2010 SVT Raptor

[SVT666]

2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor revealed


After months of spy photos and a last-minute teaser video, Ford has officially unveiled its 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor. The high-performance off-road truck is powered by an updated version of the regular F-150?s 5.4-liter Triton V8 three-valve engine, delivering 320 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque. Also available will be a new 6.2-liter Boss V8 engine recently developed by the automaker.

Ford says it performed extensive testing on the new powerplant, including subjecting fifty prototype engines to more than a dozen of the toughest engine tests at Ford?s dynamometer lab.

The SVT division used a 62-mile durability loop in the desert of Borrego Springs, California, to replicate the conditions of the Baja 1000 race, to further test the performance of both available engines.

While much of the focus will be on the new 6.2-liter mill, the 5.4-liter Triton also features a number of new technologies. A new open-valve fuel injection strategy improves horsepower during towing and higher rpm operations, while delivering lower emissions and better fuel economy.

Of course, engines are only part of the equation. A great deal of R&D went into the truck?s modified chassis and suspension. With 13.4 inches of usable travel in the rear suspension and 11.2 in the front, the Raptor promises to be a capable off-roader.

Raptor?s wider track and softer suspension mean it will glide over obstacles with relative ease. The suspension?s dampers were designed by Fox Racing Shox, giving the Raptor the only internal bypass shocks on a street truck. The position sensitive dampening internal bypass feature allows the shock to become significantly stiffer as it travels, preventing the truck from bottoming out.

The last component of the Raptor?s connection to the ground comes in the form of BF Goodrich All-Terrain TA/KO 315/70-17 tires. Mounted on 17-inch wheels, these 35-inch tires are designed to work on- and off-road.

High-tech features include: Trailer Sway Control, an Integrated Trailer Brake Controller, an Electronic Locking Differential, Hill Descent Control, an Off-Road Mode, and an Auxiliary Switch Board to facilitate aftermarket add-ons.

The F-150 SVT Raptor will be built along side the new F-150 at Ford?s Dearborn Truck Plant at the Rouge Center in Dearborn, Michigan.

[FoMoJo]

That's quite a different appearance from the factory F-150.  Glad to see that SVT are still at it .

[TBR]

Why are they wasting R&D money on this?

[SVT666]

Why are they wasting R&D money on this?

Because it will sell like crazy.  Anything from SVT sells and makes a profit.

[TBR]

Sell like crazy means what? 5,000 units? Maybe 10,000? Ford has far more important things they need to focus on right now.

[SVT666]

I'm a little disappointed in the chosen tire.  I would rather have seen a Toyo Open Country or the Dick Cepek Mud Country or something more aggressive like that.

[TBR]

Then they would have people complaining about the noise, seeing as how most of these probably won't be used offroad.

[SVT666]

Then they would have people complaining about the noise, seeing as how most of these probably won't be used offroad.

Those BFG's are pretty noisy I found.  Not quite aas noisy as the ones I posted, but they are definitely the noisiest A/T tire I've ever used.

[MaxPower]

I'm a little disappointed in the chosen tire.  I would rather have seen a Toyo Open Country or the Dick Cepek Mud Country or something more aggressive like that.

Yeah, probably anyone intending to actually drive this thing off road will pull of the BFG ATs and throw on their preferred mud terrain tire, whether it be either of those or the BFG MT.  The BFG ATs are a better compromise of off road and road going then any mud terrain.

[Cookie Monster]

They should sell an MT version of this.

[GoCougs]

Why are they wasting R&D money on this?

Exactly. And most anyone who is this into off-roading will yard off most anything on this truck that differentiates it from the standard F-150.

[Sir_CARzy]

Sell like crazy means what? 5,000 units? Maybe 10,000? Ford has far more important things they need to focus on right now.

precisely. 

But i like this a lot, its cool, it makes no sense for anybody to be making this right now but hell, I'd own one.

[Sir_CARzy]

Is whoever set this up trying to send some sort of (not-so-)hidden message about the truck? 

[SVT666]

I noticed that too.  That's funny stuff.

[Jus2shy]

Exactly. And most anyone who is this into off-roading will yard off most anything on this truck that differentiates it from the standard F-150.

According to an article, they started this truck back in 05'. Back then, the Off-Road aftermarket was huge. So they thought it could only get bigger, so they went ahead and started work on this truck. It's nice to see that SVT knows how to engineer a vehicle for just about any application, street and dirt. They were almost done with most of the work by the time the whole gas crisis thing happened, why cancel it? Might as well finish the work, SVT vehicles do very well regardless anyways. What I'd like to see is an SVT Fusion that is AWD and has some handling cred as well!

[SVT666]

Exactly. And most anyone who is this into off-roading will yard off most anything on this truck that differentiates it from the standard F-150.

I don't know about that.  Only people who do serious rock crawling and shit would change more then the tires.

[Colonel Cadillac]

Wow, this truck looks awesome! Too bad it's entirely too late to enter the market.

This is what Ford should have built instead of the Lightning.

[sandertheshark]

DO WANT. 

[Tave]

Badass. No low range, but I guess if you're going that slow you're not getting the point.

[SVT666]

Badass. No low range, but I guess if you're going that slow you're not getting the point.

Who needs low range with 400+hp?  In all the offroading I did with my Ram, I only used low range once.

[GoCougs]

No low range? Perhaps a baja type, but not a serious off-roader at all.

[Rich]

I usually don't like stuff from Ford, but I think this truck is great.  If I had the money to have a few (3-4) cars, I'd pick one up.

[Tave]

Perhaps a baja type,

That seems to be more its focus.

Who needs low range with 400+hp?  In all the offroading I did with my Ram, I only used low range once.

I use it semi-frequently when I drive 4WD vehicles.

[Tave]

In any event, this is a lot more trail-ready than the Lightning.

[SVT666]

I use it semi-frequently when I drive 4WD vehicles.

My Ram had 345hp and I only ever needed it once when I had to pull a Range Rover out of a mud hole.

[GoCougs]

Uh, low-range is used for a lot other things - easing downhill descent without killing brakes, precise modulation of power for crawling over boulders, and even preventing AT overheat.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Uh, low-range is used for a lot other things - easing downhill descent without killing brakes, precise modulation of power for crawling over boulders, and even preventing AT overheat.

Low range is great, but I would like to see an off-road hybrid-electric system. Electric motors have 100% torque at 0rpm, and would be easier to modulate for crawling speeds, especially with a variable ratio electronic throttle control. Dowhill descent control could even recharge the batteries. In fact, the internal-combustion drivetrain need not power all four wheels, but maybe only the rear. The front wheels could be powered by a separate electric transaxle, or individual motors in the wheels.

[GoCougs]

Low range is great, but I would like to see an off-road hybrid-electric system. Electric motors have 100% torque at 0rpm, and would be easier to modulate for crawling speeds, especially with a variable ratio electronic throttle control. Dowhill descent control could even recharge the batteries. In fact, the internal-combustion drivetrain need not power all four wheels, but maybe only the rear. The front wheels could be powered by a separate electric transaxle, or individual motors in the wheels.

Very interesting. Sounds do-able.

[SVT666]

Uh, low-range is used for a lot other things - easing downhill descent without killing brakes, precise modulation of power for crawling over boulders, and even preventing AT overheat.

1st gear in my truck was pretty low.  I never found I needed to put it in low range.  On my last GMC I used low range a lot because 1st gear was tall and it only had 180 hp or something.

[Tave]

1st gear in my truck was pretty low.  I never found I needed to put it in low range.  On my last GMC I used low range a lot because 1st gear was tall and it only had 180 hp or something.

First gear was never a problem for my Yota despite the anemic but sturdy 22-RE. I used it more for extended climbs where I needed some extra gears but the grade was too steep for high.

My offroad habits are fairly moderate. Sometimes I decide to explore trails or I know a certain campsite that is hard to get to, and then I have to drive in low. So usually it's a short section of every trip, but it happens to me every trip, even when I'm in something more powerful. We need it to drive the short stretch into my friend's cabin off the county road, for example, and I wouldn't want "hill descent" to be responsible for stopping a 3/4 ton pickup and trailer full of 4wheelers on the drive down that ridge.