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In less than 20 years, Ford’s Lightning nameplate has gone from denoting one of the quickest factory-built pickup trucks on the market to designating an EV. Shelby can’t use the badge, but it released an evolution of the 14th-generation F-150 named Super Snake that picks up where the last V8-powered Lightning left off in 2004.
Shelby makes the F-150 Super Snake available in several flavors. It’s offered with two or four doors, and with an engine that’s either naturally-aspirated or supercharged. In its standard configuration, the 5.0-liter Coyote V8 delivers 395 horsepower. Adding a supercharger increases that figure to 775, which is immense even for a relatively heavy pickup. Also found in Shelby’s off-roaders, the eight-cylinder inhales through a high-flow air filter, receives gasoline via a set of high-flow fuel injectors, and exhales through a Borla exhaust system with polished tips.
Adjustable shocks and six-piston front brake calipers help keep the power in check. As a result, Shelby quotes a zero-to-60-mph time of 3.45 seconds for the supercharged two-door Sport model. What’s significantly more impressive is that the truck takes merely 8.3 seconds to go from zero to 100 mph and back down to a full stop.
“The rumble and whine of the supercharged engine is a symphony of aural mechanical beauty,” said Shelby Vice President Vince LaViolette. But truck is also loud in another sense of the word: Shelby redesigned the exterior by adding a front splitter, a specific grille with its name written in big letters, a vented hood, and a tonneau cover. Racing stripes are available at an extra cost. Inside, you’ll find billet emblems and carbon fiber trim.
Shelby will build 300 units of the four-door Super Snake and 300 more of the two-door model for 2021. Enthusiasts who want to get their hands on one can order their truck through participating Ford dealers across the United States. Pricing starts at $90,790 for a naturally-aspirated two-door model, a figure that includes the cost of a donor 2021 F-150 XLT 4×4, while the 775-horsepower version starts at $98,690; that’s about $127 per horsepower.
Ford isn’t building a high-performance street truck; it’s directing buyers who want a pickup with supercar-like power to the upcoming V8-powered version of the Raptor. But it gave the Super Snake its blessing. Each example built will be added to the Shelby registry, and it will come with a three-year, 36,000-mile warranty that includes the drivetrain.