2027 Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC Convertible — 795 HP Supercharged Predator V8 Drop-Top

Woodward Debut: First High-Performance Mustang Convertible Since 2014 GT500

The Dark Horse SC Convertible was unveiled at the Woodward Dream Cruise on 14 August 2026, the same event Ford has used repeatedly for special-edition Mustang debuts. Ford confirms it as the most powerful factory Mustang convertible ever built and the first high-performance open-top Mustang since the 662 hp 2014 Shelby GT500 Convertible, ending a 13-year absence from the segment.

The car is a variant of the coupe-only Dark Horse SC that entered production earlier in 2026, not a separate model line. Ford Mustang marketing manager Ryan Shaughnessy positions it against European grand-tourer convertibles rather than against the Coupe’s track-focused rivals — specifically the Porsche 911 Cabriolet, Mercedes-AMG SL and the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 convertible.

Engine and Powertrain: 795 HP Predator V8, 660 lb-ft, Tremec 7-Speed DCT

Under the hood is Ford’s 5.2-litre supercharged Predator V8, producing 795 hp and 660 lb-ft of torque — identical output to the Dark Horse SC Coupe. Power is routed exclusively to the rear wheels through a Tremec 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, with a carbon-fibre driveshaft and a magnesium tower-to-tower brace in the engine bay to keep the topless chassis in shape under load.

Ford chief engineer Arie Groeneveld told Car and Driver that the convertible required no additional structural reinforcement beyond what already exists on the Mustang GT convertible: “the base was already rigid enough, so a track-focused version likely would have required more reinforcements, but this one didn’t.”

Asked how the car drives, Groeneveld replied: “joy is understating it; it’s a ‘Hell yeah!’”

Precision Purple: New Colour-Shifting Paint

The Dark Horse SC Convertible launches a new signature colour called Precision Purple. Developed from the base of Ford’s existing Blue Ember Metallic, the paint uses colour-shifting pigment that produces pronounced red and pink hues under direct light and at wide viewing angles, transitioning back to deep purple in shadow. Ford has confirmed the colour will be exclusive to the SC Convertible at launch.

Cabin trim is Black Onyx or Space Gray with carbon-fibre accents. Ford has not published a dedicated Precision Purple interior treatment; the Teal Accent Package offered on other Mustang Dark Horse trims is not available on the SC Convertible.

Convertible vs Coupe: What Ford Removed

To keep the drop-top on the touring side of Ford’s Mustang line-up, the Dark Horse SC Convertible loses several coupe-specific hardware options:

• Track Package — not available on the Convertible.
• Carbon-ceramic GTD brakes — deleted; standard brakes fitted.
• Carbon-fibre wheels — replaced by forged aluminium wheels.
• Grippier tyres from the coupe track spec — substituted for touring-oriented rubber.
• Teal Accent Package — discontinued on this variant.
• MagneRide tune — retained but recalibrated to a less aggressive damping curve.

Everything else — the Predator V8 output, Tremec DCT, carbon-fibre driveshaft, and magnesium engine-bay brace — carries over unchanged from the Coupe.

Chassis and Rigidity: No Extra Reinforcement Needed

Chief engineer Groeneveld explains that Ford did not add structural reinforcement beyond the Mustang GT convertible base because the standard drop-top bodyshell was already stiff enough to accept the Predator V8 without twist or scuttle shake. That decision keeps the car’s dry weight close to the coupe and avoids the weight penalty that a track-oriented variant would have carried. The MagneRide adaptive dampers use a bespoke tune softer than the Coupe’s Track Package setting, prioritising ride quality and body control over lap times.

Steering, differential and drive modes carry over from the Dark Horse SC Coupe unchanged.

Positioning: Grand Tourer, Not Track Weapon

Ryan Shaughnessy from Ford Mustang marketing is explicit about the segment: the Dark Horse SC Convertible targets grand tourers rather than lap-time cars. Named competitors are the Porsche 911 Cabriolet, the Mercedes-AMG SL, and the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 convertible. That framing explains the deleted Track Package and carbon-ceramic brakes, the softer MagneRide tune and the touring-focused tyre choice.

By pricing at roughly $110,000 — approximately $5,000 above the equivalent SC Coupe — Ford also undercuts the German and Italian rivals in the segment, all of which begin above $135,000 in cabriolet form.

Historical Context: The GT500 Convertible Gap

Ford last built a high-performance Mustang convertible in 2014, when the S197-generation Shelby GT500 Convertible ran a 5.8-litre supercharged Trinity V8 producing 662 hp. When Ford switched to the S550 platform in 2015, the GT350 and GT500 that followed were coupe-only, and the S650 GT500 has yet to appear at all. The Mach 1 (2021–2023) was likewise coupe-only.

The Dark Horse SC Convertible therefore closes a 13-year gap as the first factory Mustang convertible north of 600 hp since the S197 GT500. Its 795 hp output also makes it the most powerful factory Mustang convertible in the model’s six-decade history.

Interior and Cockpit

Interior architecture carries over from the Dark Horse SC Coupe. The dual-display digital dashboard (12.4-inch driver cluster + 13.2-inch centre touchscreen) runs the SYNC 4 infotainment interface, with Mustang Drive Modes accessible from a physical toggle on the centre console. Seats are heavily bolstered sport buckets available in either Black Onyx or Space Gray upholstery, both accented with contrast stitching and inserts of exposed woven carbon fibre trim across the dashboard, centre console and door cards.

Price and Availability

Ford has not published final pricing at the time of the Woodward debut. The company confirms an expected starting price of approximately $110,000, roughly $5,000 above the Dark Horse SC Coupe. Orders open in fall 2026. First customer deliveries are scheduled for spring 2027 in North America; European availability has not been confirmed.

The Dark Horse SC Convertible will be sold alongside the Coupe rather than replacing it, and both variants share the same optional equipment catalogue except for the deleted track-focused hardware.

How It Compares

Direct convertible competitors on 795 hp and drop-top format alone are limited. The Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Convertible produces 670 hp from its naturally aspirated 5.5-litre flat-plane V8 and starts around $126,000; the Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet makes 572 hp from its 3.7-litre twin-turbo flat-six and starts around $228,000; the Mercedes-AMG SL 63 puts out 577 hp from a 4.0-litre biturbo V8 and starts around $185,000. Ford is targeting a materially lower entry price while claiming a higher peak output, though the German cars carry all-wheel drive and dual-clutch (911) or 9-speed automatic (SL) transmissions with better weather-range flexibility than the RWD Mustang.

Key Takeaways

• First high-performance Mustang convertible since the 2014 Shelby GT500 (13-year gap)
• Most powerful factory Mustang convertible ever built
• 795 hp supercharged 5.2 L Predator V8 + Tremec 7-speed DCT + carbon-fibre driveshaft
• Debut colour: Precision Purple (colour-shifting, developed from Blue Ember Metallic)
• Positioned as grand tourer — targets Porsche 911 Cabriolet, Mercedes-AMG SL, Corvette Z06 convertible
• No Track Package, no carbon-ceramic brakes, no carbon-fibre wheels — softer MagneRide tune
• Expected price ~$110,000; orders open fall 2026; deliveries spring 2027