Ford’s 2013 Shelby GT500 already made 662 horsepower — Shelby American’s Super Snake package took that to as much as 850 with a supercharger upgrade, forged Wildwood brakes, and a reworked cooling system. Only 500 were built. We dig into the numbers behind the question this car practically dares you to ask: is 850 horsepower too much?
Ford’s factory GT500 already made 662 horsepower straight off the showroom floor in 2013 — enough to make most muscle car owners nervous. Shelby American looked at that number and decided it wasn’t nearly enough. Their answer involved a supercharger upgrade, a completely reworked cooling system, and brakes borrowed from cars that cost twice as much, all in the name of chasing a horsepower figure that sounds almost irresponsible on a car you could still buy with a factory warranty. Only 500 of these were ever built, and the question posed by that number — is 850 horsepower too much? — deserves an actual answer.
From 662 to 850 With One Supercharger Swap
The base 2013 GT500 already ran a supercharged 5.8-liter V8 rated at 662 horsepower and 631 lb-ft of torque, which was serious enough on its own. Shelby’s Super Snake package pushed that further with a choice of a Ford Racing/Shelby Whipple supercharger or an 850-horsepower Kenne Bell setup, paired with a 6-speed manual, a 3.31:1 rear axle (3.73:1 optional), and a short-throw shifter built to survive what the engine was about to put it through.
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Brakes and Cooling Built for the Extra Punishment
Putting down 850 horsepower reliably meant more than a bigger blower. Shelby fitted forged Shelby/Wildwood brakes — six-piston calipers up front, four-piston in the rear — with cross-drilled, vented rotors and dedicated front brake cooling ducts, plus a full Shelby Performance cooling package with a new radiator and heat exchanger. Wrapped in a unique fiberglass hood, satin black or gloss white Shelby stripes, and 20-inch spoked wheels, the Super Snake never let you forget what it was hiding. At $39,995 on top of a base GT500, and limited to 500 units for the model year, it wasn’t cheap or common — but nothing about 850 horsepower from the factory ever should be.
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