A New F-150 Raptor is Coming With 700HP

Your local Ford dealership may soon be stocking up on the new F-150 Raptor R, which is a Ford high-performance pickup truck boasting 700 horsepower and 640 pound-feet of torque. The engine responsible for this impressive power is a supercharged 5.2-liter V8. The new R version of the Raptor looks similar to the old Raptor, but it adds various design tweaks and more performance.

Automakers Look To Performance Variants

As more EV models appear at Ford dealerships and other dealerships around the country, many automakers are looking to add performance models to their lineups to increase their profit margins before transitioning to mostly EV models. Performance models powered by gasoline offer quite a bit more profit to automakers versus regular lineup models. For example, the new Raptor R is expected to start at $109,145. EV models are capable of high performance too, but they have much lower profit margins than gas vehicles. In general, as chip shortages have crippled supply lines, automakers have turned their energy into higher-priced vehicles in order to make the most profit from the chips available.

Ford F-150 Raptor Changes

The new R version of the Ford F-150 Raptor looks generally similar to the regular Raptor, but extra design tweaks give it an edgier look, and the new supercharged engine gives it a major performance boost. The regular Raptor offers a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 that makes 450 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque. The new Raptor R makes 250 more horsepower and has a top speed of 112 MPH, which is mainly limited by the truck’s 37-inch tires.

For the most part, Ford is the biggest name in the game of high-performance trucks. The first Raptor model was launched in 2009 and initially had no competition, so Ford has had no problem keeping its title. However, recently, the Ram Trucks brand has also jumped into the high-performance truck ring with the Ram 1500 TRX. That truck offers a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine that makes 702 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque.

Release Dates

The new Raptor R is not far away from the Ram TRX in terms of performance, but it also features the most powerful engine that Ford currently offers. This particular engine was used in the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. According to Ford’s chief engineer of performance, the Raptor R is the result of customer demands for a V8 in the Raptor again. The last V8 Raptor was back in 2014.

Production of the new Raptor R is expected to start this fall in Michigan, and you can now contact your local franchised Ford dealership for ordering information. Current Raptor models start around $70,000, which is about $40,000 more than the base model of the Ford F-150. However, the Raptor is still less expensive than the top luxury trim of the F-150, which starts at about $77,000.If you’re hoping to snag a new Raptor R when it hits the streets, it’s a good idea to get in touch with your local Ford dealership now to find out how to order.