Few names in the automotive world evoke a reaction from enthusiasts like Shelby. Since his simple but shockingly effective strategy of shoving the biggest engine possible into the most nimble chassis available resulted in the iconic Ferrari-killing Shelby Cobras of the mid-’60s, Carrol’s legend has only grown over time.
Although the Cobra may be the most famous of Carroll Shelby’s creations, his GT350 and GT500 Mustangs also made a mockery of unsuspecting stock Corvettes and Porsches. Despite the success of the GT cars, when Goodyear reached out to Shelby asking for a specially built car to wring out and prove just how capable their (then) new Thunderbolt tires were, Shebly jumped at the idea of making a GT500 even better, and so the Super Snake was born.
Though Shelby passed in 2012, his company, Shelby American Inc., has continued his legacy of creating massively powerful steeds bearing one of the most famous names in automotive history. It has just released info on the brand new 2024 Super Snake, which has us grinning with excitement and should have Corvette owners shaking in their Michelins.
The Shelby Super Snake makes 830+ horsepower
Beginning with an already potent Mustang GT, Shelby American adds a 3.0-liter Whipple supercharger to the Gen 4 Coyote 5.0-liter V-8, which adds almost 60% more power to the GT’s 486 hp, bringing the total to a staggering 830 hp.
To prevent that massive forced-induction powerplant from overheating, Shebly also installs its own Extreme Cooling System, which adds an upgraded radiator and a very competent heat exchanger to keep things out of the red.
Beyond just the engine, however, Shelby also adds a one-piece drive shaft (for manual-equipped cars only), performance half-shafts, a Shelby-specific suspension system, lightweight 20-inch forged magnesium wheels, which reduce weight by nine pounds per rim versus the stock pieces, upgraded rotors, harder extended wheel studs, Shelby-specific track-ready tires, and of course, a Borla exhaust, to allow owners to announce their arrival with a roar.
The 2024 Super Snake can be had as a coupe or convertible
The 2024 Super Snake is available as a coupe or an open-air drop-top in six different colors: Iconic Silver, Atlas Blue, Oxford White, Shadow Black, Rapid Race Metallic, or Race Red. There are also four choices for graphics package colors: Satin Black, Satin Silver, Satin White, or Satin Blue.
Aside from just paint, the Super Snake differentiates itself from a standard Mustang with the following exterior upgrades:
- Aluminum Super Snake hood
- Hood pin locks
- Carbon fiber hood extractors
- Carbon fiber Wide-body front fenders
- Front fender vents
- Wide Body front fascia assembly
- Upper, lower, outboard grilles
- Lower front splitter
- Front splitter supports
- Carbon fiber splitter wickers
- Side rocker assembly
- Carbon fiber rocker wickers
- Rear ducktail spoiler
- Carbon fiber Super Snake rear wing (coupe only)
- Carbon fiber rear lower diffuser
- Super Snake® striping and badging
- Tinted windows (Per State Regulations)
Convertibles receive a trick light bar, and the transmission can be either had as a 10-speed automatic or a traditional six-speed manual.
The 2024 Super Snake is built to grip you, literally
Inside, the 2024 Super Snake differentiated itself from the standard GT by adding recovered full-leather seats with Alcantara trim. On manual cars, a short-throw shifter with a custom Shelby shift ball replaces the stock unit, while embroidered floormats and seatbacks remind drivers and passengers this is no ordinary Mustang. A serialized dash plaque with the car’s specific CSM number authenticates its venomous lineage.
The Super Snake is super fast and super rare
While no official performance numbers are available yet for the 2024 Super Snake, you can be that Shelby had Ford’s own now-extinct GT500 in its sights. Motor Trend tested a GT500 in 2020 from 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds and through the quarter mile in 11.3 seconds at 131.6 mph. So, we fully expect the 830+ hp Super Snake to outpace the 760 hp GT500 by an appreciable margin (given equal drivers, of course).
A few numbers available are important to note. Shelby says that just 250 Super Snakes will be made for the 2024 model year, and each one will come with a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty that does not interfere with Ford’s existing powertrain warranty.
If you’d like to own one of these ultimate Mustangs and a true piece of history, the starting price is $159,995, which also includes the cost of a 2024 Mustang GT donor car. Though Carroll Shelby may be gone, his legacy lives on in this 830+ horsepower nightmare on wheels.
