ford has announced a stronger one Dark Horse SC version of the mustang A version of the 5.2-liter supercharged Predator V8 engine from the hardcore Mustang GTD is included for the US, but don’t wait for it to be offered in Australia too.
Pricing and engine output have yet to be announced for North America, where the Dark Horse SC will be available around mid-2026 and will be positioned between the standard Dark Horse and the GTD flagship.
However, due to the high expected price and Australia’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), it is unlikely to be sold here, even if the SC was made with right-hand drive.
“We have no update on plans to offer the Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC in Australia,” a Ford Australia spokesperson said Daily Sparkz.
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Considering the Dark Horse is priced at US$98,017 (before on-road costs) in Australia and the GTD costs a whopping US$328,000 (A$489,600) in the US, the SC would likely be an offering of over US$200,000 in Australia, including luxury car tax.
The new Dark Horse SC offers similar specs to the previous generation Mustang Shelby GT500 and features a version of the GTD’s broken V8. In this application it produces a whopping 608 kW of power and 900 Nm of torque.
The V8 comes 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 features advanced carbon-fiber aerodynamics and a rear-mounted transmission that allows for 50/50 weight distribution.
For comparison, the standard Mustang Dark Horse’s 5.0-litre Coyote V8 makes 350kW and 550Nm in Australia, while the old seven-speed DCT GT500 made 567kW/847Nm, making it the most powerful road-going Ford when available in the US between 2020 and 2022.
The Mustang Dark Horse comes standard with Ford’s latest MagneRide adaptive damping system, stiffer springs, revised anti-roll bars, improved front and rear steering knuckles and modified front control arms, as well as a lightweight magnesium strut brace under the hood to “improve 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 tires.
In terms of design, there’s a new front fascia to improve engine airflow and brake cooling, with a 65 percent larger central opening and double-sized side intakes compared to the standard Dark Horse.
There’s also a new rear diffuser and Ford says a new aluminum hood produces 2.5 times more downforce than the regular Dark Horse with the rain pan removed and that the hood vent is five times larger.
A Track package will also be available for the Dark Horse SC in the U.S., which includes 20-inch carbon fiber wheels with custom Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R rubber, special MagneRide calibration, and carbon-ceramic Brembo brakes from the GTD measuring 16.5 inches at the front and 14.5 inches at the rear.
Ford says the carbon wheels and ceramic brakes reduce the mass of the Track Pack version, which replaces the rear seats with a storage shelf, by 68kg.
The Track Pack also gets the GTD’s variable traction control system with five levels of intervention, including none at all, and replaces the SC’s standard boot lid with a ducktail-style unit that works in conjunction with an upgraded carbon fiber rear wing to further increase downforce.
The regular Dark Horse SC features the leather-wrapped, flat-bottom GTD steering wheel with Alcantara and carbon fiber accents and is also available with the Track Pack’s standard leather and Dinamica-trimmed Recaro sport seats.
A Teal Accent Package will be available for the Dark Horse SC Track Package, which adds different colored brake calipers, seat belts and emblems, while a Carbon Exterior Package adds carbon accents to the front fascia and mirrors.
In the US there will also be a limited Track Pack Special Edition that combines the Track and Carbon packages and adds a black roof, Race Red Brembo brake calipers, Solar Red accents for the Recaro seats and the option of an exclusive Shadow Black or Oxford White exterior paint.
“(The Mustang Dark Horse SC) is a high-performance Mustang that I don’t think the world expected, but that’s exactly what happens when you let race engineers design a road car,” said chief engineer Arie Groeneveld.
The latest S650 generation Mustang was Australia’s best-selling sports car in 2025, outselling its nearest competitor (the BMW 2 Series Coupe) almost four to one with over 4000 sold – a 177 per cent increase over 2024.
MORE: Explore the Ford Mustang showroom
