Daily Slideshow: Beastly Shelby Baja 700 at R&S Newport Beach Auction

Ford’s flashiest four-by F-150 becomes but a building block

Way back in 2011, Ford rolled out the $45k-and-change SVT Raptor, the silliest—and “sickest”—factory-built F-150 the world had ever seen. Between then and 2014 it was powered by a 6.2-liter naturally-aspirated V8 that put out 411 horsepower and 434 pound-feet of torque. That—oddly enough—was the tamest bit. For the Raptor, Ford got its full Trophy Truck on and built a seriously-revamped and jacked-up rig that looked—and drove—like a base Baja 1000 contender right out of the box. A beast, yes, and yet… it took tuners all of 30 seconds until they worked out how to turn even the Raptor’s absurd performance level up past 11.

“To call [it] a ‘Raptor’ is like calling the SR-71 a jet”

In addition to Shelby, others produced their own super-Raptors, with slapping on a supercharger usually Step #1. In Shelby’s case, that supercharger was a 2.9-liter intercooled Whipple unit— which when paired with their Shelby/Borla exhaust system—produced 575 ponies. Other bits and bobs were included in the package which added almost $18k (before options) to your self-supplied Raptor’s MSRP. But, because too much is never enough for Shelby, for their “ultimate” Raptor—through the magic of a new supercharger, throttle body, injectors, heat exchanger, Borla exhaust system, and more—they literally boosted that horsepower figure up to “over 700”. [How? Only you and your dyno will ever know!] 

>>Join the conversation about the Shelby Baja 700 right here in the Ford-Trucks forum.

Speaking of too much not being enough…

Not to pick on the Raptor, but it’s utterly ridiculous. If you don’t work for the Forest Service, Customs, and Border Protection, or the like in the world’s trackless hinterlands, it represents a big investment in gear you won’t need. But that's part of its charm. So, while you’re at it, why not double-down on the Shelby Raptor’s already-augmented suspension bits with the Baja 700's “upgraded competition suspension” including “reworked three-inch King coil overs and bypass rear shocks,” Rogue Racing upper and lower control arms, and “Baja-proven” BFGoodrich off-road tires on 18-inch Custom Fuel matte-black wheels? I mean, you could buy that same stuff from Shelby without going for the full 45-grand-adding Baja 700 package, but just check out what else you'd be missing...

>>Join the conversation about the Shelby Baja 700 right here in the Ford-Trucks forum.

Dressing the part, inside and out

As everyone knows, it’s not a Shelby if it doesn’t have stripes. So the Baja 700 gets a whole package of them, plus model-specific badging on the tailgate and front doors. Inside you’ll find a Katzkin custom interior, Shelby Baja 700 floor mats, and a Shelby three-gauge pod mounted atop the dash. Available options include Rogue Racing front and rear bumpers with Shelby logos, three sets of Rogue LED lamps, AMP electric side steps, the snazzy bed-mounted “roll bar” shown, and dozens more. R&S says their offering “has every option picked/installed” including “rare option (American Racing Headers)”. This is a BOLD claim considering the sheer amount of gear Shelby offers Baja 700 buyers, and one this writer can't confirm. There is no question, however, that you'll be able to verify that it's the real deal, as it comes with a unique Shelby number—found on special dash and engine plates—you can check against the official Shelby Registry.

>>Join the conversation about the Shelby Baja 700 right here in the Ford-Trucks forum.

Sold on it yet? R&S hopes at least two of you are

The silver Baja 700 you see before you is Lot 4006 on R&S’s Newport Beach, Calif., auction docket, to be sold June 8-10, 2018. According to the auction company, it is “Baja is #6 [of 50 built] and 1 out of 4 built by Shelby Canada West,” and is an “Extremely capable off-road machine, with extreme rarity. Numbered, and documented real Shelby Build for lucky few.” All of that is true, but just as an FYI, when I asked Shelby for comment on that, they responded, "We can build this package on any 2011-2014 Ford Raptor, regardless of options. A customer can still get this package today." This is due to some of the 50 planned Baja 700s being unbuilt as-yet, so if you want one kitted out differently than R&S', you can. Regardless, in either case, act fast. This kind of wonderful-crazy doesn't come around very often, and when it does, it's not for long...

>>Join the conversation about the Shelby Baja 700 right here in the Ford-Trucks forum.

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