Although James Glickenhaus is known for having one of the most incredible Ferrari collections out there, he has several other extremely rare and storied vehicles in his stable as well. One of the most interesting of the bunch is known as the Baja Boot, a legendary off-road buggy developed by Vic Hickey and raced by Steve McQueen. Not content with simply owning the Boot, Glickenhaus and his team at Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus (SCG)—the carmaker he founded—have plans to reboot the Boot and build a limited run of the dirt-hungry machines.
SCG hopes to launch the Boot with a run of 25 Founder’s Edition models that are modern versions of McQueen’s open-air ride. They would utilize modern engineering but retain a simple, old-school feel. SCG has also mentioned on its Facebook page, where the company has answered numerous questions about the project, that an even more modern four-door model could happen further down the pipeline. Regarding pricing, SCG first said in a post, “Likely less than Ferrari’s and Bentley’s SUV,” and then added later that it hopes to keep the base price near $100,000.
But the most ambitious idea is to build an Expedition variant that would have four doors and be fitted to handle the most challenging conditions. In addition to aiming to set a world record for altitude reached by car, SCG has floated the idea of driving from New York to Paris through the Bering Strait. As to the former, SCG has its sights set at going nearly 7000 meters, or almost 23,000 feet, up a volcano in South America, shooting for an attempt in the spring of 2019. The current Guinness world record was set in 2007 by Gonzalo Bravo and Eduardo Canales, who drove 6688 meters (21,942 feet) up the Ojos Del Salado volcano in Atacama, Chile, in a modified 1986 Suzuki Samurai.
Specifications are at a premium as of this writing, but the new-age Boot is said to pack a naturally aspirated V-8, which could mean a road-legal GM powerplant. For the Expedition variant, SCG said it will likely add a two-stage turbocharging system. The Boot will also have 20 inches of suspension travel, heating and air conditioning, and two- and four-wheel drive. There is also mention of military-grade systems, seals, and sensors to deal with extreme hot and cold weather.
Topping these literally sky-high ambitions, SCG hopes to make first deliveries in 2019 to 2020. This may all depend on parts and powertrain sourcing as well as U.S. government approval of the vehicles as road legal, which is far from assured at this point.
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