Ferndale – On an overcast Friday morning at 6:38 a.m., an orange sunrise failed to poke through the clouds over Woodward Avenue.But a purple Mustang did.Hoisted 40 feet in the air on a crane, the 2027, Purple Precision Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC Convertible — shrouded in a Ford blue cover — rose over Nine Mile and Woodward for its big debut when the Woodward Dream Cruise officially gets under way later in the day.Ferndale - 2027 Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC Convertible rises over Woodward and Nine Mile on Friday morning.The wraps come off the 795-horsepower roadster (it made its Internet debut at 6 AM this morning) at 4:30 p.m. when it will be lowered from the crane and join the Ferndale Emergency Vehicle Lights & Sirens Cruise Parade on Woodward — the official kick-off of the 31st Cruise, the world's largest, one-day car event.AdvertisementAdvertisementBehind the wheel? Former Detroit Lions wide receiver Herman Moore.The Mustang Corral (and accompanying Bronco Corral) anchors the Cruise at Como's Restaurant at the south end of a 16 mile stretch of Woodward that reaches all the way to Pontiac. By Saturday morning, the Mustang Corral will be choked with over 700 Mustangs brought by customers running east from Woodward to Paxton Street in Ferndale. Another 130 customer Broncos will fill the Bronco Corral on the other side of Woodward west to Planavon Street.Ferndale - Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC, Mustang GTD, and Mustang RTR at Nine Mile Mustang Corral.Woodward was quiet Friday morning except for commuter traffic. Tents and displays set up for Saturday's Cruise dotted the sidewalks of Ferndale, Royal Oak and Birmingham like buds on a tree waiting to bloom.Beneath the crane, Ford has assembled a row of its top muscle cars including the 815-horsepower Mustang GTD, Mustang Dark Horse SC Coupe, and Mustang RTR.AdvertisementAdvertisement"It definitely livens things up in the community," said Eric Fuller, 45, a Como's managing partner, of Ford's once-a-year takeover of the restaurant. "The Dream Cruise brings in so many different people from all over the country. I love when the Lights & Sirens parade kicks things off and comes right by here."[email protected]This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Sun (and Mustang Dark Horse SC Convertible) rises on Friday Dream Cruise