Shelby transforms Dark Horse into Super Snake-R

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

By Matt Bird / Thursday, 14 August 2025 / Loading comments

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.