Pony car – the term Ford’s Mustang has defined since its introduction in 1964. Since then, the pony car leader has been through seven generations and started a revolution in America – one probably as famous as America’s Declaration of Independence in 1776. More importantly now, though, the 'stang is remarkably surviving through the crossover and SUV upheaval—being the only passenger car in Ford's American lineup still on sale.Arriving at today’s seventh generation, the firm hasn’t stopped investing further in its halo car – making today’s GTD the most extravagant Mustang yet. It's the latest offering in a long line of fast Mustangs—using the base car as the foundation to produce more power, quicker 0–60 times, and ultimately higher top speeds. So, we’ve compiled some of the top 10 Mustangs which have hit some of the highest top speeds. But is the new GTD fast enough to feature on this list, and if so, where? 2024 Mustang Dark Horse Top Speed: 168 mph Bring a TrailerThe first of the contenders to feature is also a member of the seventh generation family – the Dark Horse. It uses a modified version of the 5.0L Coyote V8 which produces 500hp and sprints to 60 in under four seconds. A host of performance upgrades, including Brembo brakes and MagneRide active suspension – which uses iron particle-filled fluid to adjust the firmness of the ride – gave the Dark Horse the edge over the standard GT. Both, a 10-speed automatic and a six-speed manual transmission, are available on the Dark Horse which help it to achieve a top speed of 168 mph, although it's been engineered to handle more – over 200 mph in fact. This can be all yours for just over $64,000. 2015 Mustang Shelby GT350R Top Speed: Up to 175 mph (aerodynamically limited) Bring a TrailerWhen the GT350R arrived in 2015, it was a landmark “halo” car for Ford as it was the most hardcore Mustang built (at the time). It, along with its less potent sister – the GT350 – celebrated the 50th anniversary of the original Shelby Mustang. They were the first to showcase the MagneRide active suspension as well as the first to house Ford's new 5.2-liter Voodoo V8 which saw the rev-needle arch past 8,000 rpm on the rev-counter. Only 37 “R” versions were made for the 2015/2016 model year. These tuned 911 GT3 hunters featured a stripped-out interior and lightweight body which helped it to maximize its on-track performance. The standard seats were replaced with carbon buckets and the rear windows made do with Plexiglass which was lighter than standard glass. Its most notable features, though, were its front splitter and carbon-fiber rear spoiler, which aerodynamically limited its maximum speed to 175 mph. 2000 Mustang SVT Cobra R Top Speed: 177 mph Bring a TrailerAt the turn of the millennium, Ford was on a roll globally with the launches of the second-generation Mondeo, sixth-generation Transit, and the Racing Puma coupe for Europe. Meanwhile, across the pond, the European Focus arrived on US shores and the Mustang’s facelift continued Ford of Europe’s New Edge styling. But the most important Ford for 2000 was this, the SVT Cobra R. Like today's GTD and the GT350R above, it was a track-focused, street-legal pony car, but featured a 5.4-liter V8 which helped it to a top speed of 177 mph. Unlike the standard fourth-generation Mustang which it was based on, it swapped the radio and air-conditioning for Brembo brakes and specialized suspension—like the GTD. Pity only 300 Cobra R’s were made. 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 Carbon Fiber Track Package Top Speed: 180 mph Bring a TrailerIf the Shelby GT350R was a landmark for Ford in 2015, the GT500 Carbon Fiber Track Edition was the “holy grail” of all the sixth generation Mustangs to spawn Shelby editions. The first thing that strikes you about this wonder-kid, is its overall aggressive appearance and presence on the road – something to rival Chevy’s Camaro ZL1 and ZL1 1LE. As the name suggests, carbon-fiber additions including a GT4 track wing and front splitter wickers set it apart from the standard GT500. Losing the rear seats and wearing Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires helped it to sprint to 60 in under 3.8 seconds and onto a limited top-speed of 180 mph. Its 5.2-liter Predator V8 was the most powerful production engine at the time. Its specialized carbon locking-wheel nuts showed its seriousness for the track. 2026 Mustang Dark Horse SC Top Speed: 180 mph Ford MediaPenned by Aaron Walker, Ford’s senior designer, the SC differs from the standard Dark Horse – number 10 on the list – by swapping the 5.0L Coyote unit for a supercharged 5.2 liter V8 and drops three gears to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. It's positioned to fill the gap between the standard Dark Horse and the top-tier GTD, with order books opening later this spring and production following shortly after, so start placing your orders! 2024 Saleen 302 Black Label Top Speed: 183 mph Saleen MediaThe first of two Saleens to appear. Unveiled in 2024 to coincide with the Mustang’s 60th anniversary at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama on April 6, 2024. The top tier Black Label 302 features a supercharged performance intake system and a down force rear diffuser to help push it to a top speed of 183 mph. The Saleen also boasts selectable driving modes, a performance sway bar and a high performance exhaust to put this high-octane Mustang into the Premier League. You will have to cough up $128,475 for the privilege, though. 2005 Saleen S281 Extreme Top Speed: 183 mph Bring a TrailerFor the S281, the tuning firm replaced the standard suspension of the fifth generation Mustang with their own set-up which enhanced cornering stability. The forged engine internals helped to push the Saleen to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and onto a top speed of 183 mph. Each S281 was individually numbered and took design cues from the company’s S7 halo model. More importantly, though, it made its definitive appearance as Decepticon Barricade in Paramount and Dreamworks' 2007 Transformers film. Saleen provided the film set with three custom-made S281 police pursuit vehicles wearing black and white police liveries. 2008 Shelby GT500 Super Snake Top Speed: 200 mph Bring a TrailerKnight Rider’s reboot in 2008 saw Ford’s Shelby S197 GT500 range become icons – helping to define the Mustang’s cool street image. At the top of the tree was this, the Super Snake. Although its less-powerful KR twin was the star of the show, the Super Snake was glorified as being the most powerful Mustang of all time when it was launched. 725 horsepower from its supercharged 5.4-liter V8 gave it an unrestricted top speed near to the 200 mph barrier. Around 1000 Super Snake conversions were done on the standard GT500 at Shelby’s facility in Las Vegas. 2013 Mustang Shelby GT500 Top Speed: 202 mph Bring a TrailerWhen the Shelby GT500 arrived in 2013, it was the first of its kind to smash past the 200 mph barrier. Its 5.8-liter "Trinity" V8 pushed out 662 horsepower and 631 pound-feet of torque, sprinting to 60 mph in under 3.8 seconds. It was the first Mustang to utilize launch control and the last Shelby GT500 to come equipped with a manual gearbox. The traditional set of go-faster stripes helped continue to cement the GT500’s image as an all-American, purpose-built, mile muncher! 2025 Mustang GTD Top Speed: 202 mph Ford MediaSo the GTD has taken the chequered flag from this list. It’s our fastest Mustang. Launched in 2024, it’s a street-legal, track-focused version of today’s car. Its 5.2-liter V8 produces in excess of 800 horsepower and propels it to 60 mph in under three seconds. Its exterior carbon-fiber panels show the seriousness of the GTD’s focus on being a track beater as opposed to just a straight-line muscle dominator. Although it's come first on the list, you may have noticed some crucial other tuned Mustangs have been missing—don't worry, though, because they're still here. All three cars below were engineered to exceed 200 mph, but their top speeds remain unverified and therefore couldn’t be ranked. 2013 Mustang Shelby GT500 Super Snake Bring a Trailer The V8 in the 2013 Super Snake boosted the 5.8-liter Trinity V8's power to over 800 horsepower. Trouble is, no one has yet been brave enough to verify the speed at full pelt. 2021 Mustang Roush Stage 3 And 2020 Jack Roush Edition Mustang Bring a TrailerAnd then there’s Roush. For both the 2021 Roush Stage 3 and 2020 Jack Roush Edition Mustangs, they took the standard Mustang and fitted them with a TVS supercharger to the 5.0-liter Coyote V8, except the Jack Roush Edition was more finely tuned to set it apart from the Stage 3. Both versions’ true top speeds are unclear as the company does not publicize their figures.Sources: Stack Exchange, Ford Media, IOPscience.org, lmr.com, Shelby Performance, Ford, Roush Performance, Saleen, Mustang Specs, Bring a Trailer,