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Still deciding Dark Horse HP-6sp vs SC

topdawg4ever

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Still trying to decide between the Dark Horse-HP 6sp vs the new SC. Love the Dark Horse build I’ve found, pricing is solid, and includes painted stripes.
My issue is, I know the DH SC is $105k plus another $20k markup. That’s $125k vs $74k. I can’t imagine the SC being $50k more fun than the DH.
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smurfslayer

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Still trying to decide between the Dark Horse-HP 6sp vs the new SC. Love the Dark Horse build I’ve found, and pricing which includes painted stripes.
My issue is, I know the DH SC is $105k plus another $20k markup. That’s $125k vs $74k. I can’t imagine the SC being $50k more fun than the DH.
Have you driven a supercharged s650?
Remember that scene in Ford vs. Ferrari when Ken Mies drives the 427 GT40 for the first time?

That's kind of how it feels to drive a supercharged 302 s650. The handling pack just makes it stick more and what not.
You could always get the DHHP and buy the stage 1 whipple. still have the warranty for 3/36.
 

Junkyard Dog

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There is no way that the Dark Horse will have the cooling available in the SC, and good luck trying to duplicate that.

I have never driven a Whippled Mustang. That was actually my original plan for the Dark Horse, until I discovered that bolting on a Whipple meant not even making it through one of the five sessions (not one) on a typical HPDE day at the track. Ugh.

I would bet money that the SC will do the entire session.
 
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topdawg4ever

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Wonder how much the Dealer MU will be? Wonder when order blanks open?
 


smurfslayer

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Wonder how much the Dealer MU will be? Wonder when order blanks open?
You will have to work to stay at +10k and under and work HARD.

There is no way that the Dark Horse will have the cooling available in the SC, and good luck trying to duplicate that.

I have never driven a Whippled Mustang. That was actually my original plan for the Dark Horse, until I discovered that bolting on a Whipple meant not even making it through one of the five sessions (not one) on a typical HPDE day at the track. Ugh.

I would bet money that the SC will do the entire session.
and once we have lines on the cooling enhancements, we can adopt them in the Peasant Dark Horse w/ HP. Right now it's more of a guessing game, there's limited feedback on problems / fixes. The 10r80 even with the HP cooler is one issue and the engine cooling, possibly another. But we'll get there.

We got there with the Fox body 302's with 3.73's, we'll get there with the 7th Gen Coyote. And still be paying less than the SC.
 

Junkyard Dog

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Buy a Dark Horse and supercharge it yourself. Just as fast way cheaper and still have warranty.

Sigh.

"Just as fast" for how long? A quarter mile?

Without substantial modifications for removing engine oil heat and engine coolant heat, in addition to cooling the incoming air through the Whipple, it will not be "just as fast" after a few laps at Michelin Road Atlanta. It won't even be close. In fact, in all of the Whippled racetrack videos I have seen, the Whippled cars end up slower than the naturally aspirated Mustangs. The ECU pulls so much timing that they cannot keep up. One of the regular vendors in this thread has a Youtube video like that. Two Mustangs, on track, not a hot ambient temperature day, and it wasn't long before the Whippled car simply could not keep up.

So, no. This is a recipe for failure, unless your definition of "just as fast" is, in a straight line, for a matter of seconds, and then try to cool off.
 

BimmerDriver

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I'm confused, it appears that the OP already has a DH. Are you just looking to upgrade to the HP, or is there more to it? Because you could probably do that with OE parts or aftermarket equivalents for less money than trading in and buying new.
 

Ewags81

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Wonder when order blanks open?
it is my understanding, as @roket and @Epiphany have mentioned in other SC pricing discussion, that if you had any shot at a first year run SC, your dealer would already have bought into the program. And you would most likely already be in agreement on HOW MUCH YOU WOULD BE OVERPAYING. I also had an interest in the new model. it faded tho when pricing and program details were leaked.
 

OX1

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You will have to work to stay at +10k and under and work HARD.



and once we have lines on the cooling enhancements, we can adopt them in the Peasant Dark Horse w/ HP. Right now it's more of a guessing game, there's limited feedback on problems / fixes. The 10r80 even with the HP cooler is one issue and the engine cooling, possibly another. But we'll get there.

We got there with the Fox body 302's with 3.73's, we'll get there with the 7th Gen Coyote. And still be paying less than the SC.
Can start here..

https://trackmustangsonline.com/threads/engine-cooling-questions.21897/#post-331866
https://trackmustangsonline.com/threads/10-speed.15012/
https://trackmustangsonline.com/threads/10r80-fluid-filter-change-interval.21539/#post-325842
https://trackmustangsonline.com/threads/mustang-dark-horse-track-use-options.19555/page-2
https://trackmustangsonline.com/thr...ed-dark-horse-to-the-track.21970/#post-332243
https://trackmustangsonline.com/threads/one-track-season-done-with-the-dark-horse.21231/#post-321579
https://trackmustangsonline.com/threads/mach-1-a10-as-time-attack-time-trials-car.20858/#post-316197
https://trackmustangsonline.com/threads/10r80-automatic-trans-cooling-questions.14765/

Besides the Edmunds thread (which IMO, is a really bad example), don't think any of them are supercharged.

DCT doesn't need a bunch of cooling as it is basically an automated man trans, no converter.
Small cooler in 500 isn't even in direct airflow (and some of the cooler is blocked by plastic housing). Allows more engine cooling. So just that one thing, you can't duplicate unless you swap trans.

20240401_213459.jpg


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Laying flat, it can eventually get enough crap in it to overheat. But it has zero issues cooling otherwise, except idling, creeping, in a parade, that's a no-no with the 500 DCT.

20240402_165638.jpg


I had an S197 that was trapping 130 (6R80). I looked at the effort it would take to cool it for road courses. Didn't seem like many were running auto and supercharger. The few that were had issues. Cost me $55K to get from there to a used CFTP 500. Worth it all day long, don't have to do anything to it (oil/pads/tires).
 

DarkHorsePremium

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I'm new to mustang and hardly an authority. At first I thought no way. Ford has lost their mind. It's a Mustang at the end of the day. It's not a GTD and how could they possibly justify $105k, 140k and 175k.

If you will track the car exclusively then the SC makes sense.

If not the DH with HP and a whipple makes more financial sense. You're going to get 87 plus percent of the benefit and walk away with a nice trip to Europe in your pocket. However, if you spend your life at the racetrack, and want a limited production high performing "step down from the GTD", I'm sure the SC would be a wonderful car. Important considerations. Do you have the liquid cash for this purchase? If you will have to borrow money, I wouldn't do it. Are you okay with paying markup? Unfortunately it's going to be there. Right now there's no telling how many of these things Ford's going to make. Are you planning to buy it, drive it and flip it or is this car something you're going to hang on to? Return on investment potential.

You need an SC if you are friends with Misha Charoudin. Otherwise, the DH with HP and a whipple is probably good.

There are going to be reasons for and against justifying this type of purchase.
 
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topdawg4ever

topdawg4ever

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Had a ‘24 Dark Horse non HP but sold to buy my wife’s Bronco Raptor. Looking to re-enter with another DH. I’m not a track guy. I enjoy rowing gears and driving. That’s it.
I'm confused, it appears that the OP already has a DH. Are you just looking to upgrade to the HP, or is there more to it? Because you could probably do that with OE parts or aftermarket equivalents for less money than trading in and buying new.
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