The new Ford Mustang GTD is far from a one-trick pony. Sure, it has a supercharged 5.2-liter V8 making 815 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque, but it also runs an eight-speed dual-clutch transaxle, semi-active pushrod suspension, an F1-inspired drag reduction system, magnesium wheels, carbon ceramic brakes… You get the picture. Pricing, if you have to ask, starts at $325,000 and goes way up from there.
But let’s say you didn’t care about most of that stuff. Maybe what you really want is more power and some other upgrades that aren’t quite as impressive as the road-going GT3 race car’s, but still mighty capable. I’d guess that the 2026 Shelby Super Snake R is the car for you, with its 850 hp and a starting price of $224,995—almost exactly $100,000 less than the Mustang GTD.
The Super Snake R is more than suited for track use, to be clear. It’s based on the Mustang Dark Horse and adds fully adjustable coilover suspension plus caster camber plates, front and rear sway bars, two-piece slotted brake rotors, and a widebody aero kit. It’s clearly a huge leap from a regular Mustang, both in terms of price and performance.
All that power comes from a supercharged variant of the Mustang Dark Horse’s 5.0-liter Coyote V8. And unlike the GTD, you can still get a Super Snake R with a six-speed Tremec manual transmission. If you’d rather not shift your own gears, then the 10-speed automatic is also on offer.
With the widebody, additional aero, and supercharger kit, the Super Snake R weighs 4,004 pounds. That might sound like a lot if you’re used to lightweight European sports cars or high-end exotics, but it’s only 116 pounds more than a standard Dark Horse. You aren’t likely to feel that weight increase at all since it makes 350 more hp than the stock Ford.
Finally, in the usual Shelby fashion, there are plenty of placards and special badging to indicate how special the Super Snake R is. I’m personally not crazy about those, but if you’re spending Lamborghini money on a Mustang, you probably want people to know it’s something more than standard issue. There’s also plenty of Alcantara, leather, and billet aluminum inside to help make your case.
This isn’t a true Mustang GTD rival, and Shelby American doesn’t market it as such. There’s no replicating a full factory effort like that, even when you have the history and know-how that Shelby does. But for those folks wanting more power out of a car that’s almost definitely faster than they’ll ever be as a driver, it scratches the itch just fine.
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From running point on new car launch coverage to editing long-form features and reviews, Caleb does some of everything at The Drive. And he really, really loves trucks.
