As you’d expect, the folks at Shelby American wasted little time in creating a new and even more intense variation on the hottest version of the latest Mustang. It comes in the form of the new 2011 Ford Shelby GT500 Super Snake, which in its ultimate form will now deliver 800 horsepower from its turbocharged 5.4-liter V8 — 75 more than 2010’s most-potent iteration.
Spawned from the mind of performance legend Carroll Shelby and confined to a limited run of 1000 units, the 2011 Ford Shelby GT500 Super Snake will continue to be built at the Shelby American facility in Las Vegas or one of the official Shelby Mod Shops, starting this month. Three levels of thrill are available. In base form, the engine will be fitted with a Shelby/Ford Racing supercharger and tuned to crank out over 660 horsepower and 590 ft.-lbs. of torque. One step beyond, either a Shelby/Ford Racing or Shelby/Kenne Bell supercharger kit teamed with a larger 75mm throttle body will kick the pony count to 750 while the new range topper will rely on a Shelby/Kenne Bell supercharger to yield 800 tarmac-torturing horsepower on pump gasoline. The engines in all versions will be fitted with a free-flowing Borla exhaust system, backed by a six-speed manual transmission with a short-throw shifter and drive through a 3.73:1 performance rear axle.
More than mere motor
As in the past, the 2011 Ford Shelby GT500 Super Snake also comes with a comprehensive suspension/brake upgrade that includes a full Ford Racing handling pack, forged Shelby/Baer stoppers with six-piston calipers and cross-drilled/vented rotors and 20-inch Shelby-designed Alcoa alloy wheels. An optional Shelby/Eibach handling upgrade also is available. Distinctive cosmetic tweaks are found throughout the vehicle, including a special fiberglass hood, Shelby signature embroidered headrests and floor mats and the requisite array of badges.
To further celebrate the new level of power on offer, a new anthracite-finish wheel, white stripes and new side scoops have been added to the option list. "We’ve only offered black stripes and chrome wheels on the Super Snake since we introduced the package a couple of years ago," said Gary Davis, vice president of production and R&D at Shelby American, "With the serious advancements made to the 2011 model year, it was time to differentiate it from the previous generation car."
Each 2011 Ford Shelby GT500 Super Snake will be listed in the official Shelby registry and come with a unique Shelby CSM interior ID badge. So far, the firm has only released pricing on the 750-horse version, which will start at $30,245 installed, but not include the cost of the 2011 Ford Shelby GT500 itself. For more information, call (702) 942-7325 or visit the www.shelbyamerican.com website.
