At its headquarters in Southern California, performance vehicle manufacturer Shelby American took the wraps off its two latest projects: a wide-body Mustang concept and (more pertinent to our interests) a 2017 Shelby F-150 Super Snake.
Though Shelby is better known for its work on Mustangs, it does get its hands dirty with pickup trucks from time to time. In 2016, Shelby introduced an off-road-oriented version of the Ford F-150 and it also offered a package for 2010-2014 Ford Raptors. But the Super Snake opts for a different focus than those rigs: street performance.
During the presentation, the name Lightning was invoked more than once and the comparison seems apt looking at the spec sheet. Shelby went to town on Ford's 5.0-liter V-8, adding a supercharger, an open-air performance intake, a carbon-fiber intake tube, a heat exchanger and new fuel injectors. These modifications bump the engine's output to upward of 750 horsepower. Bear in mind that Shelby will only install the super charger on a post title sale, but it does offer a three-year/36,000-mile warranty.
Shelby also added a Borla exhaust and dual exhaust tips. For better street performance, the F-150 Super Snake rides on a lowered, Shelby-customized suspension and 22-inch chrome retro wheels wrapped in 305/45/22 Toyo Proxes ST II tires.
It wouldn't be a proper Shelby without exterior flourishes and there are many here. In addition to those wheels — which make quite an impression — wide, white racing strips run vertically from the front bumper down the liftgate and over the painted tonneau cover. A honeycomb racing grille with a large Super Snake badge lead the way up front, while the dual-intake ram-air Shelby hood and extra bodywork down the sides makes the whole package look more aggressive. And in case all of that wasn't enough, I counted six Shelby logos around the exterior of the truck.
Inside the customization is more subtle: Additions include Super Snake embroidered into both front head restraints, a large snake badge plopped onto the center storage bin, a dash plaque with the serial number and floormats with logos.
The F-150 Super Snake will only be offered in SuperCrew configuration, in both two-wheel and four-wheel drive. And if you want one, you'll have to act fast. Shelby says that only 150 of these will be made, with a price tag of $96,880 (not including destination charges). The reason for the limited run is that Ford will be coming out with an updated 2018 F-150, adding the 10-speed automatic transmission among other features. So, stay tuned for more pickup truck goodness from Shelby next year as well.
Cars.com photos by Brian Wong
