Shelby American has unveiled the Super Snake-R - a Mustang Dark Horse on steroids

The Ford Mustang Dark Horse is powerful and fast in its own right. Its 500bhp 5.0-litre V8 engine propels the car to 60mph (97km/h) in about four seconds. But for the Shelby American, simply "fast" is not an option.

Here's What We Know

The 2026 model year Shelby Super Snake-R debuted at Monterey Car Week. It's based on the production Mustang Dark Horse, but with a number of technical and visual tweaks.

The main thing is under the bonnet. The Coyote's V8 engine has been supercharged, and power has risen to over 850bhp, 20bhp more than the current Super Snake. Drive is rear-wheel drive only, with a choice of six-speed Tremec manual or 10-speed automatic.

The model is equipped with fully adjustable coilovers, Michelin tyres with increased width, lightweight alloy wheels and perforated brake discs. At the rear is a large anti-wing to increase downforce.

The body received aggressive new bumpers and carbon fibre panels. The palette includes five colours: Carbonized Gray Metallic, Grabber Blue Metallic, Oxford White, Race Red and Shadow Black.

The interior has been redesigned in a sporty spirit: bucket seats with Shelby logos, alcantara and leather trim, with an aluminium shifter for the manual version. Each car is individually numbered on decals in the cabin.

With all the changes, the weight was 4,004 pounds (1,816 kg) - just 116 pounds (53 kg) more than the standard Dark Horse.

The Super Snake-R 2026 has a starting price of $225,995, including the cost of a donor Mustang Dark Horse. Not cheap, but still less than the $325,000 Ford Mustang GTD.

Source: Shelby American