As the days go on, the much rumored F-150 Raptor is becoming less wild speculation and more solid reality. Dealers were given a glimpse of the forth-coming truck at the Ford Dealer Show in Las Vegas, and they haven't shied away from spilling the beans regarding what they saw. Ford marketing boss Jim Farley unveiled the Ford-embossed front grille of the baja F-150, then showed video of a juiced-up off-road mule tearing it up in the desert.
Farley also revealed some details about the Raptor's new powerplant, which is believed to be the 6.2L "BOSS" V8. Power was quoted at 380 hp, but both PickupTruck.com and Four Wheeler believe Ford is sand-bagging on the engine's real power quotient, which they feel will be in the ballpark of 420 ponies. We're guessing 420 would be a much more appropriate number considering the size of the engine and rumors that the truck may be formally labeled as an SVT product. Dealers were also shown one of the Raptor's long-travel shocks, which was built by Fox Racing especially for the Raptor and has a full 12 inches of travel.
Ford is reportedly very excited about the Raptor, and execs allegedly went as far as saying that the Blue Oval was going to drive the truck "right up Toyota's ass." Ouch, we hope that's a metaphor. At this time there is no word as to when the Raptor will be available to customers, but since it's being shown to dealers, it likely isn't too far off.
[Source: PickupTruck and Four Wheeler]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Chris @ Apr 10th 2008 7:17AM
Just in time for $4 a gallon gas. Way to go Ford.
I wonder what next bit of marketing genius they will dig up
Jared @ Apr 10th 2008 8:00AM
Exactly! The market for this truck will be very small indeed.
Shipey @ Apr 10th 2008 8:03AM
Who cares?
F the environment.
F my wallet.
Practical is for masses. I need this!
Dave @ Apr 10th 2008 8:39AM
Isn't that off roading thing about done with nowadays especially with the fuel prices. I thought they were supposed to bring out the street "Lightning" model again?
C.W. @ Apr 10th 2008 9:23AM
chris,
stick to your import or your b-car. this truck is a niche product and the market is there. the business case shows that not only is there a group of the buying public who want this truck, but it is such a large group that it will blow you away. who cares about gas prices. this truck will cost more than the current FX4 (current off-road package) but will be extremely less costly than building your own baja 1000 truck. This truck will also be more capable than ANY off-road truck ever offered by an OEM and will hang with the custom built trucks that end up costing close to $100k when buillding yourself. this is the real deal. if you cry about gas prices then you probably dont like ANY trucks and youre not the target consumer! so quit whinning about everything and go hug a tree.
Cesare Consaga @ Apr 10th 2008 10:25AM
A 6.2 liter engine in another large vehicle in today's economic and political climate? Not a good move.
BowserUSC @ Apr 10th 2008 7:22AM
I can think of another reason why 420 is a more appropriate number. :-)_~~
Brian @ Apr 10th 2008 7:52AM
There is no way they are getting 420 HP out of that tank with single exhaust
Michael @ Apr 10th 2008 8:12AM
It would have to produce more than 290kw 386hp, thats what the current Falcon GT in Australia produces, thats only the BOSS 5.4L (quad overhead cam mind you). Thats being updated shortly. A modified version of this available that has 330kw
The 6.2L going by this should produce 443HP... (520hp for the special version)
Joe @ Apr 10th 2008 8:29AM
This Boss isn't based on the Aussie Boss motor series. It's a ground up new engine family that Ford is producing as a replacement for their current V8 engines in the Mustang, F-series, and Crown Vic (though who knows if the Vickie will even be around when the Boss makes its debut).
It was formerly called the "Hurricane," however, the name was changed after Katrina to avoid being labeled as "uncaring" and "callous."
Michael @ Apr 10th 2008 11:55PM
ah ok! Still I don't understand why they need to be so big for more power, especially with a 'new' engine. If they used direct injection for even more efficiency they should be able to well and truly trump even 420hp with an engine that 6.2L. I'm curious why there's love for big engines, like 6.2L, 427CU etc etc, over smaller more refined engines - smaller as in 5L variants etc. There's nothing a smaller variant can't do the big one can, and if its towing capacity thats the argument, its true that a bigger engine is better in theory, but the towing capacity of a 6L engine stress wise would far outweigh the capabilities of the car in which the engine is used in! The downside of the bigger engine is more weight, so its actually a disadvantage having an old tech 6.2L, like GM uses thats still pushrod port injection, over a much more powerful 5.xL QOHC direct injection.
sw @ Apr 10th 2008 8:31AM
Where's my SVT fusion?
RobAFromNC @ Apr 10th 2008 10:19AM
Agreed. I would like to see the 263 hp 2.3 liter turbo 4 from MazdaSpeed with a manual trans...
GTX141 @ Apr 10th 2008 12:12PM
You missed it. It was called the Mazdaspeed6.
Corey W. @ Apr 10th 2008 8:35AM
This is a niche product, why sell as a separate vehicle?!? Ford doesn't seem to be in a position to offer such an application. They should have just offered this as a another trim level on the F150, with different fenders, off road suspension and a couple of other goodies. I don't think this will sell... I'm getting a "limited" production, then just disappear like the GT..... feeling.
Ford needs to bring the freaking Bronco concept to production, stop wasting time on limited run vehicles. This Raptor won't even make Toyota flinch....
SPF @ Apr 10th 2008 8:53AM
Could somebody explain to me why we need "high performance" trucks, please? Thank you.
Avinash machado @ Apr 10th 2008 9:07AM
It is not a matter of someone needing "high performance" trucks but it is of wanting them. There is a difference between wants and needs.
Tagg @ Apr 10th 2008 10:47AM
Why do we "need" high performance cars too?
Cornholio @ Apr 10th 2008 4:04PM
"It is not a matter of someone needing "high performance" trucks but it is of wanting them. "
OK, then explain why someone wants a high-performance truck. What exactly is the point in going fast in something that weighs 6000+ lbs and handles like a pig?
And don't tell me the buyers are going to run this thing offroad. This thing will be a pavement princess, just like most Hummers, Jeeps, and other SUVs.
Bring back SVT - that's a good thing. Just do it on vehicles that make sense for Ford's business model and actually bring _new_ customers into the fold.
TBlueMax @ Apr 10th 2008 8:54AM
Depending on what part of the nation you live in, your opinion on whether or not a market exists for such a vehicle will vary. I live in central Florida and I see trucks "modified" like this all the time. They're usually at least a couple feet off the ground, rolling the requisite 33" tires and have no fewer than 3 people in the cab at all times (on the drive home yesterday, I counted 7 in a quad cab). This is most certainly a niche vehicle - no doubt about it - but the target demographic is not in-line with the standard F-150 fare. This will likely turn out to be a low-volume "success" that will generate a cult-like following in a very brief period of time. Whether this truck sells for days or decades likely won't have anything to do with the cost of gas but rather the cost of the vehicle and the ability to customize. If you're reading this article wondering who in the heck would buy a truck like this... this truck is obviously not for you.