Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC COTY Review: Horse Stomps Cobra?

Nursing a broken heart since the GT500 left the remuda? Ford may have the cure in the Mustang Dark Horse SC. The new supercharged variant slots above the naturally aspirated Dark Horse and below the max-effort GTD in the V-8 Ford Mustang lineup—but not too far below, as it turns out.

The biggest news here is the SC’s 5.2-liter supercharged Predator V-8 engine. Essentially a slightly (but only slightly!) detuned version of the Mustang GTD’s powerplant, it puts 795 horsepower and 660 lb-ft of torque through a seven-speed DCT.

Those are huge gains over the standard Dark Horse’s 500 hp and 418 lb-ft, substantially more than the dear departed GT500’s 760 hp and 625 lb-ft (coaxed from the same 5.2 liters), and only a bit less than the GTD’s 815 hp and 664 lb-ft. It’s enough to spur our 4,105-pound test vehicle to a blistering 2.9-second 0–60-mph time as a glorious cross-plane soundtrack blares from its quad exhaust tips.

See All 29 Photos29

The SC has the grip and the moves to match, too. “Variable traction control works brilliantly on the track, but you almost don’t need it,” features editor Scott Evans said. “Even with traction and stability fully off, this car wants to put down the power. It’s gotta be among the easiest 800-hp rear-wheel-drive cars to drive fast.”

This performance hero has a heroic flaw, however. As Mexico editor Miguel Cortina put it, “I really like the way this powertrain works, but I just can’t get past the fact that it costs $150,000.” Granted, our test car carried the $36,500 970A package (which adds hugely effective carbon-ceramic brakes and Track pack hardware), a $3,000 Teal Accent package, and a $2,600 gas guzzler tax, but even the most basic Dark Horse SC still costs nearly $110,000.

See All 29 Photos29

Ultimately, its cost collided with our biggest sticking point: interior quality. The Dark Horse SC is great—really great—but its plasticky, basic-Mustang interior (carbon-fiber bits, teal seat belts, and performance-minded touches notwithstanding) is just too difficult to square with its price tag. “If you look at it as a discount GTD, it’s an amazing value. It’s 95 percent of that car for a third of the price,” Evans said, but otherwise, “it’s a $150,000 car with a $35,000 interior. A couple pieces of carbon fiber do not a $150,000 interior make.”

This review was conducted as part of our 2027 Car of the Year (COTY) testing, where each vehicle is evaluated on our six key criteria: efficiency, design, safety, engineering excellence, value, and performance of intended function. Eligible vehicles must be all-new or significantly revised.