Shelby has taken the wraps off a new 50th anniversary model some five decades after the first Super Snake rumbled out of the factory.
The 50th Anniversary Shelby Super Snake will be limited to just 500 examples, each featuring a lower price of $69 995 (around R950 000), including the cost of a base (pre-facelift) Ford Mustang GT.
So, what makes the new Super Snake special? Well, working with Ford Performance, Shelby says it “sharpened the handling” of the independent suspension and upgraded the brakes. Under the bonnet, the Super Snake combines Ford’s familiar 5,0 V8 engine with supercharging, resulting in power outputs ranging from 449 kW to 559 kW.
Shelby reckons the latter figure translates to a sprint from standstill to 100 km/h in a smidgen over 3,5 seconds (with the largest supercharger – Whipple or Kenne Bell – fitted and an automatic transmission specified), while the American tuner reports that the quarter mile is completed in just 10,9 seconds.
Styling upgrades include a new bonnet, rockers, spoilers, splitters, grilles, foglamps, taillights and rear diffuser assembly. These limited edition models furthermore gain anniversary stripes and badges, with yet more references to the 50-year milestone inside.