Stateside, the Mustang Dark Horse SC is starting to arrive on dealer lots, so soon they will be prowling the streets. We are still weeks away from driving one ourselves. However, an early driving impression of Ford’s latest supercharged stallion comes from below the equator, as YouTuber Cassio Cortes took one for a quick lap around the track and gave some feedback on the car’s impressive performance.
At Interlagos, Cortes found the Dark Horse SC’s 795 horsepower was backed by serious track hardware, including the Track Pack’s carbon-fiber wheels, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires, and carbon-ceramic brakes. The car also sheds roughly 150 pounds compared with a base model.
“It really corners, huh, man? A lot of grip. A lot of grip here,” Cortes said from behind the wheel.
That grip allowed him to carry serious speed through the Descida do Lago, demonstrating that the SC’s performance isn’t limited to straight-line acceleration.
“For a fast car to take the Descida do Lago like that flat out just like we did there, you need to have a lot of grip,” Cortes said. “So, it’s not just the beauty of the roar, the power, the straight-line speed, but there’s also a lot of grip here.”
He also worked the full width of the circuit and experimented with his line through the Duckbill corner, but even with the available grip, 795 horsepower demanded respect.
“I’m even going to take a Formula 1 line here at the Duckbill corner using the whole track. Short shift, otherwise, it’s too much power, man,” Cortes said.
After the quick lap, Cortes placed the SC in the sweet spot between Ford’s fastest naturally aspirated 5.0 Mustang and its elite Mustang supercar.
“From this quick first drive, it’s way above compared to a regular Dark Horse,” Cortes said. “We’re talking about something closer to a Mustang GTD, right? The ultimate track version that the Mustang has rather than the street Dark Horse. At least from this first impression. Really, this one you can slap on the hashtag. It’s built for racing.”
Until we get our own turn behind the wheel, Cortes’ Brazilian blast offers a compelling preview of a Dark Horse that shows it is far more than a straight-line bruiser.
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