Ford has finally revealed the full power figures for the new Mustang Dark Horse SC, and the numbers are exactly as wild as expected. Positioned as the spiritual successor to the Shelby GT500, the Dark Horse SC will produce 795 horsepower and 660 pound-feet of torque, placing it neatly between the standard 500-horsepower Dark Horse and the 815-horsepower Mustang GTD.
The new model uses a hand-built supercharged 5.2-liter V8 known as the Predator engine, the same unit found in the previous GT500 and the new GTD. Power is sent through a Tremec seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, giving the Dark Horse SC a serious performance edge while keeping it just below the GTD in Ford’s Mustang hierarchy.
Ford says the Dark Horse SC was developed alongside the Mustang GTD and the Mustang GT3 race car, allowing the company to bring race-inspired technology directly into a road-going Mustang. According to Ford Performance boss Mark Rushbrook, the goal was to transfer lessons learned from endurance racing into a car customers can actually drive on the street and track.
The SC also gets several upgrades beyond the engine. Its bodywork has been redesigned for improved cooling, while the aluminum hood features a carbon fiber vent that generates significantly more downforce than the standard Dark Horse setup.
For buyers who want an even more hardcore version, Ford will offer an optional Track Pack. This package adds Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R tires, carbon-ceramic brakes, carbon fiber wheels, and removes the rear seats to cut around 150 pounds of weight. Every Dark Horse SC also comes with the latest generation of magnetorheological dampers and variable traction control to help manage all that power.
Pricing starts at $108,485, making the Dark Horse SC expensive by Mustang standards, but still far cheaper than the $327,000 Mustang GTD. Adding the Track Pack raises the price to around $144,985, while fully loaded examples with the Special Edition package can climb to nearly $171,000.
Even at those numbers, the Dark Horse SC still looks like a relative bargain compared to rivals such as the Chevrolet Corvette Z06, Corvette ZR1, and several Porsche 911 variants. It offers more horsepower than both the Z06 and the standard Porsche 911 Carrera, while delivering a level of performance that edges very close to the Mustang GTD for a fraction of the price.
With 795 horsepower, track-focused upgrades, and a price that undercuts many of its rivals, the new Dark Horse SC may end up being the most extreme Mustang for buyers who want GTD performance without paying GTD money.
