This is The Speed Phenom, and yes, he not only owns a GT500 Super Snake, but he also owns a GT350R. I’m sure your first reaction is that he looks very young to be in possession of two extraordinary Shelby Mustangs, but after listening to him, he sounds like a man that’s been shifting gears for a very long time. My opinion is: he’s older than he looks—but not by much; something I can relate to since I don’t look my age either.
To be honest, I don’t know that much about him since I only discovered him on YouTube just recently, but he knows his stuff (he even got the ’67 Super Snake info correct!)! The Speed Phenom is the real deal, for sure. From what I can gather, he has an extensive racing career, so he’s no stranger to going fast and taking a car to its limits.
Back to the Super Snake; it’s a 2014 GT500 2014 Shelby Signature Edition Super Snake—1 of 50. Even before the Super Snake conversion, the 5.8L DOHC Trinity V8 uses an Eaton TVS 2.3L blower that makes a stunning 662hp. The conversion swaps in the Kenne-Bell water-cooled 3.2L blower, and with other mods (including Shelby headers, exhaust, and smaller blower pulley), brings the horsepower up to a whopping 1000. The suspension and brakes were also upgraded to match.
After a look at the hardware, he takes his pristine Snake on the road and gives it a very objective review. You’re really immersed into the entire experience created by the Shelby, and how the car can literally take you back to the originals. It’s actually very interesting to see how different the two Shelbys are—much like the originals back in the ‘60s. The GT350 was always the more refined road car that’s more at home on the road course, while the GT500 was the brutish big brother, more at home on the drag strip.
Image courtesy of The Speed PhenomWe can definitely appreciate The Speed Phenom. Not only does he love his Shelbys, he drives the hell out of them, and that’s what they were built forthem, and that’s what they were built for.
Living in Richmond, Tx, PJ Rentie has been in the automotive industry for more than 30 years. This former Assistant Editor at Vette Magazine also spent time with companies like NOS, Edelbrock, Hillbank Motorsports, Classic Industries, and was an automotive instructor for Cypress College for ten years. In his spare time, PJ hopes to one day bring his Fox Body Mustang out of the back yard and back onto the street!
