What Is The 2026 Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC?

Update: Ford officially unveiled the 2026 Mustang Dark Horse SC in Detroit last night. It will use the same 5.2L Supercharged V8 and DCT combo as the Mustang GTD, and will get plenty of high-performance parts from Ford Racing. The automaker claims the Dark Horse SC will offer performance close to European exotics for a fraction of the price. Find out all the details in Greg's story live from the event.

Ford’s next S650 Mustang quietly surfaced this week, thanks to an unexpected teaser from Red Bull.

About halfway through the YouTube video, four-time Formula 1 champ Max Verstappen is shown driving a car identified as the “2026 Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC,” a model that doesn't currently exist in Ford’s lineup. There's literally no information available, but the sights and sounds paint a compelling picture.

The Dark Horse SC appears to feature a revised front fascia with a blackout treatment, a noticeably lower ride height, carbon-fiber wheels, and a substantially larger rear wing than the standard Dark Horse.

The “SC” designation was not explained, but the most obvious interpretation is supercharging. The engine sounds captured in the video are absolutely from a supercharged V8, likely pointing toward a version of Ford’s 5.2-liter supercharged V8 used in the GTD and F-150 Raptor R—rather than the 500-horsepower naturally aspirated setup in the current Dark Horse.

If that proves accurate, the Dark Horse SC would effectively fill the gap left by the previous-generation Shelby GT500, much as the current Dark Horse serves as a spiritual successor to the Shelby GT350.

Last year, a leaked memo allegedly from UAW Local 600—the union body representing workers at Ford's Dearborn Engine Plant (DEP)—showed up claiming an afternoon shift would be added at the end of 2025 to support increased production volume of the supercharged V8. The memo claimed the increase in production was to support production of the next-gen Shelby GT500.

Ford has not commented on the car’s appearance in the video, but the timing lines up with earlier statements from the company. Ford has been vocal about continuing to invest in Mustang as both a road car and a motorsports platform, and the Dark Horse already serves as the foundation for GT3 and GT4 race cars.

In November, Ford confirmed it would unveil a new street-legal performance model at its annual racing season launch, scheduled for later this week. The Dark Horse SC is likely positioned above the existing Dark Horse but below the more extreme Ford Mustang GTD.

Full details are expected with the car’s formal debut.

OUR TAKE: Actually, a bit disappointed with the branding—but I've never been a huge fan of the kooky-sounding Dark Horse name. Unfortunately, Ford and Shelby have probably gone their separate ways again, at least until the next convenient anniversary. The car seems cool, makes all the right shouty zuut-zuuut-zuuuut supercharged V8 sounds.

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