Shelby unveils 2026 Super Snake R

Ford unveils the 2026 Shelby Super Snake R with more horsepower than the donor GTD and a lower price tag.

2026 Shelby Super Snake R Delivers More HP for 100k Less

Ford has revealed the 2026 Shelby Super Snake R at Monterey Car Week, pairing a Gen 4 Coyote 5.0-liter V8 with a 3.0-liter Whipple supercharger to push over 850 horsepower. It sits as the third most powerful Shelby in the current lineup, behind the 1000 S/C and the 2022 GT500KR, and targets track-focused performance rather than pure road speed.

Priced at 224,995, the Super Snake R undercuts the Mustang GTD by about 100,000 while offering a similar level of performance. The main contrast with the GTD is that the Super Snake R emphasizes circuit dynamics—acceleration handling and braking on a track—versus the GTD’s emphasis on top speed and straight-line pursuit. The reveal during Monterey Car Week helps place Shelby’s latest halo car in a crowded field of high-end sports releases from brands like Lamborghini and Bugatti.

This move signals a strategy that blends extreme power with relative affordability inside a price tier that still sits well above the average sports car. Shelby appears to be courting buyers who want serious track capability without paying the highest price in the family. If successful, the Super Snake R could shift perceptions of what a ‘street-legal race car’ should cost and redefine value in the Shelby brand.

However, the price point remains steep for many buyers, and market demand for track-focused machines can swing with interest rates, incentives, and the health of the used-performance market. The success of this approach will depend on supply discipline, dealer pricing, and how buyers weigh horsepower against ongoing ownership costs.

Highlights

Time will tell if speed and savings can coexist in Shelby’s lineup.