Shelby Super Snake Mustang - The 830bhp Pony Car is Coming to the UK

Ford has already shown the Mustang GTD. Today we're looking at the Shelby offering - the Super Snake. This new model is the latest descendent of the GT350 which first demonstrated how the platform could take greater power levels and return a better drive. The new Super Snake is based on the latest S650 generation two-door coupe and cabriolet and comes in two flavours, both with a 5.0 litre V8 engine up front.

The most obvious styling tweak is the wide central stripe which is flanked by two thinner stripes all the way from the front splitter to the rear diffuser. Look a little closer at the front and you’ll see a redesigned bumper with enlarged inlets and vents from edge to edge. The size of the inlets are such that it’s more apt to describe the front end as a collection of air intakes with a bit of bumper trim to hold them all in place.

Needless to say, it looks serious. The large vent theme continues with the new aluminium bonnet housing three rear-facing vents and an enlarged central power dome. The three-segment LED headlights remain the same as the standard Mustang, but these connect to impressively flared front wheel arches that house new magnesium-alloy wheels and are said to allow for better cornering and enhanced acceleration thanks to a 16 kg weight reduction.

Liberal use of carbon fibre for the front splitter, dive planes, rear diffuser and the rear wing also help to reduce mass while shaping and enhancing the airflow around the car. On the coupe, the fixed carbon fibre rear wing sits above a stretched ducktail spoiler that merges into the bootlid. Although the Mustang emblem may be found on the steering wheel, the boot carries the Shelby name and the cobra emblem which is synonymous with the famous tuner.

The four pipes are the tail end of a new exhaust system, which Shelby says is for better airflow, but by the sounds of the videos accompanying the model’s launch, it’s more for sound-flow. Connected to the other end of the exhaust system is the 5.0 litre V8 which is available in two states of tune. One is naturally aspirated and matches the output of the new Ford Mustang GT, while the other adds a 3.0 litre supercharger to the ventre of the V. This increases power to over 830 horsepower - and that’s using 93 octane fuel. Peak torque is not yet known but we can safely assume that it will be a significant increase over the non-supercharged engine’s 415 lb ft.

It’s not just the body and the engine that have been tweaked; the chassis has been altered with a key focus placed on making the car perform well in straight lines and corners on the road and track. Uprated half shafts, brakes, wheel studs and Shelby-specific suspension all ensure that the Super Snake remains composed and keen to run down valleys and drag strips alike.

Inside, the Shelby touches continue with re-trimmed seats that feature a snakeskin-like pattern. Alcantara sections make up the centre of the seats while leather is found from the centre console to the lower dashboard and the rear pair of seats. A short-throw shifter is standard for manual transmission versions, along with Shelby-exclusive floor mats, cobra puddle lights, Super snake door sills and a serialised dashboard plaque.

Shelby Mustangs are known for being rare and this new Super Snake is no different; only 250 will be made in total and that encompasses the coupe, convertible, naturally aspirated, supercharged, manual and automatic options. Upon completion, each model is documented in the Shelby Registry and the original Ford warranties are unaffected.

Amazingly, some of them are coming to the UK courtesy of Clive Sutton, the UK’s only official importer for Shelby products. Priced at £220,000, the Super Snake will be reaching our shores in left or right-hand drive guise, exclusively with the supercharged 830 horsepower engine under the bonnet. If the ultimate Mustang is on your shopping list, you’ve got a very difficult choice to make.