Wednesday 13th August

Shelby transforms Dark Horse into Super Snake-R

Mega Mustangs are Shelby's forte - this one has 850hp and a manual 

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If a Ford Mustang has any kind of Shelby badge attached to it, you know it’s going to be special. Think of the old S550-era GT350 models, complete with 8,000rpm Voodoo V8; or the GT500, boasting more supercharged power than a Lamborghini Aventador SV. The world would be a much duller place without Shelby Mustangs, and never has that felt more appropriate than for its latest car, the Super Snake-R.

It’s based on the current Dark Horse, which is a great place to start because it’s a fantastic Mustang to drive. But this has come some way from the standard model; the Coyote V8 is now Whipple supercharged to the tune of 850hp, supported by an upgraded radiator, active exhaust and uprated halfshafts. It’s making that power on 93RON, too, so imagine what it might do with some proper petrol in it. 

The Super Snake-R sits on fully adjustable coilovers - this is a ‘sports car engineered for track dominance’, after all, plus some of the sexiest wheels ever seen on a fast Ford. They’re forged magnesium, 20-inch at each corner and a ludicrous 13 inches wide on the rear axle; Shelby points out that they permit the fitment of ‘significantly larger tires’ - they look like Michelin Cup 2s from here - in turn ‘increasing the contact patch to help plant the power more effectively and enhance overall handling dynamics.’ The rims are made by MP Wheels, and save four kilos a corner over the standard items - impressive given how much larger they are as well. 

Extra upgrades for the Super Snake-R include new slotted brake discs, anti roll bars on both axles, adjustable camber plates and even a hardness bar behind the new bucket seats (the rear chairs have been taken out). It’s clearly a pretty serious overhaul, but then you’d have guessed that already from looking at this Mustang. Shelby’s bodywork changes are nothing if not obvious, with new wings to create the widebody, Super Snake-R badges and carbon everywhere: bonnet vents, front splitter, rear wing, diffuser and more. ‘Every detail serves a purpose’, reckons Shelby, ‘blending form and function into a cohesive, race-ready silhouette.’

Certainly it’s hard to imagine much keeping up with an 850hp Mustang on a US track day, especially with the chassis mods to make the most of it as well. The usual raft of Mustang configuration options remains available as well, as the Super Snake-R price - all $225,000, or £165,000, of it - includes the Dark Horse. You give Shelby that and the options you want, they return a Super Snake-R. With their own three year warranty.

Shelby promises this to be nothing less than ‘your ticket to track domination and everyday drivability — a true fusion of raw power and refined engineering’. Which does like quite the car, given how good the base Dark Horse is. Cars and Coffee will never be the same again. 

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• Mustang Dark Horse vs. Defender OCTA vs. Aston DB12
  
• Shelby debuts new Mustang GT350 with up to 810hp

 

[MDL111]

that looks very purposeful, especially the side view

[Glenn63]

Always loved mustangs but still not owned one. They always sound fantastic when I see one, the last new V8 available with a manual?

[smilo996]

Raptors are out and snakes are in as the latest macho nomenclature, why not python or anaconda😆. the stang is getting very 911 in its micro, micro niches though with more plastic and less finesse.

[GTRene]

great power, sadly I find those models to big/large.

would rather see a Ford Escort mk1 sized model with half the power, then it would be still very powerful.

I do not mean those restomods, but official Ford small model not larger then the mk1 Escort with super snake tune, with even half that power/engine or a fast V6

[UmpaLoompa]

£165k for what is essentially a Dark Horse with some new wheels, bodykit and a Whipple!?

I mean, come on…

[jonosterman]

"It’s making that power on 93RON, too, so imagine what it might do with some proper petrol in it. "

No it doesn't.

Their website simply says "93 octane fuel". That'll be 93 US rating which is equivalent to about 97RON.

[cookington]

UmpaLoompa said:

£165k for what is essentially a Dark Horse with some new wheels, bodykit and a Whipple!?

I mean, come on…

Seems good value compared to what Clive Sutton offer in the UK...

[cookington]

jonosterman said:

"It’s making that power on 93RON, too, so imagine what it might do with some proper petrol in it. "

No it doesn't.

Their website simply says "93 octane fuel". That'll be 93 US rating which is equivalent to about 97RON.

I generally dislike the journo bashing on here but I'm an entry level petrolhead and still know US RON isn't the same as UK.

[Rotary Potato]

UmpaLoompa said:

£165k for what is essentially a Dark Horse with some new wheels, bodykit and a Whipple!?

I mean, come on…

Article said:

... supported by an upgraded radiator, active exhaust and uprated halfshafts …

Article said:

... The Super Snake-R sits on fully adjustable coilovers …

Article said:

... the fitment of ‘significantly larger tires’ - they look like Michelin Cup 2s from here …

Article said:

... Extra upgrades for the Super Snake-R include new slotted brake discs, anti roll bars on both axles, adjustable camber plates and even a hardness bar behind the new bucket seats …

The word 'essentially' in your post is doing a lot of heavy lifting. In the same way that Anne Widdicombe was essentially Cindy Crawford with some different details.

However, you do raise a valid point about value. Of course you could buy all those parts separately and pay a mechanic/bodyshop to fit them to a Dark Horse, and it would be cheaper. But it wouldn't have the 3 year warranty or the Shelby badge ... different people would assign different values to those last two. For some, that package will be worth it. For others, it won't. I'm not a prospective customer, so my thoughts are irrelevant - but if I were in the market for a large GT style car masquerading as a sports car, I wouldn't think the price was crazy compared to comparable cars with similar performance.

[nismo48]

Now that's got some presence

[Skaben]

this must sound amazing on the move

[wolfie28]

Rotary Potato said:

The word 'essentially' in your post is doing a lot of heavy lifting. In the same way that Anne Widdicombe was essentially Cindy Crawford with some different details.

That made me chuckle, thank you .

As for the car, i like it and I’m not a particular fan of the Mustang.

[superchipchaz]

It’s making that power on 93RON
The UK and US have different methods for measuring RON US 93 Ron is equivalent to UK 98

[VR6 Eug]

Just buy a Steada Mustang, as they handle properly and go well.

[Hiro11]

superchipchaz said:

It’s making that power on 93RON
The UK and US have different methods for measuring RON US 93 Ron is equivalent to UK 98

Yes, this. This reminds me of another common mistake: US gallons are significantly smaller than UK gallons and as a result US MPG ratings are generally significantly lower. And yet, lots of UK car reviews miss this point and cite "typical inefficient US engines..."

[dvinell]

UmpaLoompa said:

£165k for what is essentially a Dark Horse with some new wheels, bodykit and a Whipple!?

I mean, come on…

Yeah, you only get this.
What did the Romans ever do for us?

850+ HP supercharger system
Performance radiator
Short throw shifter (manual)
Two-piece slotted brake rotors
Fully adjustable coil-over suspension system
Harness bar cross member
Front and rear sway bars
Cat back, active valve exhaust
Performance half shafts
Caster camber plates
One-piece drive shaft (manual)
20"x11"(F) 20"x13"(R) one-piece forged magnesium wheels
Shelby spec performance tires
Hardened wheel studs
Aluminum Super Snake hood assembly
Rain trays
Push button hood pins
Carbon fiber hood vents
Carbon fiber front fenders
Carbon fiber fender vents
Front inner fender wells
Front fascia assembly
Headlight accents
Upper and lower grilles
Carbon fiber lower grille brake ducts
Carbon fiber outboard grilles
Carbon fiber fascia wings
Carbon fiber front splitter
Aluminum splitter struts
Rocker assembly with carbon fiber wings
Carbon fiber rear diffuser
Carbon fiber rear diffuser wings
Metallic rear wide body
Carbon fiber rear pedestal wing
Carbon fiber rear ducktail spoiler
Puddle lamps
Billet shifter knob
Engine cap set
Door sill plates
CSM dash badge
Carbon fiber radiator cover
Embroidered floor mats
Shelby push to start button
Deep window tint (Per State Regulations)
Rear seat delete
Embroidered seat recovers

And a 3 year / 36,000 mile warranty.

Having said that, I'd still want a Mustang GTD.

Edited by dvinell on Friday 15th August 00:25

[Fr0dders]

superchipchaz said:

It’s making that power on 93RON
The UK and US have different methods for measuring RON US 93 Ron is equivalent to UK 98

If we're going full geek mode, this incorrect. The US don't use RON, that's why the numbers don't match up. The US rate their gas in something called AKI or anti knock index (this is an average of RON and another measurement called MON),

So when the US say 93 October or just "93", they're referring to 93 AKI, which is about 97 RON as mentioned above.


I know I'm nit picking, but if we're criticizing the article for being incorrect, can't fault for me nit picking the nit picker

[AndySheff]

smilo996 said:

Raptors are out and snakes are in as the latest macho nomenclature, why not python or anaconda?. the stang is getting very 911 in its micro, micro niches though with more plastic and less finesse.

What ? Ford and Shelby have been using 'Cobra' and 'Super Snake' for a long time.

ETA; Google tells me the Cobra came out in 62, and the Super-snake nomenclature was first used in 67.

Edited by AndySheff on Friday 15th August 08:41

[cookington]

AndySheff said:

What ? Ford and Shelby have been using 'Cobra' and 'Super Snake' for a long time.

ETA; Google tells me the Cobra came out in 62, and the Super-snake nomenclature was first used in 67.

Edited by AndySheff on Friday 15th August 08:41

You soon get used to people talking out their backside on here. Especially when it adds nothing to the conversation.

[DodgyGeezer]

The black swath over the rear just makes it look awkward (IMO). As aside you can get a C8 ZR1 and have a fair chunk of change (though the Frod is, arguably, better looking)