2026 Shelby Super Snake-R Revealed With More Power Than Mustang GTD originally appeared on Autoblog.
This track monster doesn’t come cheap, though
Shelby has just taken the covers off its 2026 Super Snake-R, one of the wildest interpretations of the S650 Mustang, and the most aggressive Super Snake yet. Based on the 2026 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, Shelby has added a brutish visual makeover and a lot more power; we’re talking about even more power than the Mustang GTD, but without that car’s stratospheric price. Let’s dive into all the special details of the Super Snake-R.
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Supercharged Coyote V8 Packs A Punch
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The 5.0-liter V8 in the Super Snake-R is boosted by a 3.0-liter Whipple supercharger, and that means an output of over 850 horsepower. That eclipses even the 815 horses you get in the Mustang GTD. Enthusiasts will be thrilled to hear that besides the 10-speed automatic, the Snake-R can also be equipped with a six-speed manual from Tremec.
This powerful Shelby is no one-trick pony, though. It also gets a fully adjustable coil-over suspension, metal spherical springs, and a rear harness strut bar to improve its handling. A Borla cat-back exhaust unleashes a visceral symphony from the V8, and Shelby promises reliable performance thanks to an improved cooling system.
A Wolf In Wolf’s Clothing
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Like any Shelby, the Super Snake-R is no sleeper. This is a car that loudly announces itself with a dramatically beefed-up body. Metallic widebody fenders give it a far more aggressive stance than the Dark Horse upon which it’s based. A range of carbon fiber components includes a larger front lower splitter, a lower rear diffuser, and a huge pedestal wing at the back.
Staggered 20-inch wheels (20”x11” in front and 20”x13” at the back) are made from lightweight magnesium alloy. Thanks to this material, rotational mass is lowered by almost 37 pounds in total, which creates sharper turn-in, better acceleration, and shorter braking distances. Magnesium also has natural vibration-damping properties that improve the Snake-R’s ride quality.
Five Ford factory colors will be available for this Shelby: Grabber Blue Metallic, Race Red, Oxford White, Shadow Black, and Carbonized Gray Metallic. A range of stripe options will be available, or customers can go for a stealthier look and delete the stripes entirely.
Custom Interior With No Back Seats
As with the exterior, Shelby has changed a lot inside the Mustang. This one gets special Shelby-branded front seats in a combination of leather and grippy Alcantara. The rear seats have been tossed to save weight and improve rigidity, so you’ll have to leave the kids at home. A harness strut bar connects the rear shock towers, stiffening the chassis and creating a car more suited to track duty.
There are serialized dashboard and engine plaques, in case you forget that this is no ordinary Mustang. Super Snake door sill plates, embroidered floor mats, and puddle lights are other extras.
“The Shelby Super Snake's roots come from a rich motorsport history as the first Shelby Super Snake in 1967 was built for high speed runs on the racetrack,” said Joe Conway, CEO of Shelby American. “However, the 'R' model designation has never been applied to a Shelby Super Snake. We can build a small number of the 2026 model car at a much higher level of performance, which earned it the special 'R' badge.”
And what about the price? The Shelby Super Snake-R will cost you $224,995, a figure that includes the base Mustang Dark Horse. That may be over $100k less than the GTD, but the Snake-R is more expensive than the new Corvette ZR1X, which has 1,250 horsepower. Then again, the Snake-R is not the only car that appears vastly overpriced alongside the ultimate Corvette.
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2026 Shelby Super Snake-R Revealed With More Power Than Mustang GTD first appeared on Autoblog on Aug 14, 2025
This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Aug 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
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