Order book opens for Shelby Super Snake in UK
Desperate for a Mustang with more than 800hp but can't wait for a GTD? There is another six-figure option...
No one is more excited than us about the prospect of the Mustang GTD arriving in Europe. Ford has apparently pulled out all the stops when it comes to the concept of a muscle car that can also manage a sub-seven-minute lap of the Nordschleife - a time that, for reference, would see the GTD rub shoulders with the likes of the Porsche 918 Spyder. Clearly, it is intended as an era-defining car and very possibly Ford’s last truly great entry in the long-running ledger of bonkers Mustangs before it gets to the tricky job of making the model seem appealing as an EV.
All this effort though does come at terrific cost - the GTD’s sticker price in North America is $325,000; for a car that starts at $30k - and you could argue that the GTD is so extravagantly modified that its identity as a Mustang starts to come into question. Happily, there is another way, and, thanks to Clive Sutton, it’s one that’s open to UK buyers immediately. The London-based dealer has just this week opened the order books for the new S650-based Shelby Super Snake Mustang, a limited edition car that can be bought in right-hand-drive format and is set for delivery in early 2025.
You may recall that we talked about Shelby’s highest-performing take on the Mustang back in April. Unlike the GTD, the car sticks with the 5.0-litre V8, but uses a Whipple supercharger to access 830hp. And where Ford’s flagship gets semi-active pushrod suspension and an eight-speed dual-clutch transaxle gearbox, Shelby (albeit in uprated format) has stuck with most things in their tried-and-tested configuration, while targeting lower weight, better cooling, cleverer aero and a lot more noise. You can even still have a manual. And you definitely should.
“I’m confident that the Shelby Super Snake Mustang will excite many of our UK customers,” reckoned Clive Sutton, founder and CEO. “The fact we handle all import technicalities and can offer this model in right-hand drive with a three-year warranty, means UK buyers essentially get a full vehicle manufacturer-style turnkey experience.” Admittedly, those buyers, like anyone clinging onto the idea of seeing a GTD on the driveway, will need a spare bob or two. Or £220,000 to be precise. That’s on-the-road and ready to go, mind - but it’s safe to say that only Mustang super-fans need apply.
The GTD however can do no wrong in my mind. What a fantastic thing, Ford with this and their statement to keep making V8s so long as people want them. Taken alongside Toyotas rejuvenation are clearly both still flying the enthusiast car flag high and proud.
In reality though, if I had that much to spend on a car I wouldn't be dropping a quarter of a million quid on any Ford other than a GT (and it wouldn't be enough for one of those!), certainly not on a Mustang. It's proper supercar money and you'd have to be a bit mad to spend it on one of these. Fair play to anyone that does.
At £220k it is against some much more desirable competition. So, you’re now just looking at those people who are rich enough not to care about the price and who already have all the other cars they want, so it isn’t an either or choice but “and this one”. Maybe they don’t want / need to sell very many?
I like the look of the car and I’m a Mustang fan, but I’d spend my money elsewhere for this amount.
At £220k it is against some much more desirable competition. So, you’re now just looking at those people who are rich enough not to care about the price and who already have all the other cars they want, so it isn’t an either or choice but “and this one”. Maybe they don’t want / need to sell very many?
I like the look of the car and I’m a Mustang fan, but I’d spend my money elsewhere for this amount.
At £220k it is against some much more desirable competition. So, you’re now just looking at those people who are rich enough not to care about the price and who already have all the other cars they want, so it isn’t an either or choice but “and this one”. Maybe they don’t want / need to sell very many?
I like the look of the car and I’m a Mustang fan, but I’d spend my money elsewhere for this amount.
It's not just the other makes competition. You can get an nearly new GT, or Mach One, depending on which is the better starting point, for less than £50k, and send it to say Modurstang, to be supercharged, have engine weak spots improved and suspension upgraded.
And end up with an equally capable car for less than half the price. That's a hell of a mark up for the Shelby name and some bits of trim.
Just for example, current price on CJ Ponyparts for the new Ford Performance supercharger (810 bhp claimed) is USD 9075 including fitting kit, so perhaps £12,500 by the time it gets here!
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