The coupe will be used in the upcoming Mustang Cup Australia, which is set to make its debut as part of the SRO Motorsports Australia-promoted Shannons SpeedSeries undercard in 2026.

Driving Solutions, who will operate the new series, has announced GT4 racer Summer Rintoule will take the race car through its paces in the popular Beat the Blue contest.

That pits New South Wales Police Force’s Highway Patrol against 99 drivers on the skid pan at SMP in a gymkhana-style course.

Beat the Blue gives car enthusiasts a chance to drive at speed in controlled conditions in a side-by-side time attack.

Rintoule is a regular in Monochrome GT4 Australia with Triple Eight Race Engineering in a Mercedes-AMG GT4 with Jarrod Hughes.

“I definitely haven’t tried to outrun the cops and it’s something I don’t want to be doing, so it’s cool that we’ll have the chance to go up against the police in a safe environment,” said Rintoule.

“I’m really looking forward to it and I think it will be a really fun event.

“I’ve never driven the Mustang before, so I’m excited to get in the Dark Horse R as I think it will be a bit of fun.”

Rintoule said she’s looking forward to getting behind the wheel of the car ahead of its full rollout.

“The Dark Horse R has been on display at some of the SRO Shannons SpeedSeries events throughout the year,” she said.

“I’ve had a bit of a look at it and it looks like it will be a cool package. We’ve seen them race in the United States and it’s great that Ford is bringing them to Australia.

“The chat in the paddock on the Mustang Cup is really strong. I feel it will be a great bridging category to enhance the pathway up the motorsport ladder.”

Spectator entry for Beat the Blue at Sydney Motorsport Park on Saturday, August 9 is free.