Shelby GT H & Widebody Super Snake: Twin Serpents with Different Bites

Once I returned to AutoNation Ford, I didn’t have to wait too long to take the Super Snake for a spin. Gary Patterson, President of Shelby American, rode shotgun. All Super Snakes start life as a Mustang GT coupe with the 401A equipment group and an MSRP of $113,445. Shelby American transforms it into its most potent weapon by stuffing a Ford Performance blower under the hood that increases output to 710 horsepower.

As I later learned from Patterson, his company doesn’t modify any of the 5.0’s internals. However, it does upgrade the cooling system, half shafts, and exhaust. Manual cars get a short-throw shifter and one-piece driveshaft. All Super Snakes come with an interior treatment that features three auxiliary gauges, special floor mats and door sills and badges.

The Super Snake puts its ample power to the road through a set of 20-inch forged aluminum wheels and Shelby-spec tires. A Ford Performance track handling pack and six-piston front/four-piston rear “Shelby by Brembo” brakes keep the Super Snake belly-down.

With its aggressive front splitter, domed and vented hood, pronounced rocker panels, and eye-catching spoiler, my test vehicle certainly looked the part of a beast that’s more powerful than a Challenger Hellcat. It seemed even more ferocious because Shelby American added an optional widebody kit to it. At the same time, they made sure it officially outgunned the Challenger Hellcat Redeye by throwing out the regular supercharger and replacing it with a 3.0-liter Whipple unit. Based on my conversation with Patterson and the fact that he mentioned Shelby American evaluates the Super Snake’s suspension on Penske’s race-car-level testing rig, I assume the car he and I took out had the optional Penske track setup.

It definitely felt that way. Every foot I traveled in the Super Snake, I could feel its suspension constantly reading and reacting to the road surface. At slower speeds, Patterson and I involuntarily bobbed along to its minute adjustments. Luckily, I found an opening or two in the traffic so I could dip into the boost-huffing 5.0’s immense reserves. In a lot of cars, you have to pick one of two options. Do you want to save gas or go fast? You have just as many choices in the Super Snake, but they’re much different. Do you want to be thrilled or terrified? Just use your right foot to decide and the Super Snake will respond accordingly.

I chose the route of legality and clean underwear. Despite my restraint, I could feel myself grinning widely right after a deep press of the throttle pedal. It was an involuntary reaction to the Super Snake’s vicious sound and instant power. Patterson was 100 percent right when he said the Super Snake will “put a smile on your face.” Its immediately responsive brakes were ready to snatch it off in an instant.

There was no getting around the fact that both cars were quick. What impressed me more was that Shelby American had found a way to make a 700 horsepower Mustang and an 800 horsepower Mustang feel completely different from each other. As Shelby had put it earlier, the easygoing GT H came across as a more “manageable” everyday machine and the hyper-alert Super Snake felt more like a “weekend car, track car.” They both have something major in common, though: Either one would be a fine weapon to wield in the ongoing Horsepower Wars.

Photos: Derek Shiekhi for The Mustang Source

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Derek Shiekhi

Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.

After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.

While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.

Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.

In addition to writing for a variety of Internet Brands sites, including JK Forum, H-D Forums, The Mustang Source, Mustang Forums, LS1Tech, HondaTech, Jaguar Forums, YotaTech, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts. Derek also started There Will Be Cars on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.