I’m Getting Behind The Wheels Of The Most Powerful Cars I’ve Driven With The Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC And RTR, What Do You Want To Know?

One of the lovely privileges of automotive writing that I never take for granted is the fact that, for a day or a few, I get to harness more horsepower than most people will ever see in their lifetimes. I’ve played with everything from 720 horsepower Ford F-150 Raptor R pickup trucks to the 600 horsepower Acura NSX Type S. Now, I’m about to strap myself to a ferocious 795 horsepower Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC, and then the Mustang RTR. As I wield more power than a small deity, drive a Ford Mustang for the first time, and take a performance car onto a track for the first time, what do you want to know?

The fine folks at Ford invited me out here to California’s beautiful Napa Valley — which I originally accidentally wrote in all caps, like the auto parts store — to test out the Mustang Dark Horse SC and its RTR sibling on the road, at the drag strip, on the track, and completely sideways. I will admit that this trip is going to hit a lot of firsts for me. It’ll be my first time ever driving a Mustang of any kind, my first time on a real drag strip, my first time on a track in a performance car, my first time in this part of California, and my first time at both of the tracks that I’ll be visiting.

Prior to this, my track driving experience on four wheels has amounted to skidding the Autopian’s Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet around Lime Rock Park for our first track day, hot-lapping a Wingamm motorhome, and taking various unsuspecting daily drivers in the dirt for HooptieX and OppoCross. My track experience is equally weird on two wheels, as the first time I ever spent time on a paved track was when I participated in a track day for the Harley-Davidson Road Glide ST and Street Glide ST.

So, what’s it going to be like to go onto a track in a vehicle that’s meant to be there? I have no idea, but I cannot wait to find out.

795 Horses In The Stable

The steeds I’ll be mounting for these drives are the Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC and the Ford Mustang RTR, the latter of which means “Ready to Rock.” Both are hilariously powerful machines that unleash untold violence on tires, but for different purposes. The Dark Horse SC, for example, is supposed to be a track monster. Thomas Hundal wrote about the Dark Horse SC Convertible in August:

On the chance you’re not familiar with the Dark Horse SC, it’s the most outlandish factory-built new Mustang this side of a GTD. With a supercharged 5.2-liter V8 pumping out 795 horsepower and 660 lb.-ft. of torque, it promises properly rapid thrills. The seven-speed dual-clutch transmission from the old Shelby GT500 is tasked with making that output useable, you can spec goodies like carbon fiber wheels and carbon ceramic brakes, and the whole thing seems aimed at people who want V8 thunder to go hunting 718 GT4s with.

Sadly, it’s unlikely I’ll be testing the ‘vert, as that isn’t even due to enter production until early 2027. But you bet I will not complain one bit if I get behind the wheel of a Dark Horse SC with a fixed roof. The Dark Horse SC will beat the most powerful car I’ve driven by 195 HP, and the most powerful pickup truck by 75 HP. I’m giggling at the thought of it.

The other car I’ll be driving is equally interesting. Where the Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC is supposed to lay waste to a track, the Mustang RTR is supposed to spend most of its time with its side windows subbing in for the windshield.

The Sideways Mustang

In 2025, RTR and Ford announced that, in a first for RTR Vehicles, EcoBoost Mustangs could get a new RTR Package right there at Ford’s factory. The point of the Mustang RTR is a track day or drift build without shelling out Dark Horse or GT350 money. On the other end, you get a “Boostang” with a 2.3-liter EcoBoost four making 315 HP and 350 lb-ft of torque.

Those are stock power numbers for this engine, but what you don’t get in extra power, you get in everything else. The RTR comes with a little bit of everything from an Electronic Drift Brake, optimized steering gear, a unique Track mode, Brembo brakes, a rear subframe and rear sway bars from the Dark Horse, specialized tuning for the optional MagneRide dampers, and more. Of course, it wouldn’t be an RTR without appearance goodies to go with it.

I suspect that this will be the RTR that I’m driving this week, but the possibilities are endless. RTR still builds out V8-powered Mustangs. One particularly vicious example would be the Mustang RTR Spec 3, and I’ll just let RTR describe it:

The 2026 Mustang RTR Spec 3 is the pinnacle of performance in the RTR lineup. Building on the success of the Spec 2, the Spec 3 is the most powerful Mustang RTR ever released. Under the hood is the latest 3.0L Ford Performance Whipple Supercharger that delivers an exhilarating 810 horsepower and 615 lb-ft of torque. Mustang RTR Spec 3 comes standard with staggered RTR wheels, a feature previously available only as an option on other Mustang RTR Spec vehicles. The 2026 Mustang RTR Spec 3 is designed to push the boundaries of power and performance, embodying the “Ready to Rock” spirit in every aspect.

Nuts, right? Then there’s the Spec 5, a limited-edition model with over 870 ponies in the stable. Again, I don’t know which RTR I will drive, but honestly, any one of them sounds like a total blast. Of course, as Car and Driver learned, Mustang RTRs are less about straight-line speed and more about getting sideways. But I don’t care; I’m going to smile every mile of the way.

I Can’t Wait

The cars I’ll be driving this week will also cover a spread of cash. A 2026 Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC coupe starts at $108,085, including destination fee. On the far other end is the Mustang RTR, which is $6,520 on top of the cost of a Ford Mustang EcoBoost. The absolute cheapest EcoBoost ‘Stang is $34,990 with destination included.

For now, I’m not going to tell you what tracks I’m going to, but I will say they’re two quite famous spots. Oh, I’m so pumped for this. As I dream of galloping horses tonight, I want to turn the keyboard over to you. What do you want to know about the Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC and the Mustang RTR?

Top graphic image: Ford