We sometimes wonder if the Ford Raptor owners hogging the roads these days realize their beasts have roots in desert-racing, trophy trucks working their asses off at the Baja 1000, showcasing true off-road chops.
Probably not.
One of the best examples we’ve seen is this insane Baja Raptor by Shelby. But this might just be outdone by the Raptor pre-runner pickup entirely built from the ground up by the team at Raceworks. This racer truck is an all-new Raptor, initially built in 2007 and redone for 2017 with upgraded everything from the inside out.
Powered by a brand new Danzio LS 402 engine putting down 564 hp and 520 lb. ft of torque, the 2017 Raceworks Raptor Prerunner rides on PRO-AM Hubs and wheels paired to brake calipers and rotors by Brembo, with cooling duties handled by new radiators and coolers with Wiggins / clamshell H2O Lines.
Inside, the centre stack resembles a fighter jet over a stock pickup with a clean layout of buttons below an integrated HDS 12 touch screen GPS. Everything in the cabin is new, including Sparco Powered Seats and seat belts. Next time you see a Raptor cruising the streets send this pre-runner feature — enlighten them, and they may thank you.
