For those who have just about worn out their 2014 Ford Shelby GT500 convertibles, waiting for its successor, we bring some good news: Behold the 2027 Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC convertible. The formula is largely the same as the one used 13 years ago, albeit with all the dials cranked up to modern-day standards.
Full Engine Power
Just as with the GT500’s powerplant, the Dark Horse SC’s 5.2-liter supercharged Predator V-8 doesn’t lose a single one of the coupe’s 795 horses or 660 lb-ft of twist. Happily, you’ll note those figures are well up from the 662 hp and 631 lb-ft that GT500 derived from its 5.8-liter supercharged Trinity V-8. The seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission ports over unchanged as well, still with no manual option. The one performance boost the convertible brings is auditory. You’ll hear a lot more of the music this V-8 makes in each of the four variable-exhaust modes (Normal, Quiet, Sport, and Sport+).
More Chassis Comfort
Because the laws of physics haven’t changed much in 13 years, the realities of a more flexible open-car architecture have once again led to a softening of the Dark Horse SC’s suspension and mission. While the coupe is aimed at maximizing track performance, the convertible strives to deliver high-output grand touring.
Toward that end, the springs and stabilizer bars are both softened (engineers remain tight-lipped on specifics), while the MagneRide adjustable suspension is reprogrammed to match this softer hardware. The wheels and tires are the same ones fitted to SC coupes without the Track Package. The carbon brake package will not be available on the convertible.
As before, the Mustang GT convertible chassis provided the structural starting point, to which the Dark Horse SC only adds a magnesium brace tying the two front shock towers to the firewall for added rigidity. No curb weight specifics were shared at the SC convertible’s Woodward Dream Cruise launch but expect the ragtop to add the same 100-ish-pound difference we measured between the GT500 coupe and convertible.
Aerodynamic Revisions
Because the convertible uses a unique decklid, the rear wing requires unique mounts. The shape of the wing is shared, but no Gurney flap is offered. And because air flows off the convertible top differently than it does the coupe’s roof, maintaining front/rear aerodynamic balance required redesigning the front hood louvers. Their trailing edges are extended slightly to close up the gap a bit, so that when the rain tray is removed they don’t flow quite as much air as the ones on the coupe.
