Words: Richard Edwards
Published 17 August 2026
Ford has revealed a convertible version of its supercharged Mustang Dark Horse SC, the first new high-performance drop-top Mustang since 2013 and the most powerful open-air Mustang the company has built.
But at this stage it appears neither the hardtop on which it is based, or this vehicle, is headed down under.
Unveiled ahead of Monterey Car Week, it carries over the coupe’s supercharged 5.2-litre V8, good for 593kW and 895Nm, driving the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
The coupe, revealed in January, was developed for lap times. Ford Racing says the convertible is something different.
“Both the Dark Horse SC coupe and convertible have been developed by our Ford Racing engineers,” said chief programme engineer Arie Groeneveld. “But instead of prioritising the convertible for setting lap times, we’ve engineered it to be the ultimate top-down grand touring machine.”
To that end, the next-generation MagneRide suspension gets its own springs and sway bar tuning biased toward cruising comfort. The body is based on the Mustang GT convertible, stiffened with a magnesium tower-to-tower brace.
“If the coupe is the race-bred side of our DNA, this convertible is the pure street cred part of the formula,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Racing. “It’s just pure fun, fast, freedom.”
The convertible brings a new Precision Purple Metallic paint colour, unique brake caliper finishes, and interiors in Black Onyx or Space Gray. The performance seats have firmer bolstering and extra headroom for helmeted track work, not that headroom matters much once the roof is down.
US orders open late this year, with deliveries from the second quarter of 2027.
Ford has not confirmed the Dark Horse SC for markets outside North America in either body style. We asked a Ford New Zealand spokesperson who indicated there is no confirmation of either SC model coming here.
If it does, it would not be cheap. The SC coupe costs about 65 per cent more than a standard Dark Horse in the US. The same premium applied to the local Dark Horse price of $118,990 works out at around $195,000, and Ford has already said the convertible will cost more than the coupe. Call it $200,000-plus.
For reference, a Chevrolet Corvette starts at $185,000 here.
