Ford surfed the downsizing wave sweeping all by means of the enterprise when it put a twin-turbocharged V6 beneath the hood of the second-generation F-150 Raptor launched for 2017. It’s allegedly about to backpedal by releasing the third-generation model with an infinite, 700-plus-horsepower V8 borrowed from the Mustang GT500.
Tentatively due out for the 2021 model 12 months, the hotly-anticipated Raptor is additional additional additional additional additional extra prone to be powered by a 5.2-liter V8 supercharged to make wherever between 725 and 750 horsepower, in response to an anonymous current at Ford who spoke to a ‘well-sourced informant’ who spoke to The Drive. That’s a specific improve over the outgoing truck, whose 3.5-liter six delivers 450 horses, and a slight drop as in distinction with the GT500, which areas 760 horsepower beneath the driving stress’s applicable foot.
It’s pretty priced to ponder the Raptor will as shortly as additional boast a whole itemizing of suspension upgrades, a set of beefy tires, and a model-specific design. Ford undoubtedly merely will not be about to tone it down.Whether patrons are demanding supercar-like vitality is a moot stage, on account of the company’s wished priority is one-upping the rival Ram TRX.
‘Honestly, we might have favored to counter Ram as shortly as we knew it put all by the Hellcat all by way of the TRX,’ an insider educated The Drive. As the publication acknowledged, newest spy footage advocate the Blue Oval will even put collectively coil springs all by way of the as shortly as additional.
Inttroduced days up to now, the Ram 1500 TRX stands proud on account of the Raptor’s first direct rival. It’s primarily based completely completely completely on the Ram 1500, and it receives a 702-horsepower variant of the supercharged, 6.2-liter Hellcat V8 current in a rising number of autos. Response to the truck has been overwhelmingly constructive; Ram outfitted the 702 fashions of the Launch Edition model priced at $90,265 in merely three hours. Ford’s new V8-powered Raptor will seemingly be merely as worthwhile.
Official particulars relating to the following Raptor are few and far between. It is additional additional additional additional additional extra prone to be primarily based completely completely completely on the 14th-generation F-150, and rumors claiming it should as shortly as additional present a V8 have been swirling spherical Dearborn for a considerable quantity of months. Ford has been quiet relating to the truck; it confirmed the nameplate will return, and it educated us it should share additional ‘at a later date.’
We’re curious to go searching what have an effect on the GT500’s V8 could have on pricing, which at current begins at $55,150 along with a wished $1,695 journey spot value. For context, Ram’s starting value is $71,690 for the TRX, along with the equal journey spot value. Could the extra cylinders bump the Raptor’s value above the $70,000 threshold? It’s not unfeasible, though Ford would hazard alienating prospects. Another probability (and one which’s purely speculative) is that there could be cheaper, hundreds barely pretty quite a bit fairly a bit barely pretty quite a bit pretty quite a bit quite a bit hundreds quite a bit a lot much less terribly ambiance good variant of the next Raptor priced all by way of the neighborhood of $55,000. Ram hinted it hasn’t dominated out delivering a TRX with a naturally-aspirated engine, though it is not going to be geared up at launch.
Or, could Ford change the Raptor upmarket and fill the void with the next Ranger Raptor? It’s not unattainable, each, notably on account of rumors declare the truck will lastly arrive on American shores all by way of the approaching years.
What’s optimistic is that, if the 1960s had been the golden age of the muscle automotive, it seems just like the 2020s are the muscle truck’s time to shine. What stays to be seen is what — if one state of affairs — General Motors will pelt onto the ring.
Related Video:
