After the amount of press Mr. Hennessey has been getting with his modified Camaros, we figured it was time to post a ridiculous GT500 tune: the 725 horse Shelby Super Snake.
Starting with a GT500 Coupe, Shelby engineers strap a new supercharger onto the 5.4-liter V8 that brings output to 725 whopping horsepower. The Super Snake also includes an upgraded intercooling system, cold-air intake and a high-flow JBA exhaust system. The company also offers a much more modest (respectively) 630 hp version with a Borla cat-back unit.
A racing suspension with adjustable dampers, stiffer springs and thicker antiroll bars work with the 20-inch Alcoa wheels to improve handling and give the 'Stang a new stance. Baer six-piston calipers with cross drilled and ventilated discs provide stopping power.
Shelby outfitted the exterior with a new hood with an oversized scoop, racing stripes, rear-quarter window scoops and carbon-fiber side skirts and front lip.
Pricing starts at $29,495 for the 630 hp model and goes up to $33,495 for the 725 hp kit. The first cars will be built this August. Go here for more info.
With John Hennessey recently upping the power ante with his LS9-powered Camaro, the question remains - would you rather have a GT500 Super Snake or a 638 horsepower LS9 Camaro?
Make the jump for more pics...
caheew says:
12:25 PM, 06/26/09
I would rather have the GT500 Super Snake.
slickersdrip says:
12:35 PM, 06/26/09
Super Snake. I don't want anything to do with Hennessey.
slickersdrip says:
12:38 PM, 06/26/09
Super Snake. I don't want anything to do with Hennessey.
mikedrud says:
01:51 PM, 06/26/09
That is a lot of machine.
DCuerpoJr says:
03:47 PM, 06/26/09
I'd stick with the regular Shelby GT500 and replace the live axle rear suspension. I think I might end up killing myself in a car with 725 horse power on a public road. I wouldn't doubt that the Super Snake can go past 60mph in 1st gear. Tap the throttle and you'd already start to spin out. Floor it and you'll smoke out and burst a tire or two.
That aside, I'll choose the Super Snake over the Hennessey Camaro when on a drag strip and even a race track.
DCuerpoJr says:
03:49 PM, 06/26/09
In addition, since the Super Snake pumps out 725HP shouldn't they change the model name to the Shelby GT725 Super Snake?
hondacura4 says:
06:48 PM, 06/26/09
Although the car is interesting, $29-35K for modifications is simply rediculous on top of the price of the car. Sure its fast but....I just dont see the value.
greenpony says:
05:02 AM, 06/27/09
hondacura, $85,000 for 725 hp sounds like a pretty good deal to me.
hondacura4 says:
06:49 AM, 06/27/09
"hondacura, $85,000 for 725 hp sounds like a pretty good deal to me."
Sure... if you're focusing purely on hp numbers alone instead of the package as a whole. In my eyes the base car (Mustang) just has too many compromises to bring it up to these power levels. IRS and finesse could do wonders for the Mustang.
I guess personal preference would be the deciding factor here as I agree with Soichiro Honda's quote: "the chassis should always be faster than the engine".
greenpony says:
07:46 AM, 06/27/09
What does Honda have that deserves $80k of my hard earned money, or $50k, or even $30k?
bankerdanny says:
12:31 PM, 06/27/09
Mustang, no question. Low tech rear axle aside, I much prefer the Mustang to the Camero.
DCuerpoJr says:
04:36 PM, 06/27/09
Greenpony, you misunderstood hondacura4's point. He's right, the chassis of a sports car should always be faster than the engine.
The Super Snake's engine produces 725HP, but they've done some modest upgrades to the car's suspension and stability. I didn't find anything in the Super Snake Kit that mentioned replacing the live axle rear suspension. Instead, they worked around it and kept the live axle intact. Which is a bad decision in my opinion.
Yes the car will burn through the 1/4 mile, but put the car on a race track and it won't be able to utilize all that power in the turns.
I'm willing to argue that the Corvette ZR1 and the dated Z06 will out perform the 2010 Shelby Super Snake on a track.
hondacura4 says:
06:18 AM, 06/28/09
"Greenpony, you misunderstood hondacura4's point. He's right, the chassis of a sports car should always be faster than the engine."
Yes DCCuerpro, Greenpony misunderstood what I stated.
My point is, even with 725hp (which is impressive), and the Shelby upgrades I just don't find this to be a balanced package. Sure its fast (when and if it attains traction) but it would seem that's the length of its talent. Same could be said for the regular 540hp GT500. Ford SERIOUSLY needs to better understand that you can produce a car with brute power while having a great responsive, precise, tactile, modern chassis and suspension. Example: ZR1
This car may appeal to a deep pocket hard core Mustang fan (I haven't seen many of those, and I know a TON of Mustang enthusiasts) but many of today's consumers are looking for a well balanced package and great all around performance for that price. I certainly wouldn't spend $80K on a "sports car" that had 1 dimensional performance capabilities.
To further validate that, the 2010 Camaro SS and the 2010 Mustang GT TP offer much better and different all around performance packages than any of their predecessors. That alone should tell anyone who knows anything about cars the "muscle car" segment has and needs to continue to evolve.
"What does Honda have that deserves $80k of my hard earned money, or $50k, or even $30k?"
Honda has only produced a few sports cars that were balanced all around packages, the NSX, the S2000 and the old S5/6 and S800. Unfortunately due to current economics and the fact that Honda is still hesitant to consistently update their sports car or take risks once and a while, us Honda enthusiasts are stuck with the Civic Si as our performance halo (quite embarrassing). However, that level of conservativeness has helped Honda stay healthier than most through this brutal storm. No compromise, no victory!
If I was going to spend $80k on a sports car the this Shelby or any Mustang wouldn't be on my list. The most impressive sports cars for $80K make much less power vs the 725hp SuperSnake however they offer better well balanced packages. The GTR or Z06 would get my $80K and after I spent that money my wife would file for divorce. That said, Ill keep my S2000 (add a GT35R turbo and supporting mods in the future) and keep my wife. =)
church123 says:
05:58 PM, 06/28/09
I find it interesting to note that slickersdrip is the only person to allude to the very shady past of Hennessey. Just do a google search on fraud and his name. Now, could he be a changed man these days? I guess. I never say anything is impossible. But would I risk my own money? Hell no.
On a tech note, how durable is the rear diff on the new Camaro? Independent rears, be they Corvette, Mustang Cobra, etc. are traditionally not as adept at handling big power. You can be pretty sure a Ford live rear axle will handle 800+ hp without regular breakage. I would have less confidence in the Camaro rear end. Might not be a problem, but I'd let someone else try and break it first :)