The Ford F-150 Raptor R Has The 690bhp V8 Heart From A Shelby GT500
A red-hot version of the Ford F-150 Raptor has been unveiled by the Blue Oval brand, and it’s called the F-150 Raptor R. The Raptor R will have a detuned version of the same V8 Predator engine used in the Shelby GT500 – someone at Ford must have a screw loose, but we’re not complaining…
The Raptor R’s supercharged 5.2-litre V8 engine has gone through a few changes during the transplant from the Shelby GT500. Although it produces around 750bhp and 625lb ft of torque in the Shelby, the tweaked supercharger in Raptor R version helps it make an uprated torque figure of 640lb ft at the expense of a slightly more modest 690bhp power output (that extra torque will probably better suit the much heavier pick up on rougher terrain.)
For context, the regular Raptor comes with a 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine producing 444bhp and 510lb of torque. That’s a fast truck, but one that looks weedy next to the RaptorRRR.
The powerplant used in the Raptor R is also paired with a 10-speed automatic gearbox specifically tuned for offroad capability. The engine also has a much deeper oil pan and a more heavy-duty oil cooler for the increased durability such an extreme engine requires. The Raptor R also has a much larger air intake that increases intake volume by around two thirds to help the massive engine breathe.
There’s also a new exhaust system fitted to the Raptor R which comes with four different modes depending on how and when you’d like your Raptor R to shout: Normal, Quiet, Sport and Baja.
Although the Raptor R’s rival, the Hellcat-powered Dodge Ram TRX, has ever so slightly more power at 692bhp, the Ford pickup isn’t quite as heavy and has a better power-to-weight ratio. The Raptor R has a curb-weight of around 2700kg, the TRX weighs in at around 2880kg, so it would be an interesting test to put these extreme rivals head-to-head. It might also help the Raptor R to boast marginally better economy figures than the Ram, which does 10mpg around town according to US figures.
The Raptor R also comes with some style upgrades over the ‘pedestrian’ Raptor. There are orange ‘R’ badges and graphics on the wings and a more aggressive bonnet with a dome-shaped centre section suggesting there’s something big underneath it. Inside, there are more Raptor R badges and logos, plus Recaro sports seats, carbon fibre on the door panels and a unique weave on the instrument panel.
Let’s be honest though, one blip of the throttle while you’re pulled up at the lights next to a standard Raptor would be enough to show the driver that you’re behind the wheel of a completely different beast; something unhinged, insane and extreme.
Comments
‘It might also help the Raptor R to boast marginally better economy figures than the Ram’
If you have the money/thought to get one of these, no matter the Raptor or the TRX, fuel economy is one of the least things to have in mind.
Not really. If you have to stop often or run out easily off road, it’s gonna get annoying quick.
10mpg? lol