Ford Mustang Dark Horse R one-make racing series launches

US auto giant Ford has launched a one-make racing series based on the new Mustang Dark Horse R – a track-special version of the road car of the same name.

And if there is strong enough demand it could head Down Under.

In the US overnight, Ford announced the Mustang Challenge will hit circuits in North America from next year.

The Mustang Dark Horse R is powered by the same engine in the road car – a fourth-generation version of the 5.0-litre 'Coyote' V8 – but comes with hardcore racing upgrades to make it ready for motorsport.

The Dark Horse R is the third derivative of the current-generation Ford Mustang dedicated to motorsport, following the Mustang GT3 and Mustang GT4.

"Mustang Dark Horse R bridges the gap between Dark Horse and Mustang GT3 and GT4," Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports, said in a media statement.

"Production-based Mustang vehicles have raced from the very beginning, all the way back to winning the 1964 Tour de France."

Ford's top motorsport executive said the Mustang Dark Horse R would be available for aspiring racers to purchase in the US via its Canadian performance-car partner Multimatic – which manufactured the Ford GT twin-turbo V6 supercar.

For now, the executive said, the Ford Mustang Dark Horse will only be built in left-hand drive, however right-hand-drive versions could be a possibility if there was demand in markets such as Australia.

Ford says the Dark Horse R is designed for track use only, however it shares "several components" with the road-going version – such as the 500-horsepower (373kW) version of the 5.0-litre V8, Tremec 3160 six-speed manual transmission, a Torsen limited-slip differential with 3.73 final drive ratio, Brembo brakes and additional aerodynamic aids.

The full list of changes include the following:

Exterior

Interior

Engine and transmission

Chassis

Brakes/Wheels/Tyres