Shelby Raptor kicks insanity up a notch

Off-roading like this is not the kind of thing where the Shelby Raptor's 575 horsepower come in particularly handy. In fact, an extra gentle foot on the gas pedal is needed when crawling over tree trunks and through mud like this.

The Raptor handled it all well, though. The only thing holding it back was its own girth. Fender flares and trees don't mix. Or, rather, when they do, the trees win. Since I was driving the one-and-only prototype vehicle, I felt some responsibility not to leave huge chunks of its body despoiling the forest floor.

With it's high ride height, the Raptor crawled easily over awkward man-made lumps and fallen trees and through axle-deep mud. Now, a regular Raptor surely could have done as well but at least the supercharger didn't detract too much.

NEXT: Even more to come