Shelby unveils its Ford F-150 Baja Raptor R as a 745kW dune-basher

Shelby recently unveiled its latest take on the Ford F-150 Raptor line-up, which it’s calling the ‘Baja’ range. 

As already some of the most capable full-size trucks in terms of off-road ability, Shelby has turned its attention to the performance of these machines. 

The entry point to this Baja range is the standard F-150 Raptor, which gets a bunch of upgrades to its twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6 to produce 413kW. 

Not content with a sub-1,000hp truck, Shelby also turned the F-150 Raptor R up to eleven, pushing its supercharged 5.2-litre V8 to 745kW. 

With a 3.8-litre supercharger sitting on it, Shelby is calling this iteration of Ford’s V8 the ‘Predator’ engine. 

And while the 745kW number has been thrown out, Shelby states that the true number is “well over 1,000 horsepower”.

Aside from these performance modifications, the exterior aesthetic of the Raptors have also been updated with a bunch of off-road accessories. 

There are 18-inch wheels wrapped in 37-inch all-terrain tyres, and a lift kit has been added to assist with off-road ability. 

There’s also deployable running boards, a plethora of LED lights, new fender flares, and a steel front bumper. 

As Shelby operates within Ford’s ecosystem, all these upgrades are still supported by Ford’s three-year warranty. 

Though right-hand drive availability remains a mystery, Shelby has a presence in New Zealand, so it wouldn’t be out of the question to see at least one appear on Kiwi roads.