The German tuners with manufacturer status are a shadow of what they were. Fortunately, someone continues to bravely resist.
Alpina, Brabus, Ruf: all special companies that have their own factory status. In principle they do the same: they take a normal car of 'their' brand (John Deere is my brand) and improve them. The end result is so different that the car receives its own type approval. The tuners in question are hardly tuners anymore, but a manufacturer in their own way. With an Alpina B5, the registration certificate does not say 'Sjaken 5 Series with cold sore bumper and Sjonnie striping', but actually 'Alpina B5'.
But then again, Ruf hasn't made a new type of car for years. They only do restomods now. Alpina has been sold to BMW and will probably be promoted/demoted to some kind of Maybach-esque equipment level. Yes, luckily we still have Brabus, although they have also stopped putting twelve-cylinders in E-Classes.
Shelby Super Snake
No, companies like Alpina, Brabus and Ruf are a shadow of what they used to be. Luckily we have Shelby American yet. Shelby is also its own manufacturer that makes its own products. They do this based on Fords (not always the case, by the way!). Naturally, the Mustang is their favorite subject. Now you're thinking: you can buy a Shelby GT350 or Shelby GT500 from the dealer, right? Yep, that's right, those are just Ford Performance products with the Shelby name on them. A real Shelby from Shelby American has the name Shelby in front of it. Bright?
This is their latest product, the Shelby Super Snake. He looks brutal, doesn't he? Of course it is typically American with that striping. But it's not just that, there's a bit of finesse behind it too. Check out those wheels: they are. forged Magnesium pattas. They are 4 kilograms lighter than regular aluminum wheels of this size (20 inches). In any case, Shelby wanted the Super Snake to have better handling than ever. That is why the complete chassis has been adjusted. Shelby promises a much sharper and direct 'turn in'. So less understeer and more control. That sounds very un-American (if you still live in the stigma of those 70's sloops from the US of course).
Also with manual transmission!
If you go for the manual gearbox (and of course you do, why would you order a Mustang automatic?) then you will also get a new gear shift mechanism with shorter shift paths and a different drive shaft. For lower weight, the screens are made of carbon fiber and the hood is made of aluminum. You can also recognize the Shelby Super Snake by its unique grille, side skirts and enormous spoiler. At least, you only get the latter if you choose the coupe. People also seem to be asking about the convertible version and it gets a small ducktail spoiler.
Then the engine. you can get the Shelby Super Snake with two power levels: standard or a whole bunch. By default they don't touch the engine, they just put Borla exhaust underneath so the super hose sounds better. If you want the performance to match the appearance, you can order the Whipple Supercharger. Then the power increases from 480 hp to 830 hp! And the great thing is, you get a 3-year warranty. According to Ford, the adjustments are so good that they do not see the car as a tuned car.
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This article Alpina, Brabus and Ruf can pack up first appeared on Autoblog.nl.
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