Shelby American has unleashed its most track-focused Mustang ever, introducing the 2026 Shelby Super Snake-R during Monterey Car Week. This limited-edition widebody sports car, based on the Ford Mustang Dark Horse, packs 850+ horsepower, a sophisticated coil-over independent suspension, carbon fiber aero components, and a host of performance upgrades designed for one thing: absolute dominance on the circuit.
“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.”
“This particular car is very special because we’re going to build 100 of them. So that’s a very special limited-run car right away. But it’s also got to look very unique and function. It’s not just stickers and scoops. It’s a whole different fender, hood, front fascia, and splitter. It’s got hardened wheel studs and axles that’ll handle over a thousand horsepower. This thing is full of content.
When you get this, you can choose to drive across the country and make it a nice grand touring car, or you can take it to the racetrack. You want an automatic, you could drive it that way, or you can order it with an old-school stick shift. We’ve done a lot of homework with it. We’ve learned a lot from the previous models, Super Snakes, GT350s, and stuff like that. We put the coilover suspension on it.
I drove it for the first time at Spring Mountain Motorsports Park. I remember pulling out of the pits and thinking, Okay, I’m pretty familiar with the track. I turned the wheel to the right for the first turn, which is a long sweeper, and that thing bit and pulled to the right. I was like, ‘Oh, this is different.’” – Gary Patterson, President, Shelby American Inc.
Starting with the 500-horsepower Ford Mustang Dark Horse fastback, Shelby supercharges the 5.0-liter Coyote V8, unlocking 850+ dependable horsepower. Buyers can choose between a Tremec TR-3160 six-speed manual or a 10-speed automatic transmission.
“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… Serious enthusiasts can drive a powerful sports car that is easy to keep in peak running condition.”
Key highlights include a widened stance, Shelby-specific chassis stiffening, metal spherical suspension bushings, a harness strut bar, and massive 335-section Michelin tires tucked under sculpted metallic widebody fenders. Carbon fiber and lightweight magnesium alloys are used extensively to keep weight to just 4,004 pounds – only 116 more than the base Dark Horse – despite 40% more power.
We thought the manual was really important for this vehicle, doing what it is, being a track car. A lot of our feedback from our clientele is that we need to keep a manual option out there, so this SSR model is going to provide that to the market. I think at 100 units, we’re going to go through them really quickly. And so people who may have been GT500 customers who wanted something a little more, but also with a stick shift, could go here. This is exactly it. So those GT500s are getting a little long in the tooth. This is the next generation right here.
This is what people need to be looking at. Vince and Gary, and the team in Las Vegas did an awesome job of putting this car together. All of these will go out the door with the wide-body kit option. It’s a lot of carbon. You look at the aerodynamics on the front, the whole front fascia was redesigned, the splitter, the hood, everything. It’s brand new. Vince spent a lot of time working on the aero side of this to make sure it’s efficient. – Aaron Shelby, Board Member, Carroll Shelby International, Co-President, Carroll Shelby Foundation.
“The new suspension is a real game changer,” said Vince LaViolette, Shelby American vice president of operations and senior designer. “If you are ready to be a track king, your car has arrived.”
Priced from $224,995, including the base Mustang Dark Horse, the Shelby Super Snake-R will be offered through Shelby-authorized distributors in the U.S., with select international availability.
With its staggering power-to-weight ratio, aggressive widebody design, and uncompromising suspension tuning, the 2026 Shelby Super Snake-R signals Shelby American’s boldest intention yet: to redefine what a modern track-ready muscle car can be.
Source: Shelby American Inc
