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It wasn't in the initial product plans, but the 2010 Ford F-150 Raptor looks as though it has progressed into a full-scale production vehicle. Originally an under-th...
It wasn't in the initial product plans, but the 2010 Ford F-150 Raptor looks as though it has progressed into a full-scale production vehicle. Originally an under-the-radar project championed by a few dedicated engineers at Ford, the Raptor has already been shown to dealers and is expected to go on sale next year.
The existence of the Raptor has been a well-kept secret until Sean Holman, an editor at Four Wheeler magazine, spotted a prototype testing in the California desert last year. Since then, Holman has been tracking the development of the new truck, and now we can show you the first spy video of the Raptor trolling the streets of Dearborn.
A dedicated off-road truck, the Raptor will feature a fully customized suspension with unique wheels and tires, Holman says. Front-wheel travel is said to be increased by 4 inches thanks to Eibach springs and Fox remote-reservoir dampers. The tires appear to be 35-inch BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/As mounted on 17-inch wheels, and an electronically controlled locking rear differential will come standard on the four-wheel-drive truck.
The engine that will power the F-150 Raptor is still unknown. The Raptor was originally scheduled to introduce the new Boss V8, but that program has been scaled back due to fuel-efficiency concerns. It's possible that the planned 6.2-liter V8 will still make its way into the Raptor, but a carryover engine from the current lineup is a more likely scenario.
Ford's 5.4-liter V8 is currently the biggest engine available in the F-150 and the most potent version is the supercharged motor in the Harley-Davidson edition. It uses a Saleen supercharger to make 450 horsepower, but the prototype in our video clearly pulls into a Roush facility. It shouldn't make much of a difference though, as the big V8 should make at least 400 hp regardless of which supercharger it uses.
Then again, all of this speculation could be rendered useless if Ford decides that plummeting truck sales will make the Raptor a tough sell. Sales of the redesigned 2009 Ford F-150 have already been pushed back by two months, and the Boss engine program could be cancelled altogether if fuel regulations continue to tighten. Let's hope this is not the case, as the Raptor is one of the coolest factory-built specials we've seen in a long time — at least in prototype form.
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Get on the SVT site at Ford Vehicles and check the SVT Raptor out for real. Nothing else you can buy off the lot comes close. It's a fully equipped Pre-runner trophy truck off the lot. I got a 95 Z71 its pretty jacked, but this damn truck is an absolute beast.
If you're going to talk that redneck inbred shit about your favorite truck, at least say it about Toyota or Nissan you fucking commie-pinko. As if America dosen't have enough automotive trouble...Ford outsold Chevrolet and Dodge for years but Ford isn't your enemy any more, its across the Pacific.
this is in no way useless. they are already selling like crazy, and they haven't even released the 6.2l yet. seems to me this is one of the reasons ford didn't need to be bailed out.
i would buy one of these, and i would definitely use it for what it was designed to do.
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i would buy one of these, and i would definitely use it for what it was designed to do.