Ford's Top-Secret F-150 "Raptor"

[mastacox]

Holy moley, this thing looks like it will be pretty bad-ass. Being able to buy a long-travel truck from the dealer has quite a set of advantages IMO...

Ford F-150 Raptor- Spied

Highlights-

Ford’s extreme pickup, the F-150 Raptor, is becoming more real by the minute, presumably with the long-awaited Boss V-8 engine under the hood.

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The anticipated Boss engine was quoted as being rated at 380-horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. However, everything Car and Driver has learned to date has us expecting a 400-plus hp 6.2-liter V-8 from the new modular Boss family.

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Dealers in Vegas were also treated to a look at one of the Raptor's long-travel shocks, sourced from Fox Racing and specially built for the Raptor program. We are told it looks similar to Fox's 2.0 Piggy Back reservoir shocks with 12 inches of travel

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And the photographers got close enough to read the tires: Toyo Open Country All Terrain Light Truck LT 325/70R-17s, which convert to 35 X 12.50-inch tires on 17-inch wheels

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Ford execs are fired up about the new truck as well, telling dealers the Raptor is “the first and only Baja 1000 Trophy Truck you'll be able to buy from a dealer," and promising to "drive this (and other vehicles shown to Ford dealers) right up Toyota's a**."

Dude, sweet

[mYnAmEiSmUdD]

Its about damn time they made a bigger mod than that 330 ci...

Ford has been using superchargers too much if you ask me. But then again i am a fan of all motor setups.

Should prove to be bad ass. Pretty insane to come factory like that. This means no more void oem warrentees?

I like my push rods tho... =D

[arjan]

Great timing to spend money on designing something like that in the current economic situation.
No wonder the 'big 3' are loosing money left right and center.

[slosurfer]

That looks nothing like a long travel ford. It says long travel shocks, but it didn't say they were front shocks/coilovers. I don't think you will ever see a dealer long travel anything. How would they warranty it?

[mastacox]

That looks nothing like a long travel ford. It says long travel shocks, but it didn't say they were front shocks/coilovers. I don't think you will ever see a dealer long travel anything. How would they warranty it?

Everything is pretty much rumor at this point, but supposedly the track width of the Raptor will be wider than a stock F-150 (how much we don't know); that tells me it will have extended A-arms. Warranty will be an interesting issue, but I suspect they will have lots of clauses covering "misuse," and stuff specifically dealing with racing. I doubt it will have an internal cage or 5-point harnesses (but it might, dunno), so it won't be exactly ready-to-race, but it will be a pumped up truck with a suspension meant for Baja rather than rockcrawling.

Great timing to spend money on designing something like that in the current economic situation.
No wonder the 'big 3' are loosing money left right and center.

You would prefer they spent no money, kept the same models they have always had, and go out of business? Car companies' bread and butter is developing new models, regardless of economic situations.

[slosurfer]

It will be interesting to see what it will be exactly. I'm betting it ends up being more of a mid-travel setup, which will be pretty cool, especailly if they do a good job on the rear as well.

[slosurfer]

This is similar to the shock they are talking about
http://www.offroad-engineering.com/fox20pr12trn2.html

[arjan]

Great timing to spend money on designing something like that in the current economic situation.
No wonder the 'big 3' are loosing money left right and center.

You would prefer they spent no money, kept the same models they have always had, and go out of business? Car companies' bread and butter is developing new models, regardless of economic situations.

It seems to me that the money will be better spend on designing cars for the masses, not some luxurious niche. They generally don't sell that many of those.
If you look at the civics and jettas, cars like that a car maker can sell tons of. Models like that are also less sensitive to economic changes.

[Seanz0rz]

http://www.pickuptrucks.com/html/new...or/caught.html

http://www.pickuptrucks.com/html/new...m-details.html

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/08/l...e-branded-svt/

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/29/r...-f-150-raptor/

the spy pictures have been floating around for a while now. looks pretty cool, i just dont think i want anything from FoMoCo.

[UKMyers]

Oh ya that outta sell great during a time when Toyota for the first time ever is offering incentives. If Tundras aren't selling there's no way people are going to buy that thing. My local dealership has had one of those dodge trucks with the viper motor in it on their lot for over a year now. The salesman said they've put 600 miles on it test driving it but no one will buy it for 28K. It's pretty sad we've hit a point when people have to buy a Prius rather than a Tundra.