V8 Dark Horse R the Mustang Cup will offer a more powerful, faster race car closer to 'higher' series such as the Super 2 category, one step down from Supercars. 'The Mustang Dark Horse R was designed to be a turnkey race car to provide a thrilling, accessible, and competitive platform for drivers,' said the global director of Ford Performance, Mark Rushbrook, in a statement. 'Seeing it embraced by our team in Australia and set to form a new national championship is fantastic. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Rushbrook pointed to 20-year-old Australian racer, Cameron McLeod, who won two Mustang Dark Horse R races at the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours earlier this month. The races were part of the US-based 2025 IMSA Ford Mustang Challenge. 'The success of Cameron McLeod at Le Mans showed the world what talented young drivers can do in this car and bringing that level of competition to Australia is a vital addition to the global Mustang racing ecosystem,' he said. The Ford Mustang ecosystem is extensive, with the US car giant offering customer racing versions of the iconic V8-powered sports car in multiple categories, including GT4, GT3 and Supercars racing in Australia. MORE: Everything Ford Mustang
Scotsman
05-06-2025
- Automotive
- Scotsman
Sir Chris Hoy returns to alternative sport as Olympic hero takes on 'very different challenge'
Edinburgh's Sir Chris Hoy will team up with former Top Gear host Chris Harris for the Mustang Challenge Le Mans Invitational. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Sir Chris Hoy has confirmed that he will join Top Gear host Chris Harris for the 'Dark Horse Stars' class at the Mustang Challenge Le Mans Invitational having been selected as the first two drivers. The June 11-14 event, held at the legendary Circuit de la Sarthe, will mark the international race debut for the Dark Horse R - with 35-plus Ford Mustang Dark Horse R race cars being shipped over from the US. It marks a return to motor racing at legendary Le Mans for cycling hero Hoy, who revealed that he had incurable stage four prostate cancer last October. The six-time Olympic gold medallist, 49, told how he was 'excited' to get back behind the wheel at the French track on social media platform Instagram. Back in 2016, four tears after retiring from track cycling, Hoy completed the Le Mans 24 Hours and was previously part of the British GT Car Racing Championship. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Sir Chris Hoy 'excited' to return to Le Mans The Edinburgh native said: 'So excited about this. Huge thanks to Ford Performance. Can't wait to get out in the Mustang and give it a run.' Scott Bartlett, of Ford Performance, added: 'Sir Chris is an incredible man who has delivered on the world stage and is now facing a very different challenge. For him to want to take on Le Mans in a Mustang Dark Horse R is testament to the allure that Mustang has. We are also delighted that he is partnering with Chris Harris, whose global following on YouTube will give us another boost.' Hoy also trailed his Tour De 4 charity bike ride in September in support of other stage four patients. That is taking place at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow. The hope is to raise £1 million for 32,000 plus people living with stage four cancer in the UK. Edinburgh native Sir Chris Hoy helps save over 1,000 lives He's recently been credited with saving over 1,000 lives following his decision to go public with his terminal prostate cancer diagnosis. Hoy has since collaborated with Prostate Cancer UK to launch an online 30-second 'risk checker' questionnaire. Since starting, over 180,000 men have taken the test, leading to more than 1,000 people being diagnosed with prostate cancer through PSA (prostate-specific antigen) testing. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "So that campaign has saved lives," Sir Chris acknowledged. "In all the chaos and all the fear and all the horror of first being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, you can never imagine any positive outcome coming from that situation. So to know that there is one has given me a purpose. In difficult moments, you remind yourself, actually there is a net positive from this whole situation. And I'm lucky because I have a platform."
