2021 Shelby F-250 Super Baja: Almost the Super Duty Raptor You’ve Been Waiting For
It has a fully custom lift, 37-inch BFGoodrich tires, and plenty of torque.
A full-size, more than 450-horsepower pickup truck that's almost as comfortable soaring with the birds as it is on land may scream gratuity, but there are still some people for whom a 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor isn't enough. Some demand more lift, more torque, more everything than Ford's bean counters can justify, though of course, Shelby American is perfectly comfortable in that territory. So, if you're the type whose Raptor needs the Super Duty suffix, look only to Shelby, whose F-250 Super Baja is a three-quarter-tonner that'll leap like a Raptor and tow like a freight train.
Shelby's latest creation is based on the 2021 Ford F-250 Super Duty Lariat 4x4, and as such utilizes Ford's 6.7-liter Power Stroke turbodiesel. Breathing through functional ram air and extraction vents, this V8 generates 475 horsepower and 1,050 pound-feet of torque, which a 10-speed automatic sends out to all four wheels. Each wheel itself is an 18-inch alloy wrapped in a 37-inch BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 tire, two of which a steel chase rack in the bed houses as spares.
To accommodate these Raptor-worthy tires, the Super Baja rides on a purpose-built, long-travel BDS Suspension lift. Up front, this is comprised of custom radius arms, dual steering stabilizers, and adjustable Fox coilovers, while Factory Race adjustable shocks with piggyback reservoirs do the job out back. Naturally, the Super Baja is loaded with other off-road accouterments, like twin LED light bars, power-retractable running boards, and powder-coated steel bumpers complete with tow anchors.
Mechanically, it's the real deal, though it wouldn't be no Shelby if it weren't also bright with cosmetic touches. Behind its badges, stripes, and window tint are leather seat covers, gauges with stainless steel faces, carbon fiber accents, billet pedals, and floor mats embroidered with Shelby Super Baja motifs. And like any real Shelby, it has a dash plaque complete with its CSM serial number.
Theoretically amounting to a bigger Raptor, the Shelby Super Baja is priced accordingly with an MSRP starting at $125,805—though that mercifully includes the donor truck. Available for 2021 only, no more than 250 Shelby Super Bajas will be built, and all will be sold through Ford and Tuscany Motor Co. dealers or Shelby's official site. Ford's powertrain warranty remains intact, and Shelby promises a three-year, 36,000-mile warranty of its own, so if something as unfortunate as a transmission failure befalls you, your truck will be in good hands.
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