5 Fast and Furious Shelby Trucks for Thrilling Speed and Power
The aftermarket scene for pickup trucks is a continuously evolving sector. Only the owner’s budget is the upper limit for those who want more speed and power. But voiding the warranty on a brand-new Ford F-150 can be daunting when optioning out a truck at a local shop. Fortunately, Shelby trucks are available for a wide range of customers, from those who want to rip around a racetrack or tackle hardcore off-road terrain.
What is a Shelby truck?
For those who haven’t heard of Shelby trucks, the origin lies with former chicken farmer and race car driver Carroll Shelby. When Shelby wasn’t supercharging Ford Mustangs, he consulted on other makes and models to punch up performance. Upgrades weren’t limited to the driveline, like most things from Hennessey.
Shelby sports cars were provided with a complete makeover. For instance, vehicles employed different gear ratios, bigger brakes, better suspension components, dialed-in handling, and, of course, forced induction. And its trucks are no different.
1. Shelby F-150 Super Snake Sport
The entry-level Lariat-based Shelby truck comes in two and four-door configurations. Shelby’s Ridetech adjustable suspension system lowers the pickup for a more compact center of gravity. Further underpinnings include beefier upper control arms, rear traction bars, and a sway bar to help reign in the power put through all four tires. While the “base” Shelby truck begins with the 395-horsepower V8, the optional Shelby-engineered supercharger system nearly doubles the fury.
| Engine | Coyote 5.0-liter supercharged V8 |
| HP | 775 |
| Torque (lbs-ft) | N/A |
| 0-60 MPH | 3.45 seconds |
| 0-100 MPH | 8.3 seconds |
The hypercar-level power makes the all-aluminum-bodied Super Snake Sport the quickest pickup since the GMC Syclone. But it isn’t a hunkered-down, straight-line soloist like most muscle trucks. It can bend it with the best of them with its “all-wheel drive” system. The truck launches in four-wheel drive and then switches back to rear-wheel drive at speed but can also reenter four-wheel high when the speed drops in the corners for better traction.
2. Shelby F-150 Super Snake
If you want your friends and family to enjoy the neck-snapping performance, a four-door variant is available. With the added cab space, the 0 to 60 mph time will drop a bit, but the Shelby truck features the same handling and power kit. Like the Sport, the Super Snake includes a performance air intake with a high-flow filter, an aluminum heat exchanger, a billet throttle body, and high-flow fuel injectors under the hood. Stopping the five-seater is what Shelby American calls a “huge” six-piston front brake system, with upgraded rotors in the rear.
Inside the cockpit of either Super Snake configuration, drivers will sit in the same comfortably rugged Ford interior. But Shelby American lines the seats in two-tone leather with embroidered headrests. Carbon fiber accents offset the typical number of hard plastics in any work truck interior. Nevertheless, there are enough Super Snake logos and exclusive number plaques to make anyone happy.
3. Shelby F-150
Shelby trucks aren’t just for the track. Most of them find their home off-road. Those wanting the same internal combustion grunt can mix robust capability with looking good while picking the kids up from baseball practice.
Instead of lowering the F-150, the Shelby truck has a BDS lift kit and a sophisticated Shelby by FOX suspension system. The package features FOX 2.5 front and rear aluminum body reservoir shocks, internal bypass technology, and adjustable dual-speed controls. Front fender vents and wide fender flairs flank the Shelby truck’s front-to-back LeMans-style racing stripes. To climb in, Shelby includes powered and lighted side steps that also function as rock sliders, and everything sits on 22-inch Shelby alloys wrapped in 35-inch/12.5-inch BFG KO2 all-terrains.
4. Shelby Raptor
The next step in off-road performance is the EcoBoost-powered Raptor. Shelby doesn’t put new turbos on the engine but delivers a proprietary tune. Otherwise, it’ll have the same performance air intake, a high-flow exhaust system, and a new aluminum intercooler.
| Engine | Ecoboost 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 |
| HP | 525 |
| Torque (lbs-ft) | 610 |
Shelby’s Raptor variant is the company’s “most polished performance truck to date.” There are more heat extraction vents, exterior lights, and graphics than you can shake a stick at. But this Shelby truck is ready to challenge the Baja 1000 out of the box. A BDS lift kit allows fitment for 18-inch aluminum forged wheels wrapped in 37-inch BFG KM3 mud-terrain tires—and there are two spares mounted in the rear chase rack, too.
5. Shelby F-250 Super Baja
For heavy-duty off-roading, Shelby American took the world-class Ford F-250 Super Duty to task. FOX fashioned a bespoke suspension setup to handle desert dune bashing, towing, and comfortable street driving. The system includes a custom BDS lift system, advanced front radius arms, dual 2.0 steering stabilizers, fully adjustable 2.5 front coilovers with adjustable reservoirs in the front, and adjustable shocks with piggyback-style reservoirs in the rear.
| Engine | Power Stroke 6.7-liter turbodiesel V8 |
| HP | 475 |
| Torque (lbs-ft) | 1,050 |
To light the way across unpaved stretches of land, the Super Baja employs the Raptor’s curved 40-inch LED light bar and drive lights. Front and rear powder-coated steel bumpers also have integrated illumination. On top of the bed-mounted chase rack, the Shelby truck packs an actuated 50-inch LED light bar above the 37-inch spare tires.
How much does a Shelby truck cost?
There’s no getting around it; Shelby trucks are not cheap. Although each includes the cost of the brand-new Ford F-150 donor truck, each tops the six-figure mark:
- Shelby Super Snake Sport: $104,895/$113,395 with the supercharger
- Shelby Super Snake: $104,895/$113,395 with the supercharger
- Shelby F-150: $127,350/$135,850 with the supercharger
- Shelby Raptor: $143,310
- Shelby F-250 Super Baja: $125,805
Don’t think you get to keep the factory five-year, 60,000-mile limited powertrain warranty—at least on the supercharged models. Nevertheless, boosted Shelby trucks come with a three-year, 36,000-mile limited warranty.
Where can you buy a Shelby truck?
You’re not going to be able to walk into the Ford dealership on Main Street and provide the down payment for a monstrous Shelby truck. Just eight Shelby dealers dot the lower 48 states, and there is one in England and Germany, respectively.
Though, potential customers should act fast. Only 600 examples of the Super Snake are made annually—300 of each cab configuration. The Shelby F-150, Raptor, and Super Baja are limited as well.
