With the Ram TRX pumping out 702 horsepower, many wondered why Ford missed this mark by only offering 700 ponies in the F-150 Raptor R. What’s Ford’s response?
The continuous one-upmanship of which truck is more powerful between the Ford Raptor R and Ram TRX might finally be over. It seems the Raptor has finally hunted and taken down the T-ReX or good. As the Ram drives off into the sunset, the Ford team found more power for the Raptor R, boosting this high-powered truck to 720 horsepower, making it the most powerful production truck ever made.
The Raptor has been around
Although the competition for off-road truck power and dominance only began when the TRX launched in 2021, the Raptor name has been around for 15 years. The first generation used a 5.4-liter V8 engine that produced 310 horsepower until a 6.2-liter V8 came along, producing 411 horsepower. The second generation began in 2017 with a high-output 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine producing 450 horsepower. This remained the only powertrain until the Raptor R arrived last year as an answer to the new Ram TRX.
Why didn’t Ford get it right the first time?
When the Ford F-150 Raptor R was created, it came with a 5.2-liter supercharged V8 engine that pumped out 700 horsepower. This was only two shy of the Ram TRX, but those two horsepower meant Ford could no longer claim pickup truck dominance. Although the Raptor R beat the TRX in every way except overall horsepower, this was something that bothered many Raptor R owners and Ford.
It’s hard to explain why Ford didn’t come out with 720 horsepower right from the start. The Raptor R uses the same powertrain found in the Shelby GT500 Mustang, which makes 760 horsepower in the muscle car.
Where did Ford find 20 horsepower?
The increase in power for the Raptor R comes from reducing air inlet losses and optimizing the engine calibration. The torque figure is still 640 lb-t, but these changes allow for a wider curve. Ford didn’t announce any other mechanical changes to the truck, but this should be enough to put the Raptor R out from and send the TRX packing with its proverbial tail between its legs.
Although no other mechanical changes are part of the new Raptor R, Ford is upgrading the Raptor family with several new items. These items include:
- Three-piece high-clearance modular front bumper
- Forged tow hooks
- Improved headlights
- New grille
The Raptor R and Raptor 37 models also receive improved Fox Dual Live Valve dampers to improve rebound damping.
The Baja Mode makes the Raptor R more fun
The power contest isn’t the only way that Ford dominates Ram with high-powered trucks. The various driving modes of the Raptor R can be adjusted in the MyMode feature. The Baja model provides optimum engine performance and high-speed handling in off-road settings. This setting also raises the front spring rate by 5% to create a more comfortable ride on any terrain.
The Raptor R comes with Normal, Sport, Quiet, and Baja modes for excellent driving performance on and off the road.
Big tires for desert runs
The Ford F-150 Raptor R rides on a set of 17-inch Beadlock-capable wheels wrapped in 37-inch BFGoodrich all-terrain tires. The wheels are made of forged aluminum instead of cast aluminum, making these wheels stronger and more capable. These big tires help improve the ground clearance of the Raptor R, offering up to 13.1 inches of ground clearance compared to 12 inches found in the standard Raptor model, showing that the high-powered truck stands a little higher off the ground.
The Raptor R improved off-roading with better angles
In addition to ground clearance, the off-road angles of many 4WD vehicles are important to a successful driving experience on the trails. The Raptor R delivers better overall off-road statistics with angles that measure:
- Approach – 33.1 degrees
- Departure – 24.9 degrees
- Breakover – 24.4 degrees
All three of these measurements are better than what you find for the traditional Raptor.
A sporty cabin awaits you in this high-performance Ford truck
As you might expect in a truck that stickers for more than $100,000, the cabin has specialty style and features to make it more comfortable and impressive. This cabin area has a set of Recaro sport seats with black leather and Alcantara suede inserts, genuine cabin fiber trim on the dashboard and instrument panel, and Code Orange accents on the seats, dashboard, and center armrest.
The new 2024 Ford F-150 Raptor R is more powerful, impressive, and capable than the previous model. This Ford truck puts the argument of the most powerful production truck to bed once and for all.
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