By Otsile Kadiege

To celebrate the 98^th anniversary of founder Carroll Shelby, a matching number of Super Snakes will be produced, while the Shelby Speedster will be even more limited with only 25 units being built. The Shelby Super Snake adds track capability and performance to the Mustang as well as new upgrades which have been formulated to further sharpen the Mustang’s presence while adding more levels of premium refinement beneath the skin.

Power and performance

The rear wheel drive Super Snakes are powered by a 5.0-litre V8 producing 615kW thanks to a high-polished Whipple supercharger supplying additional intake pressure, a new cooling system comprising a new radiator, aluminium tank and heat exchanger as well as some fine-tuning and other performance parts. Ford claims the Super Snake will accelerate from 0-100 km/hin just 3.8 seconds.

Widebody exterior

The most notable changes to the Mustang’s exterior are the aluminium widebody front fenders and the steel bonnet from Shelby’s Signature edition. “The wider body allows for the use of bigger 305-inch tyres all round,” says Peter Lindenberg, owner of Shelby South Africa. “Shelby has also made advances on the aero package, hence a more aggressive front bumper and splitter with added veins,” says Lindenberg.

The Super Snake includes a rear spoiler, tail panel and diffuser and Shelby louvered quarter windows which have also been given a dark tint and optional Super Snake badging and striping rounds off the look.

The limited edition (25 units worldwide) Super Snake Speedster Edition transforms a Mustang Convertible into a two-seat roadster with a hard top tonneau system, accompanied by unique striping and badging as well as Speedster Edition floormats and door sill plates.

Unique interior

Inside, the Super Snake boasts sporty undertones thanks to new cluster and gauges Carroll Shelby Mustang (CSM) numbering on the dashboard and the option and one that saves some weight is to have the rear seat removed and a harness bar put in its place.

Pricing

Both the Shelby Super Snake coupe and Shelby Speedster are now available to order in South Africa and pricing is as follows:

Super Snake: R1,575,400

Super Snake Speedster: R1,635,000