Among the most punishing motorsports events out there is the Baja 1000. While not as deadly as the Dakar, it’s pretty high up there among the races that could easily kill any car. Still, those blokes at Ford remain unfazed, as they’re aiming to see just how rugged their next-gen Raptor really is. Of course, any old road-going Raptor pickup truck won’t suffice, so some mods are needed.
Alongside Kelly Racing, Ford Performance has introduced a slew of upgrades for the Raptor. It includes a chunky engine snorkel, some fat off-road tyres, a really neat livery, and a few other bits and bobs. Although, it should be noted that Ford will be racing the new Raptor in the Baja 1000’s ‘stock’ class. Therefore, most of the Raptor is still similar to its road-going counterpart.
Same-Same, But Different
This means that the Baja 1000 Raptor’s engine, suspension, and bodywork (among others) will have to be similar to the production vehicle. So, don’t expect anything more than its twin-turbo V6, as well as bone-stock off-road suspension. However, one interesting fact about this Raptor is Ford’s partnership with Shell. And, their use of low-carbon biofuel in the upcoming Baja 1000.
These biofuels are low-carbon alternatives to traditional fossil fuels that most cars are powered with today. The key benefit here is that biofuels emit far fewer greenhouse emissions over a lifetime compared to conventional fuels. Besides showing off their potential, all that data gathered will be useful for their continued development as a future replacement to normal petrol or diesel.
