A 50th anniversary is always a big thing. It means you as a person has crossed the half-way mark of human existence and is on their way to things like pensions, grandkids and tax benefits. However, it’s a different story for cars as a 50th anniversary means your model has grown through five decades of technology, improvements and heritage.
This philosophy is none more famous than the souped-up Mustangs made by legendary Texan racer Carrol Shelby. The brains behind Ford’s Le Mans triple victory in the late 1960s, he put his mind to work on Ford’s Pony car and brought out the Shelby Super Snake. Originally built for Goodyear to help in tyre testing, this one-of-a-kind monster sported a massive 7.0-litre V8 producing at that time a massive 600bhp!
50 years on, this model is based on the latest sixth-generation Mustang and is powered by the American automaker’s famous supercharged 5.0-litre V8 mill that produces 670bhp which in that typical Yank way can be increased to 750bhp using a more powerful supercharger. It seems like this car was built in response to the Dodge Challenger Hellcat, it will do the 0-100kmph sprint in 3.5 seconds and then do the 400-metre sprint in 10.9 seconds.
The Standard Mustang is an incredible beast to look at and this one just takes the visual factor a notch higher. On the face of it, there is no grille while the entire body has been given a longitudinal giant stripe. There are massive black wheels (with red brake callipers) and of course the iconic Super Snake logo on the side. Included in the package is a rear spoiler and an underbody aero package. The cabin is standard Mustang fare but with Super Snake logos plastered all over.
Only 500 of these cars will be produced and if you have guessed by now, most would have been sold out to existing Mustang buyers or Ford enthusiasts. It has been priced at USD 69,995 (Rs 47 lakh). It has taken a long time for the Mustang to come to India and it may be a while before we get any speciality models of this sporty coupe.
