Ford has confirmed the power and torque figures for the 2026 Mustang Dark Horse SC. The new supercharged GT500 replacement will offer 35 more horsepower and torque than the now-discontinued GT500, checking in at 795 hp and 660 pound-feet from its blown 5.2-liter V8. That’s one disgustingly fast Mustang, and this time around, it’s not a Shelby.
That isn’t a huge jump in power compared to the GT500, but at nearly 800 horses, the Dark Horse SC is already pushing the limits of what’s manageable in a rear-wheel-drive street car. Plus, with the 815-horsepower GTD bookending it on the high side, and the standard Dark Horse at the other end, there’s really not much room for the SC to maneuver. The same holds true for pricing, as we’ve already learned, with the $105,485 Dark Horse SC costing way more than a standard Dark Horse but roughly a third of the price of a GTD.
That pattern continues all the way down. The Dark Horse and SC may not be playing on the same field as the GTD, but Ford says they’re nonetheless intended to be track-focused Mustangs. The SC’s Track Pack comes with Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes and 20-inch carbon fiber wheels.
That’s a lot of unsprung weight being removed from the corners. It also deletes the rear seat and swaps the standard summer tires for a set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Rs, so it’s not only 150 pounds lighter, but it’s a whole heck of a lot grippier. And that’s all on top of what you get from the standard Dark Horse kit.
“Aerodynamics and cooling have been exclusively engineered for the Dark Horse SC’s supercharged V8’s extreme capabilities,” Ford said when it announced the power figures. “The Dark Horse SC features a new aluminum hood with a prominent carbon fiber vent that generates 2.5 times the downforce of the standard Dark Horse model when the rain tray is removed.”
For its part, Shelby isn’t completely out of the Mustang game. The licensing deal between Carroll’s estate and Ford may have expired, but Shelby American—an entirely separate company—still builds seriously fast Fords. They’re also seriously expensive.
The 2026 Mustang Dark Horse SC is available for order now; deliveries will begin in the summer.
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