Is there a market for a road course-focused, widebody version of Shelby American’s vaunted Super Snake? That’s just what the company seeks to find out with its Shelby Super Snake widebody concept car — its first concept in 10 years — that uses its wider track to make room for more grip and more braking.

“Shelby American has been pushing the performance envelope since 1962,” Joe Conway, Co-CEO of Carroll Shelby International and CEO of Shelby American, said. “The success of our 50th Anniversary Shelby Super Snake, Shelby F-150 and Shelby Cobra programs have fueled a desire to stretch our team in new ways. The widebody Shelby Super Snake concept vehicle is a glimpse at our next-generation, track-focused car, as well as a demonstration of Shelby American’s vitality.”

Obviously, the Lightning Blue widebody concept is based on the 50th Anniversary Shelby Super Snake, so it features a host of performance upgrades under its widened skin, including a Ford Performance supercharger atop its 5.0-liter V8 engine.

“Shelby American’s widebody option for the previous generation Super Snake was very popular because it put more rubber under the car to improve traction for drag racing,” said Gary Patterson, Shelby American President. “The current Shelby Super Snake emphasizes handling much more than the last model, which required a new approach with this concept. Instead of being optimized for straight-line performance, the Super Snake widebody concept provides more grip on all four corners. It was designed to give drivers a serious competitive edge on the road course.”

Of course, the widebody concept takes the Super Snake deeper into the corners thanks to an adjustable coilover suspension, bigger brakes, hardened wheel studs, stronger spindles and hubs, as well as a more aggressive wheel and tire package.

“Adding approximately 4 inches to the car’s rear track and 2 1/2 to the front, opened up new opportunities to maximize handling,” Vince LaViolette, Shelby American Vice President of Operations and Chief Test Driver, said. “The fully adjustable coilover suspension and the enormous Brembo braking system, along with wider wheels and tires significantly change the car’s driving dynamics. This provides more grip for later braking and earlier acceleration out of corners. It will deliver more communication to the driver and better absorb track imperfections. The widebody Super Snake concept is every road racer’s dream.”

You can get your first in-person look at this widebody concept at the 5th Annual Carroll Shelby Tribute and Car Show on May 20, 2017 alongside the recently announced Shelby F-150 Super Snake muscle truck.

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