Ford Officially Says The Dark Horse SC Is Another Six-Figure Mustang

The new Mustang Dark Horse SC promises supercharged V8 power and serious track hardware. But that performance is going to cost you.

Officially, the Dark Horse SC comes with a price tag that pushes the pony car deep into six-figure territory. After a leak earlier this week, Ford has now confirmed official pricing for the newest Mustang—the entry-level version will start at $103,490 before destination and gas-guzzler fees are added. Even in its most basic configuration, the car packs serious firepower thanks to a supercharged 5.2-liter V8 producing more than 800 horsepower.

Buyers looking for top-shelf hardware can opt for the Track Pack, which juices the price to $139,990. This package adds some serious kit to the build sheet, including Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires, along with additional aerodynamic hardware.

At the very top of the lineup sits the Dark Horse SC Track Pack Special Edition, priced at $170,970. That version adds cosmetic upgrades such as exclusive painted hood graphics, Solar Red interior upholstery, and the Carbon Fiber Appearance Package. Mechanically, however, all three trims share the same supercharged V8 and dual-clutch transmission.

The Dark Horse SC is among the most powerful production Mustangs ever built. Power is routed through a Tremec seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, giving the car a drivetrain designed to handle both track duty and high-speed road performance.

The engine in the Dark Horse SC is similar in spec and output to the 5.2L supercharged V8 used in the $325,000 Mustang GTD; however, the two cars use very different gearboxes. The key differentiator is the GTD's rear-mounted, eight-speed transaxle.

AutoGuide's Take:

One obvious comparison is the Chevrolet Corvette Z06, which starts at about $122,795. Chevrolet’s even more extreme Corvette ZR1 pushes that figure to roughly $187,495. The Dark Horse SC undercuts the ZR1 on price, although it won't eclipse the Corvette's ultimate performance— both the ZR1 and ZR1X went faster than the GTD around the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

A Porsche 911 Carrera GTS now starts around $183,000, and the Turbo S can easily approach $270,000 depending on options. As hard as Ford wants to try, the Mustang simply doesn't carry the same cachet with finance professionals, dentists, and lawyers as the Porsche 911.

The previous-generation Shelby GT500 debuted in 2020 with a starting price of about $77,000—roughly $97,000 when adjusted for inflation today. Still, the new Dark Horse SC is another step in the Mustang's march into the upscale high-performance market. Sheesh, even a Mustang GT starts north of $50,000 now, the same price Ford used to sell the Shelby GT350 for back in 2014.

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