The 2026 Mustang Dark Horse SC outputs 795 Horsepower

[robvas]

Official numbers are out:

The Mustang Dark Horse SC's supercharged 5.2-liter V-8, Ford has revealed, puts out 795 horsepower and 660 pound-feet of torque, with each motor being built by hand by a single technician at Ford's Dearborn Engine plant in the manner made famous by AMG. Those figures put the new 'Stang at 35 ponies more potent and torques more twisty than its immediate predecessor, the S550-gen Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 that made 760 hp and 625 lb-ft from a previous version of the same powerplant.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a71074536/2026-ford-mustang-dark-horse-sc-795-horsepower/

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[BuckeyeBOSS]

We knew they wouldn't step on the GTD's toes, but I thought maybe 800-810HP. Still overpriced.

 

[ecc]

Official numbers are out:

The Mustang Dark Horse SC's supercharged 5.2-liter V-8, Ford has revealed, puts out 795 horsepower and 660 pound-feet of torque, with each motor being built by hand by a single technician at Ford's Dearborn Engine plant in the manner made famous by AMG. Those figures put the new 'Stang at 35 ponies more potent and torques more twisty than its immediate predecessor, the S550-gen Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 that made 760 hp and 625 lb-ft from a previous version of the same powerplant.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a71074536/2026-ford-mustang-dark-horse-sc-795-horsepower/

Am I crazy or does it look way more similar to the Cup cars?

 

[broncoboy22]

Sucks for future SC owners imo. Handicapping its numbers to not encroach on the GTD

at the very least FP should offer a tune to get it to GTD levels

 

[RJW]

Sucks for future SC owners imo. Handicapping its numbers to not encroach on the GTD

at the very least FP should offer a tune to get it to GTD levels

Yes, I feel quite sorry for them, having to get by with a lousy 795 hp.

 

[broncoboy22]

Yes, I feel quite sorry for them, having to get by with a lousy 795 hp.

But they could have 815 hp with just a couple lines of code

 

[Junkyard Dog]

I still have the question about whether you can hit send for 30 minutes at Road Atlanta in the summer without going into limp mode due to heat.

 

[btown93]

I still have the question about whether you can hit send for 30 minutes at Road Atlanta in the summer without going into limp mode due to heat.

Fuel consumption might be a bigger issue than cooling. Do GT500s have heat issues at that track?

 

[MustangMitch69]

I’m seeing a lot of frustration today over the official numbers confirming the Dark Horse SC will make 795 HP rather than breaking the 800 HP mark. The reality is that adding more power to this specific platform wouldn't translate to meaningful performance gains from a dig. Here is the physical reality of the SC:

RWD Traction Limits: The Dark Horse SC is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive car. Even utilizing the Track Pack's sticky Michelin Cup 2 tires and advanced MagneRide suspension, asking two rear tires to hook up 795 HP on the street pushes the absolute limits of physics. Pushing past 800 HP wouldn't improve 0-60 times; it would just mean more wheel spin and tire smoke.

The AWD and EV Advantage: The real reason Porsches, BMW M-cars, and EVs hook up better isn't horsepower, it's traction distribution. Mid-engine cars place the engine's weight directly over the drive wheels to pin them down, while All-Wheel Drive splits power across four contact patches instead of two. EVs take it further by vectoring torque at each individual wheel hundreds of times a second to mathematically prevent slip before it happens.

Ford engineered the Dark Horse SC with top-tier aero and suspension to maximize a RWD layout. Squeezing out an extra 5 or 10 horsepower just for the bragging rights of an "800+" badge wouldn't change how the car launches, because traction is our bottleneck, not power.

 

[Junkyard Dog]

I’m seeing a lot of frustration today over the official numbers confirming the Dark Horse SC will make 795 HP rather than breaking the 800 HP mark. The reality is that adding more power to this specific platform wouldn't translate to meaningful performance gains from a dig. Here is the physical reality of the SC:

RWD Traction Limits: The Dark Horse SC is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive car. Even utilizing the Track Pack's sticky Michelin Cup 2 tires and advanced MagneRide suspension, asking two rear tires to hook up 795 HP on the street pushes the absolute limits of physics. Pushing past 800 HP wouldn't improve 0-60 times; it would just mean more wheel spin and tire smoke.

The AWD and EV Advantage: The real reason Porsches, BMW M-cars, and EVs hook up better isn't horsepower, it's traction distribution. Mid-engine cars place the engine's weight directly over the drive wheels to pin them down, while All-Wheel Drive splits power across four contact patches instead of two. EVs take it further by vectoring torque at each individual wheel hundreds of times a second to mathematically prevent slip before it happens.

Ford engineered the Dark Horse SC with top-tier aero and suspension to maximize a RWD layout. Squeezing out an extra 5 or 10 horsepower just for the bragging rights of an "800+" badge wouldn't change how the car launches, because traction is our bottleneck, not power.

Somebody will have a drag pack wheels and tires combo on it on social media within 30 days of the cars hitting the streets, guaranteed.

 

[SpeedLu]

Should have been at least 800hp

 

[Epiphany]

I'm guessing the increase over the GT500 power figure is tune and maybe a smaller pulley such as that used on the Raptor R supercharger. The injectors are the same I believe.

 

[broncoboy22]

I’m seeing a lot of frustration today over the official numbers confirming the Dark Horse SC will make 795 HP rather than breaking the 800 HP mark. The reality is that adding more power to this specific platform wouldn't translate to meaningful performance gains from a dig. Here is the physical reality of the SC:

RWD Traction Limits: The Dark Horse SC is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive car. Even utilizing the Track Pack's sticky Michelin Cup 2 tires and advanced MagneRide suspension, asking two rear tires to hook up 795 HP on the street pushes the absolute limits of physics. Pushing past 800 HP wouldn't improve 0-60 times; it would just mean more wheel spin and tire smoke.

The AWD and EV Advantage: The real reason Porsches, BMW M-cars, and EVs hook up better isn't horsepower, it's traction distribution. Mid-engine cars place the engine's weight directly over the drive wheels to pin them down, while All-Wheel Drive splits power across four contact patches instead of two. EVs take it further by vectoring torque at each individual wheel hundreds of times a second to mathematically prevent slip before it happens.

Ford engineered the Dark Horse SC with top-tier aero and suspension to maximize a RWD layout. Squeezing out an extra 5 or 10 horsepower just for the bragging rights of an "800+" badge wouldn't change how the car launches, because traction is our bottleneck, not power.

All very true. But part of the allure of the SC is the bragging rights. Getting 800+ on paper just looks better. Even if the performance gains aren’t really there

 

[DarkHorsePremium]

@MustangMitch69 makes the most valid points. The HP output of the SC means virtually nothing in comparison to the GTD, or even the 760 HP of the shelby. Even if the SC matched the 815 HP of the GTD, it still wouldn't be as light, have the active push-rod suspension from multimatic, the aero or cooling that the GTD has.

I think 795 HP is perfectly respectable and if someone has the cash, its going to be a special car. There will likely be tuning options as well. Do I see $175k of value in the track pack SE version, no, but a Ford enthusiast with this budget probably will. It's a lot less sticker shock than a GTD.

AWD is something I appreciate. If Ford put out an all-wheel drive Mustang, I might try to figure out a way to get one. This is because of 20+ years with Subaru.

 

[OX1]

I still have the question about whether you can hit send for 30 minutes at Road Atlanta in the summer without going into limp mode due to heat.

Only true "failure" I know of, and that is flat out @ Daytona (in the summer I think).
https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/th...shaft-rebuild-for-serious-track-users.191680/

I wrapped my exh near the diff, just in case. But I doubt I will get it hot enough to ever matter.
Pretty sure there is also a couple on GT500 board that run in the Texas heat with no reported issues. I think some upgrade IC and lid, just for extra protection.

These were my temps after a full session on Sep 2, 2024 in Millville NJ.
Historical records claim a high of 81 that day.

Was funny getting low fuel warning with 3/8ths of a tank.........

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