Forget the GT500—The Shelby Mustang Super Snake Is the 750-HP Ford You Can Buy Right Now
Why wait for the Michigan-made version when you can pick one up in Vegas ASAP?
Sometime this year, odds are good Ford will pull the sheet off a new Shelby GT500 packing Hellcat-rivalling levels of horsepower. But if you really can’t wait that long for a 700-plus horsepower Mustang with Carroll Shelby’s surname slapped on it, there’s always the new 2017 Shelby Mustang Super Snake.
In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Super Snake nameplate, Shelby American has prepared a special Mustang to wear the badass badge. Based on the 5.0-liter Mustang GT, the Super Snake offers buyers a choice of two separate superchargers on tap; the smaller one dials the Coyote V8 up to 670 horsepower, while a larger one blasts this pony car up to the full 750 ponies. Either way, the engine can be hooked up to either a manual or automatic gearbox. Shelby American claims that a 2017 Super Snake with the bigger supercharger and the slushbox can run from 0-60 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds and do the quarter-mile in 10.9, as well as stick 1.2 g's on the skidpad—numbers that put it roughly in line with the new Chevy Camaro ZL1.
The new Shelby Mustang isn't just about speed, though. The Super Snake comes outfitted with plenty of special styling cues, including a unique hood, a special spoiler and splitters, a custom grille, and plenty of other exterior accoutrements; inside, special sill plates and gauges set the car apart from stock 'Stangs, while a dash plaque shows off the car's official serial number. Of course, if buyers want to further separate their pony from the rest of the pack, they can pop for something from the lengthy options list, which includes everything from performance-minded pieces like a roll cage to a Katzkin leather interior. You can even pay extra to have that side stripe removed, should it offend your sensibilities.
The 2017 Mustang Super Snake package starts at $36,795, not including the new Mustang that's kind of a prerequisite for the build; bring a basic Mustang GT, however, and it's possible to roll out the door with a Super Snake for around $70K. (Plan on spending more if you want the full 750 horsepower, though, or if you want to go buck-wild on the options list.)
But while you may not have to wait long to lay your hands on the 750-horsepower sixrth-gen Mustang of your dream, you also shouldn't dilly-dally on placing your order. Just 500 examples of the 2017 Super Snake will be built this year...although we're pretty sure Shelby American will also whip up a similar package next year based on the facelifted 2018 Ford Mustang.
