Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC: 795 Horsepower Confirmed

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DelanoJ@reddit

So many historic names and themes to choose from and Dark Horse SC is what they go with disappointing

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It seems they are trying to create new racing heritage/branding/names that don’t require them to pay significant royalties to other people. It makes sense given the Mustang isn’t the most profitable car to make right now.

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Mobile619@reddit

Agreed. I know they want to move away from the Shelby naming, but why not bring back the Cobra or Cobra R name?

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USS-Hellcat@reddit

Yep. This isn't hard. Idk why they chose the Dark Horse name to begin with. The lineup would have been perfect with them using Ecoboost, GT, Mach 1 (Dark Horse), and Cobra (Dark Horse SC).

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Nexusu@reddit

Apparently some early animations showed it to be called Dark Horse Boss which tbh sounds even worse

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narwhal_breeder@reddit

That’s comically awful

dark horse is still extremely stupid.

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BandeFromMars@reddit

Cobra was just sitting there and they picked a Katy Perry song

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CarsAreRad@reddit

I agree they should have went with Dark Horsey.

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s1ravarice@reddit

Noir Pony

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CTJacob@reddit

May not be grammatically correct but, Pony Noir wouldn't have been the worst thing ever.

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s1ravarice@reddit

Considering the pony car link, no it wouldn’t

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thelangosta@reddit

I just snorted. Thanks for the laugh

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TheMaddSage@reddit

If they wanted to go simple, they should’ve brought back SVT

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Funkytadualexhaust@reddit

Pony Boy works better

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ArchiStanton@reddit

Agreed. Awful naming. And it doesn’t differentiate itself

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generalistinterests@reddit

No idea why the dark horse was even built. A fool and his money are soon parted I guess.

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Yummy_Hershey@reddit

The Dark Horse is a handling package. It has better brakes, aero, and suspension than the GT. I could be wrong, but I believe the chassis itself is slightly different than the GT, with the Dark Horse having more bracing and additional stiffness. The manual transmission is also better.

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iroll20s@reddit

And the $10,500 ford performance kit has 815hp, a warranty, carb eo, and costs a lot less for the completed vehicle.

https://performanceparts.ford.com/part/M-6066-M8800

Without the cache of 'Shelby Cobra' this just comes across as way overpriced.

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randeus@reddit

To be fair, you’d also go limp mode after one pull, spend thousands on upgrading everything from cooling to suspension to make it a hardcore supercharged track car that still can only go a few sessions before it starts overheating anyway because whipples suck at keeping cool, and probably still be slower around a track than an SC.

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iroll20s@reddit

You could also start with a darkhorse and still save a ton if you want factory performance suspension. It comes with a FMIC. What supercharger do you think a darkhorse SC is running? If its not this exact part number it is a 3l 6th gen whipple as well. Still very few people end up tracking these things. You'd still be far better off with a GT and throwing actual race suspension on if you're a track user. Though I don't know if I'd be going with the ford kit if I was after a track car. Not that there isn't market for a more turn key track experience, but you're paying quite the premium for it.

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randeus@reddit

The GT500 and its engine is built handle track work all day. It would be difficult to get a Coyote to that type of reliability. I agree though, I’d avoid supercharging any Mustang I’d track other than maybe going with a centri blower.

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SecretPantyWorshiper@reddit

The Coyote engine can definitely handle the track abuse. The GT just lacks additional cooling like a diff cooler, trans and oil cooler.

Slapping the supercharger on it will most definitely cause it to overheat so fast

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randeus@reddit

I meant the Coyote with a supercharger.

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CiraKazanari@reddit

Voodoo engines use an Eaton tvs supercharger

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asad137@reddit

*cachet, fyi

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uberdosage@reddit

If the only thing you care about is HP or marketing yea this might not be the right vehicle for you

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Skullllz@reddit

No manual 😢

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mbmbmb01@reddit

That is a LOT of horsepower (torque more correctly, 660 ft-lb) for a manual transmission. Also a lot of torque for only 2 tires to handle.

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New_Armadillo_5139@reddit

the camaro's TR6060 dealth with 650 lb ft just fine, just saying....

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throwawayainteasy@reddit

As we revealed last month, it will start at $103,490 before taxes and destination charges.

I am just wildly out of sync with the market they're gunning for because I just cannot picture anyone paying $100k for a Mustang.

I've always been a Mustang guy. My first car was a 1968 289 coupe. I love them, but JFC the high end models of pony cars seem to have completely lost the plot on what the whole point of a pony car is.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go yell at some clouds and complain about kids these days.

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marrrrell@reddit

I wanna yell at the clouds too bc it ticks me off I can’t justify a $700+ monthly car payment for essentially a weekend car.

They’ve lost the plot completely. Mustang used to be cheap speed for younger adults. But it seems every generation it gets further and further out of reach for its original market. If you want a base V8 manual Mustang you better be ready to shell out $50k for that experience. And that’s just insane considering you could buy an LX 5.0 91 with a stick for $12k-$14k ($33k-$36k in current inflation).

They’ve essentially priced their customer out to reel in people who are cross shopping BMW’s maybe? Who knows, but everytime I hear Jim Farley bitch how nothing is selling I roll my eyes into the back of my skull. Maybe make something we can afford again.

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uberdosage@reddit

To be fair a current ecoboost is faster than that old 5.0

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turboash78@reddit

When's the last time a Mustang looked good? The 80s?

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Bambooman584@reddit

Sick Camaro

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iroll20s@reddit

Bitchin’ camaro sir.

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Umbra427@reddit

Somebody’s gotta make a Camaro this year, even if it isn’t Chevy

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VladimirSteel@reddit

I can't really imagine picking this over a z06

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narwhal_breeder@reddit

Fords CEO really wants the Mustang to be an aspirational product to increase the clout of the Mustang sub-brand. They also want to spend zero money or effort to do it.

Re-use the S550. Cost cut the interior. Raise the price. “Mission accomplished”

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iroll20s@reddit

And it will never do it sharing a chassis that has to be designed around base mustang prices. Its fundamentally flawed.

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SecretPantyWorshiper@reddit

Fords CEO really wants the Mustang to be an aspirational product to increase the clout of the Mustang sub-brand. They also apparently want to spend zero money or effort to do it.

The second part holds so true. It seems like all of the budget for R&D on the S650 Mustang went to the GTD only. The Dark Horse and Dark Horse SC have already been heavily subsidized with the R&D from the GT350 & GT500.

GM just came out with the next gen LT engines with the C8 and we have another one with the upcoming Grand Sport. Ford? Only thing they can do is add ITBs and a conservative tune to the 5.2L Predator engine lol.

I get what they are doing, they definitely are trying to make it a sub brand and go upmarket but it's just lazy. GM did a really good job with the C8 by delineatiing their lineup the S650 Mustang is just lazy.

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theknyte@reddit

I mean, I wouldn't say no to a modern Ferrari 12Cilindri or even a classic 250 GTO. I would definitely take a Aston Martin Vulcan. I happen to think that there's tons of mid-front cars, that can be just as good as mid-rear layout ones.

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SecretPantyWorshiper@reddit

For $105k I'd rather have a F150 Raptor R or a Z06

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Igotdiabetus@reddit

Or a ZL1

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WatchStoredInAss@reddit

Impress your local high school kids.

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stoned-autistic-dude@reddit

Crowds at cars and coffee across the U.S. in shambles

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the_flynn@reddit

To shreds, you say?

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J50GT@reddit

Damn this a tired trope.

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stoned-autistic-dude@reddit

It’s not because it still happens.

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StrangeSmellz@reddit

nice bmw

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Dr_Disaster@reddit

I feel a great disturbance in the Torque. As if entire crowds suddenly cried out in terror and were silenced.

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Scazitar@reddit

Lol Darkhorse is a fittingly apocalypse sounding name for that.

"The Dark horse is coming" people are are screaming & running.

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bush_killed_epstein@reddit

What a coincidence, “the dark horse is coming” is also my catchphrase in the bedroom

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driftking428@reddit

I thought mustangs were banned from these meetings?

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bakedvoltage@reddit

that’s VQs only at one C&C. S650s are one of the modern darlings of poster board lawn chair boomers.

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avoidhugeships@reddit

Lol, boomers don't love that screen.

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RunninOnMT@reddit

Yeah somehow I don’t see them banning mustangs in checks notes Nebraska

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N0fe@reddit

You would think so but I've only heard of Nissans being banned. Somehow the annoyance of fartcan VQs overshadows the crowd annihilating Mustangs

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Umbra427@reddit

Would be a lot better if it was $85k base and had an optional manual. Although obviously at that price it would be severely undercutting the Dark Horse models, which are grotesquely overpriced (I’ve seen them over $70k).

Unfortunately this is kind of a “who cares” overpriced halo car that will be a rich guy garage queen rather than something you’d buy to daily drive.

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generalistinterests@reddit

There’s no undercutting the lower model. This will also be extremely overinflated. Rich guys of a certain ilk are happy to pay it all on an overpriced mustang. That’s why GTD gets away with its pricing. I don’t understand why corvettes are still priced at such a bargain across the spec range.

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Umbra427@reddit

I would disagree. For example If you have a Dark Horse for $73k and a SC for only $12k more, unless I’m already absolutely at the top of my budget stretching to get the Dark Horse, I’d see no reason not to get the upgraded model. There has to be a floor on the price of the SC to prevent that from happening

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generalistinterests@reddit

SC will be a $100k car.

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RIP_Soulja_Slim@reddit

IDK, a GT500 in 2020 was 74k base, that's 95k in today's dollars, this is 103k base. Price wise it's in line with M4 competitions and what not, certainly not for someone who's not high income - but not all that unobtainable.

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Umbra427@reddit

The GT500 was a Shelby, which to some people carries more justification for a higher price. I think having it float around in the $90k range is more justifiable rather than starting at $108k (all the way up to $140k for the track pack and $175k for the special edition), that’s kind of pushing it.

$108k is by no means unobtainable, but I think once you’re creeping up into the reasonably optioned range, these just become trophy cars and people aren’t dailying them, and probably aren’t letting them loose on a track. I’m the wrong guy to ask because I daily a ZL1 but I think ford shot themselves in the foot by pricing the dark horse so high. A non-Shelby model shouldn’t be more than $90k but that’s my opinion

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narwhal_breeder@reddit

Shelby is literally just a marketing name by Ford. The company has nothing to do with the Ford produced Shelbys.

After naming right disputes, Ford isn’t using the Shelby name anymore. There won’t be anymore Ford produced Shelby models.

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Umbra427@reddit

All the same, it carries a certain weight and exclusivity to it that is important to enough to a lot of people to where it creates some degree of value in the car.

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randeus@reddit

The M2 CS is also priced around this and this car will most likely outperform that one in every single way without the track pack.

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BoringBob84@reddit

This wimpy little V-8 will get taken to school by boring electric sedans. The smoke and the noise is fun, but internal combustion engine technology is obsolete in terms of performance.

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metengrinwi@reddit

Where does one use a car with 795hp?

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Irate_Primate@reddit

Speaking as someone with (just) 650hp, onramps for 3-4 seconds.

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Candy3369@reddit

Exactly where I use mine! Then cruise control the next 30 miles to work

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Main_Hornet8676@reddit

I can barely wring out my 228hp car in my area...

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Fit_Equivalent3610@reddit

lol everyone says it’s too slow and here I am seriously considering whether I should buy a beater first gen so I can drive it more aggressively without breaking the law constantly.

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opstarfish@reddit

Slightly wish the NA version of this engine were in the normal Dark Horse. IMO the Dark Horse would be a more enticing option if it didn’t have the same engine as the GT.

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randeus@reddit

The 5.2L Predator is just a heavily modified supercharged Coyote, you know that right?

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Noobasdfjkl@reddit

Predator doesn't even use the same fundamental casting for the block as Coyote. It has significantly more bracing cast into the block. The entire valvetrain geometry and materials are different (you literally can't bolt Predator heads to a Coyote). The bottom end is different. The oiling is different.

While Predator and Coyote are certainly in the same engine family, they are significantly different. I don't really see a problem in asking for a more bespoke, more robust, larger displacement NA motor in the Dark Horse.

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ChuckFinley_is4Ever@reddit

I agree it would be pretty cool, but knowing Ford, they’d increase the cost of the car 2-3 times if they spent even $5 making the engine more bespoke or robust.

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PEEWUN@reddit

This is a Coyote, dude. It's just stroked.

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opstarfish@reddit

Then the should put the stroked version in the DH.

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OtterCreek_Andrew@reddit

The reason you see 10,000 mustangs driving around town every day is because they are affordable. This is just pricing people out of them. Then people who can afford it probably aren’t shopping for mustangs

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SecretPantyWorshiper@reddit

At least this will knock down S550 GT500 pricing

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DopamineQuest@reddit

If anything I'd think it would do the opposite. This car costs a LOT more than the s550 for very little gain, and it isn't called a Shelby, it's called a Dork Horse.

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uberdosage@reddit

Grown ass men unironically making fun of a name calling it dork horse l....

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DopamineQuest@reddit

It's a lame name idk what to tell ya lol

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uberdosage@reddit

The irony of this comment LOL

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USS-Hellcat@reddit

I agree. I don't think this devalues the S550 GT500 at all. Even the 2013/2014 GT500s still hold their value well.

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hawgs911@reddit

But its got a giant ipad inside dude.

So better ...

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DopamineQuest@reddit

Lol the s650 interior is so bad 🤮🤮

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randeus@reddit

It’s not too far from GT500 pricing using inflation and it seems to have numerous upgrades over taken from the GTD.

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BillyJohnsFinds@reddit

🤔

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SillyGooseTime69@reddit

Knock down pedestrians maybe

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ShadyDrunks@reddit

Predator/Voodoo blocks are still better than the Coyote, the GT500 is still better

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noblesix31@reddit

The Dark Horse SC isn't using a Coyote.

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ShadyDrunks@reddit

Oh its the 5.2 so probably Predator my bad

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Steve3PO@reddit

Pretty sure voodoo blocks implode so idk how that’s better

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Negative_Acadia6554@reddit

You know I’m old and out of touch when I think a $100k Mustang is abnormal.

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marrrrell@reddit

I see all these new developments going up with signs saying “starting in the low millions!!” And I’m wondering who can afford that. I might not be as old as some but I remember $30k for a 03 Mach1 being too rich for my dad’s blood when he went to order one. He basically bought a 2 year old GT and a 93 SC Tbird for less than what he could have ordered the Mach1 for. And he had a blast with both cars.

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AshKetchumDaJobber@reddit

With youtube, marketplace and downloadable tunes.

Anyone can do this with a few hours on a weekend for $500.

For the the msrp of the car you can probably buy at least 10 used Miatas to surpass the horsepower too

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