I’m a big motorsports fan, and like cars (obviously), so a bucket list item for me was to do some track driving.
I thought that would be the usual first step — something light without too much power, like a Mazda MX-5 on a basic track — but it turns out I had an opportunity to dive right in by getting behind the wheel of a 4,100-pound, 795-horsepower beast that is the Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC.
Better yet, I got to take it to the legendary, and infamously tricky, Sebring International Raceway.
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Talk about jumping into the deep end in the best way.
The Mustang Dark Horse SC is the spiritual successor to the now-out-of-production Ford Shelby GT500. However, it’s far from a simple rebadging.
Ford Racing developed the Dark Horse SC with a supercharged (that’s where SC comes from) 5.2-liter Predator V8 engine, along with specially designed aerodynamic parts. The car starts at around $108,000, but the upgraded Track Package brings in some added performance by removing the rear seat, then adding in a Magneride damping system and carbon ceramic brakes that are the same as those used on the Ford Mustang GTD supercar.
I got to try the track package, first on an autocross course made up of cones. This was ideal, because despite the lower speeds and traction control, I still had visions of myself stepping on the loud pedal and, thanks to the 660 lb.-ft. of torque, earning me a one-way ticket to not being able to show my face within 50 miles of Sebring.
Thankfully, that didn’t happen.
This car is meant to be something you can drive to the track, let loose on the track, and then drive home. That showed. It really has the DNA of a racecar, but it’s perfectly suitable for daily use.
While my daily driver is a Ford Bronco Sport with a whopping 181 horsepower, the Dark Horse SC was way more approachable than I thought it would be for someone like myself who has never experienced that kind of power.
After getting through the autocross without even denting a cone (I think; if I did, the nice folks working the event were too kind to tell me), I headed to pit lane to throw on a helmet and a head-and-neck restraint to take this puppy on track.
This is where you really get a sense of what this car can do.
It was wild. We drove a few laps, and the thing that struck me first was what a full sensory experience it was.
You felt the G-forces, you felt the track (though those dampers and the car’s suspension did wonders on the notoriously bumpy Sebring surface), and of course, you hear and feel that Predator V8.
I mean, the turbocharged inline-3-cylinder in my car is a fine engine. Very efficient.
But when it comes to going from that to the Predator V8 in terms of sound, volume, and sheer power, it’s like going from a kazoo to a Les Paul plugged into a Marshall stack.
That said, it’s still a comfortable ride. That’s why it has some daily-drive pedigree. It’s a beast, but not one that will rattle the fillings out of your teeth.
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What struck me most was that despite the intimidating specs, the folks at Ford insisted that this was an approachable sports car even for novices like myself, and they were right. Obviously, I didn’t have the car anywhere near its limit (we left that for the pros, and the hot lap I got to take with one behind the wheel was insane), but I always felt like it was going to do exactly what I wanted. No surprises.
That’s obviously what you want, and it was certainly appreciated when you have the throttle down on Sebring’s backstretch. I hit 129 mph, which means there was a lot left on the table. Watching my lap back, I got on the throttle way too late before the straight. Nonetheless, when I did hit those speeds, I knew that those carbon-ceramic brakes were going to do their job of slowing me down.
And, boy, did they do it well.
I love cars, but I’m by no means an expert when it comes to sports cars. But the thing is, I think that’s what impressed me most about the Mustang Dark Horse SC.
I’ve never driven anything like it, and yet I was able to hop behind the wheel and feel very comfortable with it in just a few minutes.
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Better yet, with all the drive modes, the six levels of traction control settings, and a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, it seemed to me like an ideal sports car to get comfortable with. As you get better, just start switching modes, using those paddle shifters, and reducing the traction control.
Now, the next step is to convince my wife we need to get one of these… and I guess round up the money for it.