8 Shelby Vehicles With The Most Horsepower

When Carroll Shelby founded his automotive manufacturing company — Shelby American — in 1962, he had one goal in mind: to build the fastest cars ever made. Not only that, but Shelby, who was a racer himself, wanted to use engines that were simpler than the European motors used by Ferrari, Jaguar, and other racing manufacturers. With an engine like an American V8, Shelby surmised cars could be incredibly fast while still being able to be maintained and repaired at typical garages and dealerships, making them much more practical to own.

Shelby paired with Ford, and its line of Cobras soon began beating Chevrolet Corvettes and other vehicles in prestigious races. Shelby even beat Ferrari at the World Manufacturers' GT Championship in 1965, and to this day is still the only American company to ever pull this off. Even after Shelby's death, Shelby American has lived up to his legacy by manufacturing fast and powerful vehicles. When Shelby American unveils a new car, it immediately grabs the attention of the industry and auto enthusiasts alike.

The company, like many others, has its eyes toward the future and has already designed an all-electric model — the Shelby Mustang Mach-E GT. For now, however, the most powerful cars made by Shelby America still use traditional internal combustion engines under the hood. Here are eight Shelby vehicles that can claim to have more horsepower than the rest — the cream of an already impressive crop.

The naturally aspirated trim of the 2018-2023 Shelby GT is capable of 460 horsepower, but when an improved exhaust and optional supercharger is added, that number jumps to 750 horsepower. Along with the supercharger, there are lots of other optional features that make the 2018-2023 Shelby GT one of the more customizable packages available from Shelby American. This includes a Shelby by Brembo extreme brake package that comes with front and rear rotors with six pistons in the front and four in the rear.

Also optional is a Shelby Wide Body package and rear seat delete with harness bar, as well as Shelby by Penske track suspension and an upgrade to the suspension system. A heavy-duty package adds other optional features like a black finish coolant tank, hardened wheel studs, extreme radiator, and performance half-shafts. You can also customize the Mustang with some nifty painted stripes — including buried side stripes. If you want to upgrade your Mustang GT with the 2018-23 Shelby GT package, the price starts at $28,995.

The 2018-2023 Shelby GT package boosts the performance of the Mustang with its deep draw hood and hood vents, Shelby by Borla cat-back exhaust, caster camber plates, and staggered 20-inch Shelby spec wheels paired with Shelby spec performance tires. The Shelby GT also comes with the manufacturer's patented leather seat recovers, upper grille, billet aluminum fluid caps, side rockers, and rocker wings. Also included are a rear spoiler, tail light panel, Le Mans style striping, vinyl stripes on the driver and passenger sides, embroidered floor mats, door sill plates, a CSM-numbered dash plaque and engine plate, and various emblems and badging. All in all, the 2018-2023 Shelby GT package makes this Shelby Mustang one of the brand's most stylish — in addition to most powerful.

Both the 2024 Shelby F-150 and the 2024 Shelby F-150 Super Snake can achieve 785 horsepower on 93-octane fuel with the optional supercharger system engineered by Shelby. This system includes a supercharger and intake manifold that's powder coated in Ford Racing blue, a performance aluminum heat exchanger, performance air intake with high flow filter, carbon fiber air intake tube, high flow fuel injectors, and a billet throttle body. (If you're wondering what the standard Shelby F-150 Super Snake can deliver without the optional supercharger, it's 400 horsepower, which isn't terrible.)

The Shelby F-150 Super Snake is based on the Lariat 4x4 trim and runs on a V8 engine. Performance is improved with Shelby by Borla exhaust, polished SST dual exhaust tips, and a premium heavy-duty Ridetech suspension system that uses Fox adjustable coilover shocks, upper control arms, rear traction bars, and a rear sway bar. The F-150 Super Snake is designed to look just as at home on populated streets as it is off-road, and sports fender flares, Shelby exterior striping and graphics, and Shelby exterior badging, including on the front grille. The front bumper has integrated air managed intake vents, as do the hood and front fender. The truck comes with 22-inch Shelby alloy wheels and performance spec tires.

The interior of the F-150 Super Snake feels like that of a luxury vehicle, thanks in part to its two-tone leather recovers, embroidered floor mats, billet racing pedals, and deep tinted windows. The truck also comes with a carbon fiber aesthetic interior trim kit, Super Snake badged console lid, and CSM-numbered dash plaque and engine plate. The 2024 Shelby F-150 Super Snake starts at $138,495.

Along with the Cobra, the GT500 is one of the cars that defined Carroll Shelby's legacy. That's exactly why the manufacturer put so much thought and care into the Carroll Shelby Signature Edition (SE) of the GT500 and ensured that the GT500SE would be one of its most powerful vehicles ever. Coolers and a new pulley are used to modify the 5.2-liter V8 engine of the GT500, which allows the Signature Edition to produce over 800 horsepower on 93 octane gas.

Other changes include a lightweight, vented dry carbon fiber hood that reduces the weight of the car by 30 pounds and the addition of track-inspired springs for an improved suspension system. The GT500SE sits atop durable and lightweight one-piece forged aluminum Monoblock wheels (20x11-inch in the front and 20x11.5-inch in the rear) paired with performance spec tires. The vehicle also comes with billet engine caps and leather seat recovers in the interior.

A high volume-flow supercharger intercooler and heat exchanger are both offered as standard, while a Shelby by Whipple supercharger system is optional. This includes a 3.8-liter black supercharger and performance half shafts. Other optional features include a black aluminum coolant tank, harness bar with rear seat delete, Shelby wide body, Shelby by Borla cat-back exhaust system with chrome tips, and painted stripes for additional flair.

Upgrading a GT500 with the SE package starts at $29,995, with part of the proceeds going to the Carroll Shelby Foundation. That price also includes membership in Team Shelby, a club established by Carroll Shelby himself in 2008. Shelby American only sells 100 of these packages per model year.

When paired with a state-of-the-art forced induction 3L Whipple supercharger, the Gen 4 Ford Coyote 5.0 motor at the heart of the 2024 Shelby Super Snake can deliver a whopping 830+ horsepower. On top of that, you can expect incredible speeds from the Mustang thanks to air management and cooling designs incorporated into the build of the vehicle. That includes the use of carbon fiber to bring down weight, as well as lightweight magnesium alloy wheels that boost its responsiveness and agility.

Shelby American spent a decade and a half developing these state-of-the-art wheels, which meet both OEM and racing specifications and have a 1 to 5 strength-to-weight ratio. Shelby says the Super Snake's magnesium wheels were engineered to reduce vehicle mass by 36.75 pounds (that's roughly nine pounds per corner) to bring down rotational mass by 180 pounds. In layman's terms, that improves the car's cornering, shortens its brake distance, and allows it to accelerate faster. The effort Shelby put into the wheels alone has paid off in dividends, as the proprietary alloy used by the manufacturer also reduces vibrations for a smoother ride, and the material is exceptional at dissipating heat, which optimizes performance across all driving conditions. They also just look freaking cool, which is important to most Mustang owners.

Speaking of looking cool, the Super Snake is available in six different color options in both coupe and convertible models, including Shadow Black and Race Red. There are also four unique stripe colors available, like white or Velocity Blue, which can be paired with any of the six exterior colors for a wide range of different patterns. Its max horsepower isn't the only high number the Mustang boasts — the 2024 Shelby Super Snake starts at $159,995.

Shelby American first produced a GT500KR in 1968, and that original model is still one of the most beloved Mustangs ever made. The "KR" in the name stands for "King of the Road" — a moniker that Carroll Shelby himself bestowed upon the vehicle. It's a fitting title, as the 2020-22 Shelby GT500KR — which was unveiled as part of the manufacturer's 60th anniversary celebrations — is one of the most powerful Shelbys available.

Using a 5.2-liter V8 engine combined with a 3.8-liter Whipple supercharger developed for the GT500 platform, the 2020-22 Shelby GT500KR can produce 900 horsepower using 93-octane fuel (91 octane is required at a minimum). The twin screw supercharger uses an updated pulley system, dual core dual pass intercooler, large throttle body, and cold air intake to help add as many ponies as possible.

While what's under the hood is notably impressive, the hood of the 2020-22 Shelby GT500KR is also a sight to be seen. Made with lightweight dry carbon fiber, it's meant to not just look good but to also help keep the supercharged engine cool. Vents are applied liberally to the hood, including side vents that are strategically placed to remove heat from the exhaust manifold. The vents even include removable rain trays for improved water management. The lightweight one-piece 6061-T6 forged aluminum wheels also make the Shelby GT500KR really pop and come in either a brushed aluminum or gloss black finish. The Shelby GT500KR package starts at $54,995.

Shelby American has become synonymous with high-performance Mustangs, but as we saw earlier, the manufacturer has also made some incredible Ford F-150 trucks. In fact, the 2024 Shelby American Baja Raptor is one of the most powerful Shelbys ever made. The standard EcoBoost Raptor package is no slouch — it uses a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 that can produce up to 550 horsepower, but it's the optional 5.2-liter Supercharged V8 in the Raptor R package that really sings. With the ability to deliver 900+ horsepower, it's Shelby's most refined performance truck ever made.

Tires are just as important to off-road trucks as what's under the hood, and Shelby kept this in mind when designing the 2024 Shelby American Baja Raptor. It comes with six 37-inch BFG KM3 Mud Terrain tires, with two of the tires mounted to the truck bed's chase rack for convenient accessibility. The 18-inch Shelby Raptor Flow wheels are aluminum forged. The truck is also equipped with Shelby by BDS suspension lift.

This truck was meant to get down and dirty in rugged terrain, but it still sports a ton of class and style, including a custom grille insert with LED lights, billet racing pedals, serialized dash and engine plaques, and full leather seat recovers with red accents. The hood of the Baja Raptor also has intake and extraction vents, and power running boards with rock guards and entry lights run along the sides. Both the front and rear bumpers are steel and flat black, as is the bed chase rack system, which comes with side panels and a 50-inch power-actuated up-down LED light bar. It's no wonder the 2024 Shelby EcoBoost Raptor package starts at $61,995, with that cost going up if you opt for the exceptionally powerful Shelby Raptor R package with supercharger.

While not quite at the top of the list, the 2011-2014 Shelby 1000 S/C is still a cut above every other Shelby vehicles with its 1,200-horsepower engine, which is 100 more ponies than Shelby originally promised when it announced the vehicle. At the time, it was the fastest vehicle Shelby had ever made.

The Shelby 1000 package is available to 2011-2014 Shelby GT500 and Super Snake owners and starts at $154,995. That high cost will get you a premium engine and vehicle built using forged pistons, ported DOHC cylinder heads, titanium valve springs, Shelby-Borla 3-inch exhaust pipes, and a 3.6L Kenne Bell supercharger equipped with a 4.5-inch air inlet whose throttle body allows for 1,850 cfm of airflow. The engine is also supported with 72 lb-hr injectors.

The flywheel is built with lightweight aluminum and mounted to a smooth action twin-disc clutch, while the chassis of the Shelby 1000 is fortified with driveshaft tunnel braces and billet-aluminum supports. A car this fast is going to need a suspension to match its speeds, unless you want to get vibrated into oblivion while behind the wheel. Fortunately, Shelby delivers with upgrades to its rear suspension as well as high performance tires. Drivers will also find comfort thanks to the interior leather seats that come with the vehicle.

Currently, the most powerful Shelby vehicle ever made is the Mustang Shelby GT500 Code Red. With its 5.2-liter V8 engine, it can generate up to 1,300 horsepower — which is significantly more than even the second most powerful car on this list. The Code Red achieves such high performance thanks in part to its intercooled premium twin turbo system, top-of-the line components, and advanced fuel and engine management systems, among other state-of-the-art designs. 

In addition to its jaw-dropping max horsepower, the Code Red can produce 1,000 ft-lb of torque on E85 Ethanol. When using 93-octane pump gas, it still blows nearly every other vehicle out of the water and can deliver over 1,000 horsepower and 780 ft-lb of torque. Features include stainless steel turbo downpipes, a three-inch stainless active exhaust, one-piece 6061-T6 forged aluminum wheels, 305/30/20 tires in the front, and 335/30/20 tires in the rear. With parts like these, the Code Red is capable of covering a quarter mile in 8.59 seconds at 161 mph.

If you're wondering how such a powerful car can even be street legal, the answer is that, well, it can't — the Mustang Shelby GT500 Code Red is not street legal. However, there is still plenty of fun to be had with the vehicle on the track — if you can afford it. The hand-built Code Red package starts at the not inconsiderable price of $224,995, which doesn't even include the base GT500. Only 10 packages per model year from 2020-2022 were put up for sale. In addition, it's the first time Shelby American has offered a twin turbo limited-edition car or turned an experimental car into a limited-edition model, which adds to its exclusivity.