The Shelby Super Snake-R Takes Ford Mustang Dark Horse Handling to New Levels
This track-focused and street-legal Super Snake-R elevates Ford’s Mustang Dark Horse to a different plane.
Shelby American has unveiled its most potent track-focused Mustang yet, the 2026 Shelby Super Snake-R. But a few weeks before this the company invited MotorTrend to visit its build facility in Las Vegas for a behind-the-scenes look at how this track-ready Super Snake-R came together.
0:00 / 0:00
No Fluff, Just More Track Performance
Shelby has long been known for creating different levels of vehicles to fit different needs and budgets. For those that want more performance and style over what Ford offers, it sells the 2025 GT350 and GT350R. For enthusiasts wanting more, the Shelby Super Snake offers a sizable step up in performance over both the GT350 and what Ford offers on its menu. But Shelby heard from its customers that they wanted even more. They especially wanted improved, razor-sharp handling, so Shelby American got to work designing the Shelby Super Snake-R.
“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.”
Based on the Ford Mustang Dark Horse
The Super Snake-R is a limited edition, then, based on the Ford Mustang Dark Horse. This means it has all the capabilities of that platform, such as the excellent Tremec TR-3160 six-speed manual transmission, but Shelby wanted to take the handling and power to whole new levels. To that end, the car gets a new coil-over independent suspension, widened stance, larger tires, aerodynamic carbon fiber parts, cooling upgrades, and many other enhancements.
850+ HP From 5.0 Supercharged Liters
Under the hood, the 500-hp 5.0-liter Coyote V-8 engine in the Mustang Dark Horse is fitted with a supercharger that bumps output to more than 850 horsepower on 93-octane gas. It can be mated to the six-speed Tremec manual or Ford's 10-speed automatic, but all are coupes—don't ask for a convertible.
“The 2026 Shelby Super Snake-R was optimized at every level using the best components available to create a dominating track star,” said Gary Patterson, president of Shelby American. “We’re unlocking the reliable 5.0-liter Coyote’s great potential by supercharging it, making well over 850 horsepower in a vehicle effortlessly maintained at any Ford dealership. Serious enthusiasts can drive a powerful sports car that is easy to keep in peak running condition.”
There are a lot of upgrades to the new Super Snake-R, but the biggest just may be the move to spherical bushings at all suspension points. Unlike rubber, or even polyurethane, metal spherical bushings have zero deflection and provide world-class handling performance. There’s a reason they're what you see in racing.
Improved Chassis Stiffness
The other key change was moving to urethane cradle mounts along with a harness bar system that ties the cradle mounting points together providing even more stability. Under the car, this chassis-stiffening system incorporates integrated jack lifting points. Fully adjustable coil-overs, a strut bar, and massive 20x11- and 20x13-inch magnesium wheels are along for the ride, as are front fenders formed from featherweight carbon fiber (the rear widebody quarters are done in metal).
The results on track speak for themselves, we're told. According to Vince LaViolette, Shelby American vice president of operations and senior designer, “The new suspension is a real game-changer. The R is far more solid, more connected, and more poised than any other Super Snake we’ve built. And it's so adjustable that an experienced driver can easily tailor it to their taste.”
Saving Weight Was Paramount
The Shelby team knew that adding heavy parts like a supercharger system, harness bar, and reworked suspension bits could hurt handling, so they went to extreme measures to knock off weight elsewhere. Despite adding approximately 40 percent more power, a much more advanced suspension, lighter brake components, those massive 335/35-20 Michelin tires, and metal widebody fenders, the Shelby Super Snake-R weighs 4,004 pounds, only 79 more than the lightest Ford Mustang Dark Horse we've weighed. (Of course, that's an actual data point against a manufacturer claim, so the delta may change if and when we weigh a Super Snake-R.)
Additional weight-saving measures include carbon fiber used for the hood, front splitter, and other key aerodynamic components.
The new 2026 Super Snake-R will start at $224,995 including the underlying Ford Mustang Dark Horse. It will be offered through Shelby’s authorized distributors and will carry a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty, and the Ford powertrain warranty will stay intact.
We have an invitation to eventually pilot the 2026 Shelby Super Snake-R around a track and see how this most potent of snakes performs, so stay tuned.
2026 Shelby Super Snake-R Rundown
Performance and Powertrain:
- 850+ horsepower supercharger system
- Shelby extreme cooling system (larger volume radiator, heat exchanger)
- Shelby by Borla cat back exhaust system
- Performance half shafts
- Short throw shifter and one-piece drive shaft (manual only)
- Hardened extended wheel studs with open ended lug nuts
- 20"x11"(F) 20"x13"(R) one-piece forged magnesium wheels with Michelin tires
- Two-piece slotted brake rotors
- Shelby fully adjustable coil-over suspension system
- Front and rear sway bars
- Caster camber plates
- Body stiffening system including a rear harness strut bar
Interior and Engine Compartment:
- Shelby spec interior upgrade
- Embroidered floor mats
- Puddle lamps (700A package only)
- Full leather, embroidered seat recovers
- Shelby billet shifter ball (manual only)
- Push button start
- Super Snake door sill plates
- Serialized dash plaque and engine plaque
- Rear seat delete
- Engine cap set
- Carbon fiber radiator cover
Exterior:
- Aluminum vented hood with hood pins, rain trays and carbon fiber hood extractors
- Metallic front and rear wide body
- Wide Body front fascia assembly
- Wide Body front bumper
- Upper, lower, outboard Carbon fiber grilles
- Larger front, carbon fiber splitter with aluminum supports
- Carbon fiber splitter wickers
- Side rocker assembly with carbon fiber rocker wickers
- Rear ducktail spoiler
- Carbon fiber Super Snake rear wing
- Carbon fiber rear lower diffuser
- Carbon fiber front and rear rocker wings
- Super Snake R stripes and badges
- Deep tinted windows (per state regulations)
- Carbon fiber brake ducts and fender vents
- Headlight accents
Optional Features
- Painted stripes
- Race inspired graphics package
I was born and raised in Southern California and have always been into classic cars. My first car was a 1964.5 Mustang that I remember tossing Centerline wheels on and giving a midnight blue paint job to. It was a straight six, which most likely kept me alive. After high school I picked up a 1967 Camaro and spent all my money at Super Shops fixing it up. It rolled on 16-inch IROC wheels, which in the 1980s was pretty cutting edge. I'm old enough that Big Daddy Ed Roth pinstriped my car in his driveway. In 2004 I was hired on as Technical Editor for Popular Hot Rodding and later I did the same gig at Camaro Performers where we built a 1968 Camaro called Bad Penny (Google it). Later I was editor for Vette and Super Chevy Magazines before ending up here at HOT ROD as a Senior Tech Editor.
I've had the pleasure of building and being involved with quite a few cars from the above-mentioned Bad Penny Camaro to a 1968 Camaro called Track Rat and a 1,000 horsepower 1971 Wagon rolling on a Roadster Shop chassis. I've owned a few ZL1/1LE Camaros, a couple of Porsche GT4s and currently I'm working over a sweet 1972 LS-swapped Chevelle wagon to see if we can make this 4,000 beast handle on track. I live in SoCal with my partner April where I still spend way too much time thinking about the next big project.
Read More
