- "SH1FT3R races are like nothing you've ever seen. They're about pushing technology to the edge. Smoke cannons, grappling hooks, rocket engines, anything goes."
- ―Ms. Nowhere to Tony Toretto's Crew
SH1FT3R is a criminal organization bent on world domination. Formerly led by Shashi Dhar, it operates using an elite racing league as a front. After Shashi's arrest, Manny became the new leader of SH1FT3R, with Layla Gray becoming one of the organization's most deadly racers.
History[]
- "I need a crew of street racers to infiltrate a criminal organization called SH1FT3R. They're led by this man, Shashi Dhar, master thief and adrenaline junkie. SH1FT3R hosts races that serve as cover for his massive heists. He recently stole over three billion dollars from Silicon Valley's richest men."
- ―Ms. Nowhere to Tony Toretto's Crew
In Mexico, on the gulf of California, guards on a ship in the ocean are patrolling and securing the parameter. One of the guards notices lights headed their way, but notifies the other guards that the lights merely belong to motorcycles on the nearby mountain, who are having a race. Shashi Dhar, one of the bikers, who is in last place, decides not to follow the track but to drive off the mountain, letting his bike fall into the ocean while he glides onto the ship, knocking out the initial guard. Sneaking into the ship, he steals $2,700,000,000 by transferring the currency through a USB drive. The other guards discover the disabled guards and sound the alarm; Shashi, however, finds a car and gets in. The guards inform the thief that there is nowhere to escape with using the car as they are on the ocean, but the thief presses a button, detonating explosives. Amidst the chaos, he drives off the boat, landing on a smaller boat driven by Layla Gray. As he gets out of the car and sits up front, he tells her that they now have two keys and have three left to collect.
Some time later, Layla, the organization's recruiter, hosts a secret street race in Los Angeles. She explains that only one of tonight's racers would be accepted into SH1FT3R, stating that she hopes the other racers are insured. However, she also adds that one of tonight's racers is a mystery man and that she would therefore participate in tonight's race to find out who he is. She then pulls up next to Tony Toretto, who with the aid of his friends, had his ID hacked in so that he could impersonate Mitch, whose car his friends stole. Layla then greets him as Mitch, albeit that she knows he is not really Mitch, right as the race nears commencement.[1]
Shashi arranged for SH1FT3R to hold a race at a ghost town with mines underneath the town, with the sole purpose of using the mine shafts to reach train tracks where they would steal a passing train's cargo box. During the race, Tony follows Shashi into the mines but notices that there is ample room to pass him and cannot bring himself to miss the opportunity to pass him and enter first place; as he does so, Layla hits him and causes him to go down an alternate mine shaft, which results in him crashing and having his vehicle wedged in. Echo tells Frostee and Cisco, who are also in the mines, to head to his location and free him.
Shashi and Layla use a secret route blocked by fire to exit the mines and reemerge outside, where the train tracks are. They drive onto the tracks and behind a train, boarding the train's exterior and preparing to steal one of the compartments with the help of Jun, who is flying a helicopter. Shashi believed that the train would be empty, although it is defended by security guards. Layla tells Shashi to take the cargo and flee while she stays behind to deal with the guards. While Shashi attaches himself to the train compartment and is airlifted by the helicopter, Layla jumps and grabs his hand, although she slips and falls back on the train, which is now malfunctioning and about to fall off a cliff. At that moment, Tony drives up to the front of the train and, reversing his car, collides head-on with it, using his car's traction spike wheels to slow down the train to a halt before it can fall.
The train stops and Layla gets off, although she scoffs that she had planned to jump off at the right moment and did not need his help before getting in her car and driving off. Shashi, Layla and Tony then return back to town, where Shashi demands to know why Tony was following him. Tony replies that he did not come to race the others and that as a Toretto, he knew there was a score going on and wanted in on the action. Shashi then laughs and tells him that he has an upcoming heist that could use the Toretto touch before departing.[2]
Shashi realized that Tony Toretto's Crew is working with the federal government. Keeping his newfound discovery to himself, he hosts a SH1FT3R race atop Mount Zebulon, a private mountain owned by billionaire Delwyn Usk, as the codes Tony and Layla stole from Sudarikov unlocked the security for mountain. Shashi plans to steal one of Usk's cars, as it is one of the 'keys' he requires, but keeps the planned a heist a secret from Layla, instead electing to have her personally notify Tony of the race and to ask Cisco Renaldo and Echo to participate as racers as well.
Shashi heads to the base of Mount Zebulon, where the others racers have gathered, and he gives a speech about how he used to go camping with his parents on the mountain before they passed away. He then tells the racers and guests that it is wrong for a billionaire like Usk to buy a whole mountain and close it off as private property, especially in America, land of the free. Shashi then drives up the mountain, where he is stopped by armed guards and a gate. Shashi asks if the citizens of the country have a vote anymore and tells them that their reliance on technology makes them weak. Shashi then activates weapons to destroy the gate, causing the guards to flee, and he drives through the entrance with the others racers following him, officially starting the race. However, as the race begins and Shashi and Layla take the lead, Shashi announces to everyone that federal agents are on their tail and that Tony and his crew are working for the feds, divulging that they broke into his house, went through his stuff and even ate his frozen yogurt. He then tells the other racers that he will give a million dollars to any driver who successfully manages to send Tony or one of his crew members off the mountain.
The SH1FT3R racers immediately focus on knocking Echo, Cisco and Tony off the mountain, although the trio successfully manage to stay on. Layla is shocked that Tony is working for the government and that she was fooled, but as the pair make their way up the mountain, she tells Shashi that Tony deserves whatever is coming. Shashi notifies his crew, who are on top of the mountain, to activate the satellite dishes there, as a first step in gaining Usk's car. Since he is unable to hack into the satellites remotely, Frostee Benson uses his propeller jetpack to fly to the top of the mountain in an attempt to manually override Shashi's control, where he is caught and apprehended by Shashi's men. Shashi and the other racers make their way to the top of the mountain, and Shashi tells Tony that he is glad the latter made it all the way to the top.
Shashi then calls down a rocket from outer space, informing the crowd that when Usk had sent his into space for safekeeping, he had never estimated that it could still be stolen. Layla asks why Shashi never told her that he was planning a heist on the mountain and he explains that it was because she confirmed that Tony was solid and thus was not sure if he could trust her. Shashi admits to Tony that the federal agents know of him now and thus he has a target on his back, and addresses the other SH1FT3R racers to tell them that they would all have to be on the run, but states that they would be outlaws and that it would be exciting. As the federal agents begin to reach the mountain, Tony tells Shashi that he has no way off the mountain, although Shashi replies that he would never drive up a mountain without having a plan for getting off. He then reveals the captured Frostee, whom he takes as an insurance policy with him as he, along with Layla, are airlifted off the mountain by Jun.[3]
Manny has upped his game since SH1FT3R split. He explains to Layla Gray and the rest of Tony Toretto's Crew how he was tired of living the desk life. So now he is living the deck life on his yacht. More importantly, once Shashi Dhar got arrested, he took over his racing empire and is now doing pretty well for himself.[4]
Known Members[]
| Name | Role | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Shashi Dhar | Leader | Inactive |
| Manny | Leader | Inactive |
| Rollie | Driver | Inactive |
| Nacho | Driver | Inactive |
| Jun | Technician | Inactive |
| Layla Gray | Driver | Defected |