View Photos of the 2023 BMW M2 vs. 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Sports coupes aren't exactly falling out of trees these days, so bringing together a pair of two-door, two-row, manual-transmission performance cars should create some weird pairings—or perhaps not. We're not sure if the BMW M2 and Ford Mustang Dark Horse would come off as rivals, but on the roads of Southern California, the two are more familiar bedfellows than you may think.
2023 BMW M2 vs. 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Both the Dark Horse and the M2 are products of a major refresh, indicating that their makers are here to play for a little while longer.
The Mustang Dark Horse rang in at $78,755—with roughly $17,000 in options—while the M2—with about $12,000 in options—totaled $75,345.
At higher elevations, the Dark Horse's naturally aspirated V-8 occasionally gasped for air, giving the turbocharged M2 an even greater speed advantage.
The long and winding San Gabriel Canyon Road proved to be an ideal venue for wringing out two high-strung sports coupes.
BMW gets to boast "mine's bigger" when it comes to screen size with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.9-
inch center touchscreen embedded in the dash.
The M2's 15.0-inch front and 14.6-inch rear rotors, adaptive dampers, and an electronically controlled limited-slip differential
are all borrowed from its big brother, the M4.
The M2's racing-style carbon-fiber seats make ingress and egress difficult.
Although less comfortable than the Mustang's, the M2's seats were better at holding us in place during high-g cornering maneuvers.
The M2 has a slightly detuned version of the twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six found in other M models.
The M2 is the only BMW to offer a manual transmission.
The Dark Horse is 214 pounds heavier than the BMW M2.
The Mustang is Ford's lone surviving passenger car, although Ford CEO Jim Farley promises that the V-8 Mustang has a lot of life left in it.
The Mustang's Recaro chairs have unique bolsters and are more comfortable than the M2's M Carbon bucket seats.
The Mustang's smaller side glass and mirrors limit visibility.
The Mustang has a 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster and a 13.2-inch infotainment touchscreen—big but with a relatively sluggish reaction to inputs.
The Dark Horse's $5495 Handling package puts a lot of track-ready rubber on the road but still manages only a 0.03-g advantage over the M2.
The 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse's 500-hp, 32-valve V-8.
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
2023 BMW M2 vs. 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
2023 BMW M2 vs. 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
2023 BMW M2 vs. 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
2023 BMW M2 vs. 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
2023 BMW M2
2023 BMW M2
2023 BMW M2
2023 BMW M2
2023 BMW M2
2023 BMW M2
2023 BMW M2
2023 BMW M2
2023 BMW M2
2023 BMW M2
2023 BMW M2
2023 BMW M2
2023 BMW M2
2023 BMW M2
2023 BMW M2
2023 BMW M2
2023 BMW M2
2023 BMW M2
2023 BMW M2
2023 BMW M2
2023 BMW M2
2023 BMW M2
2023 BMW M2
2023 BMW M2
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