New Shelby Super Snake unveiled with 830hp
Shelby American has spent a year developing its first S650 Mustang. The results speak for themselves...
Even for a 60-year-old model flush with special editions, the Super Snake tends to occupy a unique position in the Mustang enthusiast community. Mostly that’s because any car built to wear the flagship badge can trace its roots all the way back to 1967 and the original version that Carroll Shelby retrofitted with a 520hp V8 from the Le Mans-winning MkIV Ford GT. While it may have started life as a marketing stunt, the car made quite an impression. Accordingly, any subsequent Super Snake has tended to result in a game of one-upmanship. To usually spectacular effect.
“We designed the Shelby Super Snake to be the pinnacle of our performance cars based on Ford’s world-class Mustang sports car,” said Joe Conway, CEO of Shelby American, speaking to the model that was revealed on the international Barrett-Jackson stage in Palm Beach, Florida. “It follows Carroll Shelby’s vision that each generation of car improves the breed. By collaborating with Ford Motor Company, Whipple and other top companies, our Las Vegas team created our best Shelby Super Snake yet.”
Principally, that means more power. Apparently, you can buy a Super Snake without the addition of Whipple-supplied forced induction - it outputs 480hp and receives numerous other upgrades - but really it’s the supercharged version you want because it develops in excess of 830hp, making it both the most powerful Super Snake yet, and, incredibly, even gruntier than the GTD version Ford revealed last year. Its maker declined to quote any performance figures, but we can assume they’re similarly eye-watering. Incredibly, there is also a choice of coupe or convertible.
Citing an unwavering commitment to the enthusiast, Shelby American has also endeavoured to ‘dial up a car that is enjoyable during daily commutes and deeply rewarding during spirited driving’. It doesn’t share much technical detail ahead of production in the summer, although, as you might expect, the suspension, brakes, cooling and exhaust have all been seen to - and those are 20-inch forged magnesium alloys poking out from a lighter, aerodynamically cleverer Mustang body. You can have an auto if you wish, although we'd bet the manual is more fun. Either way, you’re going to get noticed: just 250 examples of the Super Snake will be made. Expect it to wear a suitably hefty price tag - and expect one or two to show up in the UK. Because they always do.
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