Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC – 911 GT3 rival gets 795bhp V8
A supercharged heart transplant and numerous choice upgrades should make for the most thrilling Mustang under the £315,000 GTD
Ford has finally revealed the power and torque figures for its Porsche 911 GT3-rivalling Mustang Dark Horse SC, as well as US pricing and what transmission it features.
The car was revealed back in January to fill the gulf between the Carrera-rivalling Dark Horse and the outrageous GT3 RS-baiting, Nürburgring-munching Mustang GTD, proudly ‘designed, engineered and manufactured in-house’. However, not all the key details were disclosed.
Mustang Dark Horse SC power and performance
We were told that it swaps out the Dark Horse’s 5-litre naturally asipirated 500bhp V8 for a 5.2-litre supercharged lump more alike (but not identical to) that seen in the race-inspired GTD, without any figures given. Now we know, the Dark Horse SC’s V8 produces 795bhp and 660lb ft, sending that power to the rear wheels via a seven-speed Tremec dual-clutch transmission.
That’s a 35bhp and 35lb ft bump over the last 760bhp Mustang GT500, which the Dark Horse SC all but replaces and from which the GTD’s engine was developed. The transmission also is surely a development of the seven-speed Tremec DCT that car featured – good news given we weren’t fond of the gear-juggling ten-speed auto option in the standard Dark Horse. The DCT is the only option, with Ford electing to not offer the Tremec six-speed manual of the standard Dark Horse, citing its increased focus on track performance and lap times.
We still don’t have exact performance figures, though Ford’s claim of 280kg of downforce at 180mph for the Track Pack car suggests a healthy top speed in itself. For reference, the GT500 weighed a claimed 1897kg, was good for 0-60mph in 3.3sec, on the way to a top speed limited to 180mph.
The Dark Horse SC gets what Ford calls ‘a soundtrack that rival sports car makers have largely abandoned’ – a poke at its US contemporaries and their retired pony cars of course and maybe Corvette because of the more European-sounding Z06 or indeed, the Europeans themselves, which Ford claims this car can step to. We can confirm this thing could rattle the vast exterior glazing of Ford’s new World Headquarters from deep within, so it’s a good thing the multi-mode exhaust features a neighbour-friendly setting.
Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC chassis and handling
The Dark Horse SC shouldn’t be a one-trick pony. The aerodynamics, cooling, braking, suspension, electronics and steering have all been fettled to that end as well as improving feel. Donated from the GTD and handy for controlling the extra glob of supercharged twist will be five-stage variable traction control, configurable through the car’s track mode.
The standard MagneRide dampers feature upgraded hardware and software while there are also updated front and rear knuckles and front control arms. Between the magnesium strut brace and lighter, stiffer forged suspension links and a revised steering rack, steering gear and tie rods, steering feel and response is said to be improved.
As standard the Dark Horse SC has a 13mm wider track at the front than the Dark Horse, with cast alloy wheels shod in Pirelli P Zero R tyres. A new Track Pack reduces weight by 68kg (overall weights aren’t known), 54kg of that thanks to the standard-fit ceramic brakes also from the GTD. The standard SC’s steel discs are still bigger than those of the original Dark Horse, clamped by six-piston calipers at the front.
Track Pack cars will feature carbonfibre wheels that are wider still (also helping to reduce unsprung mass) and be wrapped in bespoke Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres, spanning a 305 section at the front and a 315 section at the rear. The Track Pack also adds a specific calibration to the dampers and the more aggressive aero – that lip on the boot improves the aerodynamic performance of the larger carbonfibre wing, while the front splitter is extended to ahead of the front wheelarches.
Mustang Dark Horse SC design and interior
Indeed the Dark Horse SC is significantly visually enhanced compared to the standard Dark Horse. There’s a new front bumper features cooling apparatus at its flanks and is slathered in honeycomb vents and big nostrils adding up to a 60 per cent increase in open area compared to the Dark Horse.
At the back, a more aggressive bumper, tall boxy exhausts and of course the larger wing. The new aluminium bonnet is heavily ventilated with five times more open area with the rain tray removed, contributing towards a 2.5-times increase in downforce over the standard Dark Horse. It even comes with race-style pins. The underfloor too is shaped to smooth out and speed up airflow and aid cooling of the brakes and rear axle.
Inside, the GTD donates its flat-bottom stripe-topped carbon and alcantara steering wheel, while sporty Recaro seats are included with the track pack. It’s also vastly more customisable than a standard Dark Horse, with distinctive accent packages with touches across the badging, brake callipers and seatbelts – the most distinctive being the Teal, inspired by the original Boss 429’s ‘Grabber Green’.
What do we think of the name? Mustang nomenclature is normally a bit more evocative – even Dark Horse has a certain something about it – so to headline the new car, with its supercharged power boost, with two letters at the end of the existing name? Feels a bit flat, like you’d have to extensively explain it to whoever asked. To car nerds it’s certainly not ‘Shelby GT500’, ‘Boss’ or ‘Cobra’.
But this is a new era for the Mustang and Dark Horse is a fresh performance sub brand Ford says resonates with a young and diverse audience. It’s also the product of the reorganised and reunified Ford Racing division, that now brings its fast road cars and its racing efforts under one roof.
Mustang Dark Horse SC price and availability
The Dark Horse SC will be priced from $108,485 (£80,393) in the US, with the Track Pack (outlined below) raising that substantially to $144,985 (£107,402). For reference, a basic 911 Carrera in the US starts from $135,500 before taxes.
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There are no official plans to bring it to Europe. You can blame noise regulations among other things though whispers have it that limited numbers could make their way across the Atlantic should there be enough demand, via the same special dispensation that allows the GTD regulatory passage. US order books are open now with deliveries beginning in the summer.
