The Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC Is a Shelby GT500 Successor

• The Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC is essentially a Shelby GT500 replacement, just with a lame name.
• The SC comes with a supercharged 5.2-liter V8 engine and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
• Ford won't tell us how much power the Dark Horse SC makes.
• An optional Track Pack includes carbon-fiber wheels.

Our best guesses: The Mustang Dark Horse SC will offer somewhere between the old GT500's 760 horsepower and the Mustang GTD's 815 hp. Something around 780 hp sounds right to us. As for price, we paid $81,280 for our GT500, which had a starting price of $71,395 back in 2020. The Dark Horse SC surely won't come close to the GTD's $315,000 MSRP, but a six-figure price tag is inevitable.

"We'll have more to share on performance stats closer to launch," a Ford spokesperson told us.

What we do know is that the Mustang Dark Horse SC has upgraded MagneRide suspension software, so the adaptive dampers have a stiffer tune. There are a whole bunch of chassis changes, in fact — things like new stabilizer bars, modified front control arms and more. The ultimate goal is to make a Mustang that's more responsive than the standard Dark Horse with flatter cornering characteristics, without being a total wild child like the track-attack Mustang GTD.

That said, the Dark Horse SC is fully prepped for race duty, and that's especially the case if you pony up for the optional Track Pack. Here, the MagneRide suspension is retuned to account for the weight savings of standard carbon-fiber wheels. Those lightweight rollers come wrapped in custom Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires, sized 305/30R20 up front and 315/30R20 at the rear. All Dark Horse SC models come with Brembo brakes, but the Track Pack adds the carbon-ceramic stoppers from the Mustang GTD.

From the outside, the Dark Horse SC looks rad and we dig the Track Pack's ducktail-style rear end with its huge carbon-fiber wing. Broad shoulders and flared fenders give the SC a properly butch appearance, and how freakin' cool are those teal brake calipers set behind the Track Pack's carbon wheels?

Inside the SC, you'll find faux suede and carbon-fiber trim bits, and the Track Pack comes with Recaro seats. The Track Pack also ditches the Mustang's rear seats in favor of shedding weight, and by all means, get the Teal Accent package to match those cool calipers.

Given how much we loved the old GT500 — and how much we love our own supercharged Dark Horse — we're beyond stoked to drive the new SC. The order books open this spring with the first deliveries scheduled for summer. Now if you'll excuse us, we have to rejigger our One-Year Road Test fleet budget.