The 2026 Mustang Dark Horse SC outputs 795 Horsepower

[robvas]

Even more confusing is the fact that the Ford Performance blower shows 810hp but only 615tq.

Different blowers, different engines.

5.0 high compression DI with a twinscrew 3.0 liter blower

5.2 low(er) compression non-DI, 2650 TVS blower

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[jboogie1289]

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

Figures that IF Ford Racing or Ford Performance, whatever name they go by now, will make a Tune to increase the HP for the SC and still not make a Tune/Calibration/CAI (from Ford and not Aftermarket) for the Coyote 5.0 in the GT!1 The EB gets the Calibration/Tune but not the GT?? C’mon man, and before this guy posts to my reply … Im not trying to hear nothing about the DH and it’s Tune and internals for 14~ HP over the GT. Make it right across all the TrimS please Ford!!

Again, not even sure if this sees the light of day but it’s always a possibility. Just saying …

 

[Neggytive]

Figures that IF Ford Racing or Ford Performance, whatever name they go by now, will make a Tune to increase the HP for the SC and still not make a Tune/Calibration/CAI (from Ford and not Aftermarket) for the Coyote 5.0 in the GT!1 The EB gets the Calibration/Tune but not the GT?? C’mon man, and before this guy posts to my reply … Im not trying to hear nothing about the DH and it’s Tune and internals for 14~ HP over the GT. Make it right across all the TrimS please Ford!!

Again, not even sure if this sees the light of day but it’s always a possibility. Just saying …

You are talking about a Ford Racing / Ford Performance tune for the Coyote in the 7th gen Mustang with the 4th gen Coyote right?

There IS a tune, it was C.A.R.B. approved, there is even a Ford P/N attached to the tune in the filing/approval from the California Air Resources Board.

You know that with the hand held device to load it which runs around $400 iirc, the tune and tool are going to run at least $800

The thing about the EB motors is there is still power in that package they can access with software, still keeping the reliability and meeting emissions standards.

Everybody who has knowledge of tuning a N.A. Gen 4 Coyote is in almost universal agreement with others who do it that what is in the car today, OEM tune and parts has extracted every possible HP out of the car.

Yes the DH gets a couple of more horses because of the intake, and the optional exhaust is going to give you an extra 5 HP or so, maybe 8, but not 10.

But to quote Charlie Ryan from 1955, as he wrote for his song "Hot Rod Lincoln" "That's all there is and there ain't no more"

What people who know what they are doing have said is that the best tune for a stock car is modifying the transmission software, and I would say they are right as I find the automatic transmission shifting settings suck.

If I thought I could get another 35Hp out of the car for $800 I'd be all over it . 35HP is what the Ford tune adds to a 2.3 Eco in a Mustang.

But IIRC the gain on stock mechanical's but tuned cars is 12HP and 20 pound feet of torque, and that is a big nope for me at $800, especially when the common thought is that pulling the carbon filters on the intake tubes is a free 10 HP trick

 

[Epiphany]

The article states the order guide is available; it links to the Ford website but nothing is there... false info?

The order guide for the DH SC is out there.

 

[mmerholz]

Order Guide:

2026 Dark Horse SC Order Guide | Ford Shelby GT500 Forum

 

[jboogie1289]

You are talking about a Ford Racing / Ford Performance tune for the Coyote in the 7th gen Mustang with the 4th gen Coyote right?

There IS a tune, it was C.A.R.B. approved, there is even a Ford P/N attached to the tune in the filing/approval from the California Air Resources Board.

You know that with the hand held device to load it which runs around $400 iirc, the tune and tool are going to run at least $800

The thing about the EB motors is there is still power in that package they can access with software, still keeping the reliability and meeting emissions standards.

Everybody who has knowledge of tuning a N.A. Gen 4 Coyote is in almost universal agreement with others who do it that what is in the car today, OEM tune and parts has extracted every possible HP out of the car.

Yes the DH gets a couple of more horses because of the intake, and the optional exhaust is going to give you an extra 5 HP or so, maybe 8, but not 10.

But to quote Charlie Ryan from 1955, as he wrote for his song "Hot Rod Lincoln" "That's all there is and there ain't no more"

What people who know what they are doing have said is that the best tune for a stock car is modifying the transmission software, and I would say they are right as I find the automatic transmission shifting settings suck.

If I thought I could get another 35Hp out of the car for $800 I'd be all over it . 35HP is what the Ford tune adds to a 2.3 Eco in a Mustang.

But IIRC the gain on stock mechanical's but tuned cars is 12HP and 20 pound feet of torque, and that is a big nope for me at $800, especially when the common thought is that pulling the carbon filters on the intake tubes is a free 10 HP trick

So my question is …. Is the Carbon Traps a “Legit” thing for additional HP. I’ve read yes’s and no’s so I’m not sure what to believe. Some say it’s the Mental Gain and Butt Dyno gains but I don’t know. Guess I’ll have to just get out there and try it to see. Thanks for the reply Good Sir!!

 

[Neggytive]

10 HP is undetectable by a "butt dyno" and well within the range of error for any dyno. Any dyno is going to vary one to two percent. 10 HP on a 480 HP car is 1/48 which is close enough to 2% to say "we don't know" even if you did 3 pulls with them in and 3 out

Which brings me back to my initial point, the word going around back when this was discussed a while back was "the juice wasn't worth the effort to squeeze it" when it came to tuning a stock N.A. Gen 4

If you wanted to hear it from the horses mouth, I would ask someone like Terry Reeves at Beefcake Racing.

He is a member and sponsor of this forum you could send him an instant message @beefcake

 

[Junkyard Dog]

So my question is …. Is the Carbon Traps a “Legit” thing for additional HP. I’ve read yes’s and no’s so I’m not sure what to believe. Some say it’s the Mental Gain and Butt Dyno gains but I don’t know. Guess I’ll have to just get out there and try it to see. Thanks for the reply Good Sir!!

I found zero gains at the track by removing them, you hear the electronic throttle body a hair more.

after I did it I was like… well what a waste of time and felt stupid.
I was a big believer that I was removing a restriction and would pick up MPH gains after all the dyno vids I watched promoting that idea

it wasn’t reality

#5

 

[Neggytive]

 

[NegativeMultiplier]

Also, that Boomer money is going to be drying up very soon for new fun cars. They are getting up there in age for trying to drive and get in and out of performance cars. Time to build and market to younger buyers.

I just saw an Instagram reel the other day of a guy who's friends with this 18 year old kid, who was so insistent on driving home the same day with a for sale G82 BMW M4 that he ended up buying a dirty one, with no tread on the tires, and IIRC one that doesn't run, for 75,000. A lot of the younger kids who want these cars want them regardless of the price and will find a way to get into one.

I've seen people younger than me in brand new F80 M5 CSs and Audi R8s, and those both start at the MSRP for a track package SC, if not including the first year special edition. Ford absolutely knows they can price the out of these cars and still find buyers.

 

[BuckeyeBOSS]

I just saw an Instagram reel the other day of a guy who's friends with this 18 year old kid, who was so insistent on driving home the same day with a for sale G82 BMW M4 that he ended up buying a dirty one, with no tread on the tires, and IIRC one that doesn't run, for 75,000. A lot of the younger kids who want these cars want them regardless of the price and will find a way to get into one.

I've seen people younger than me in brand new F80 M5 CSs and Audi R8s, and those both start at the MSRP for a track package SC, if not including the first year special edition. Ford absolutely knows they can price the out of these cars and still find buyers.

Haha, yes, the young influencer market is tiny. If that's the Mustang's new target demographic, best of luck.

 

[NegativeMultiplier]

Haha, yes, the young influencer market is tiny. If that's the Mustang's new target demographic, best of luck.

To be fair, it's not just "young influencers" trying to buy cars of this caliber. Most of the people in this age group that I see buying cars like these are just randoms I encounter on the road.

And what difference does it make to Ford anyways? The bank is the one paying for the car in most of those cases. Good luck to the bank, not Ford, trying to get their money back...

 

[robvas]

And what difference does it make to Ford anyways? The bank is the one paying for the car in most of those cases. Good luck to the bank, not Ford, trying to get their money back...

A lot of times the bank is "Ford Motor Credit Company"

 

[Junkyard Dog]

A lot of times the bank is "Ford Motor Credit Company"

Yes, $2.6 billion earnings before taxes in 2025. This is a significant chunk of Ford's overall profit. The biggest profit maker, however, are sales of new F-150s, which young influencers are not purchasing at all. Basically middle aged dudes. And on credit from Ford Motor Credit, so Ford gets a two-fer on the profit from these trucks.

And they can be had with a Coyote
and Whipple makes a kit
and Hellion turbo makes a kit

 

[Junkyard Dog]

In 2020 or 2021 Ford Motor Credit contributed almost half of Ford's profit.

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