Ford has announced a more powerful Dark Horse SC version of the Mustang for the US, packing a version of the 5.2-litre supercharged ‘Predator’ V8 from the hardcore Mustang GTD, but don’t hold your breath for it to be offered in Australia.
Pricing and engine outputs are yet to be revealed for North America, where the Dark Horse SC will be available around mid-2026, and positioned between the standard Dark Horse and the GTD flagship.
However, a high expected price tag and Australia’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) make it unlikely to be sold here, even if the SC was produced in right-hand drive.
“We have no news to share on any plans to offer the Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC in Australia,” a Ford Australia spokesperson told CarExpert.
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Given the Dark Horse is priced from $98,017 before on-road costs in Australia and the GTD costs a cool US$328,000 (A$489,600) in the US, the SC would likely be a $200,000-plus proposition including Luxury Car Tax in Australia.
Offering similar specs to the previous-generation Mustang Shelby GT500, the new Dark Horse SC comes with a version of the GTD’s blown V8. In that application, it produces a whopping 608kW of power and 900Nm of torque.
The V8 is matched as standard with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission in the new SC, rather than the eight-speed DCT in the GTD, which is essentially a street-legal version of Ford’s Mustang GT3 race car and packs advanced carbon-fibre aerodynamics and a rear-mounted transaxle delivering 50/50 weight distribution.
For reference, the standard Mustang Dark Horse’s 5.0-litre Coyote V8 produces 350kW and 550Nm in Australia, while the old GT500 with seven-speed DCT produced 567kW/847Nm, making it the most powerful road-going Ford when it was available in the US between 2020 and 2022.
The Mustang Dark Horse comes standard with Ford’s latest MagneRide adaptive damping system, firmer springs, revised anti-roll bars, upgraded front and rear knuckles, and modified front control arms, plus a lightweight magnesium strut tower brace under the bonnet to “sharpen steering feel and reduce unsprung mass”.
Other chassis upgrades include six-piston front and four-piston rear Brembo brake calipers behind 20-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Pirelli P Zero R tyres.
In terms of design, there’s new front fascia to improve engine airflow and brake cooling, with a 65 per cent larger central opening and double-sized side inlets compared to the standard Dark Horse.
There’s also a new rear diffuser and Ford says a new aluminium bonnet generates 2.5 times the downforce as the regular Dark Horse with the rain tray removed, and that its bonnet vent is five times larger.
A Track Package will also be available for the Dark Horse SC in the US, bringing 20-inch carbon-fibre wheels with bespoke Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R rubber, a specific MagneRide calibration, and carbon-ceramic Brembo brakes from the GTD measuring 16.5 inches up front and 14.5 inches at the rear.
Ford says the carbon wheels and ceramic brakes cut 68kg of mass from the Track Pack version, which replaces the rear seats with a storage shelf.
The Track Pack also gets the variable traction control system from the GTD, with five levels of intervention including none at all, and replaces the SC’s standard rear deck lid with a ducktail-style unit that works in conjunction with an upgraded carbon-fibre rear wing to further increase downforce.
The regular Dark Horse SC features the GTD’s leather-wrapped flat-bottom steering wheel with Alcantara and carbon-fibre accents, and is also available with the Track Pack’s standard leather and Dinamica-trimmed Recaro sport seats.
A Teal Accent Package, which adds different coloured brake calipers, seat belts and badges, will be available for the Dark Horse SC Track Package, while a Carbon Exterior Package adds carbon accents to the front fascia and mirrors.
A limited-run Track Pack Special Edition will also be available in the US, combining the Track and Carbon packages and adding a black roof, Race Red Brembo calipers, Solar Red accents for the Recaro seats, and the option of exclusive Shadow Black or Oxford White exterior paint.
“[The Mustang Dark Horse SC] is a high-powered Mustang that I don’t think the world saw coming, but it is exactly what happens when you let racing engineers design a road car,” said chief engineer Arie Groeneveld.
The latest S650-generation Mustang was Australia’s top-selling sports car in 2025, when it outsold its nearest competitor (the BMW 2 Series Coupe) almost four-to-one, with over 4000 sales – up 177 per cent on 2024.