SVT Raptor Pricing Announced

Started by sandertheshark, April 19, 2009, 12:50:52 PM

S204STi

Quote from: r0tor on August 21, 2009, 01:55:04 PM
Prepared for racing in long distance off-road endurance events, the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor R uses stock components of F-150 SVT Raptor, including the transmission, brakes and axles. The frame ? the part of the truck that will take the most stress ? is the same proven fully boxed frame that delivers class-leading towing and hauling in the base F-150. The race truck is powered by a specially calibrated 500 horsepower, 6.2-liter V-8 engine.

While the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor has off-road capability that isn't available in any other production vehicle, the F-150 SVT Raptor R adds to that capability with enhancements to prepare it for one of the world's best-known off-road races.

"The race truck has even more suspension travel, better approach and departure angles, more horsepower, more ground clearance, and full racing specification seats, safety cage and harnesses, all of which combine to make an even faster, more visceral off-road experience," said Jamal Hameedi, SVT chief engineer.




So the engine and suspension are different.

Figures.  Still, somebody will think that this is somehow representative of what the showroom stock truck is capable of.

TBR

Quote from: R-inge on August 20, 2009, 04:30:57 PM
Which is apparently on par with a VW Beetle.  Are you catching my drift?

Not stock ones :huh:

S204STi

Quote from: TBR on August 21, 2009, 02:27:42 PM
Not stock ones :huh:

I dunno if you've been keeping up with the action, but the Raptor R isn't stock either.

Token :huh:

TBR

Quote from: R-inge on August 21, 2009, 02:28:57 PM
I dunno if you've been keeping up with the action, but the Raptor R isn't stock either.

Token :huh:

Well yeah, but the point of your response we didn't know that.

S204STi

Quote from: TBR on August 21, 2009, 02:33:47 PM
Well yeah, but the point of your response we didn't know that.

My original point was that it's not that big a deal to complete the Baja 1000, and now that we know it's not going to be run with a showroom stock vehicle we know that's all the more true.

S204STi

I mean don't get me wrong, it's cool that it's doing well in that current racing series.  I'd root for it much the same way I'd root for and STI, but that doesn't mean much to me.  It's still a prepped race truck.

SVT666

First Drive: 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor [Review]
08/24/2009, 9:03 AMBY ANDREW GANZ


Few red-blooded Americans grew up without at least one Tonka truck gracing their toy box with its presence. These seemingly indestructible steel trucks were perfect for living out kid-size fantasies of high-speed desert romps, rock crawling and mud bogging. Most kids grew up, however, and are now living out their ?rugged? fantasies behind the wheel of a crossover with all the mud credibility of a My Little Pony.

But not Ford?s in-house performance arm, Special Vehicle Team ? better known as SVT. After a fairly quiet couple of years that saw Detroit?s highly-respected factory-backed performance arm crank out only a handful of products, the Dearborn crew started something entirely different: A high-performance, off road racing-oriented Baja 1000-style pickup based on the revised 2009 Ford F-150.

After thousands of miles of desert testing in California?s sun-parched Anza-Borrego National Park, the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor was born.

The Dearborn shocker
With the exception of the now-discontinued GT sports car, Ford?s lineup has long been a paragon of conservative performance, so to say that we were surprised by the Raptor concept is an understatement. How the SVT crew got this one by Ford?s lawyers is anyone?s guess ? we?ll bet that the SVT corporate credit card shows more than a few filling meals at Detroit?s famous Buddy?s Pizza followed up by quite a few (Molson) Canadians. It must have taken a good number of drinks for the legal department to sign off on this project, which is so contradictory to Ford?s efforts at creating a ?green? image.

Not that we mind ? and we don?t think the snakes, lizards and scorpions that call the Anza Borrego Desert home cared either. Ford chose North America?s biggest off-highway vehicle park for both the Raptor?s development and its media introduction and, of course, Leftlane was there.

A Tonka for big kids
Looks alone will undoubtedly sell many Raptors. With its widened stance ? the wheels are about seven inches further apart than a stock F-150, its built-in LED lamps ? to comply with Department of Transportation requirements ? and its optional graphics package, the Raptor screams for attention. A special set of alloy wheels and big 35-inch BFGoodrich All-Terrain tires modified specifically for the Raptor finish off the Baja-ready look.

What those sold on just the style will miss is a tremendous amount technology gleaned from high-speed desert research and development. The SVT engineers created an extensive test course in the desert and, starting with a bog-standard F-150 outfitted essentially with a trip through 4WheelParts, experimented before producing what they believe is the best high-performance factory off-road truck ever. By default, of course, it is the best, since we?re not aware of any other street legal Baja 1000-style effort by another manufacturer.

A thoroughly reengineered suspension is at the heart of the F-150 Raptor. Wheel travel is up substantially to 13.4 inches in the rear and 11.2 inches in the front, but the real excitement is over the Fox Racing Shox shock absorbers. Designed to allow the Raptor to traverse intense terrain, these shocks contain high-altitude commercial jet-style fluid and an internal bypass system to stiffen the shock as it travels to prevent potentially destructive bottoming out.

Finally, in addition to Ford?s first application of hill descent control, there?s an Off Road mode, which calibrates the transmission, stability control and traction control to operate properly at high speed to allow for some slip ? think of it as a track mode for desert roads.

For now, the Raptor shares the same 320 horsepower 5.4-liter Triton V8 known to us in the standard F-150, although the upcoming 6.2-liter Boss V8, with its estimated 400 horsepower and 400 lb-ft. of torque, will arrive in early 2010 as an SVT exclusive ? at least until 2011 when it finds its way under the hood of the standard F-150. We have not driven a Raptor with that powertrain.

Daily drivability
August in the Anza-Borrego Desert isn?t for the faint of heart, with daytime highs tickling 120 degrees when a cold front rolls through. A brief drive from San Diego into the wasteland, or desert oasis, depending on your perspective, revealed a surprisingly docile on-road demeanor for the Raptor. Its extra width and SVT-engineered steering upgrades delivered stable and responsive handling, while thorough noise, vibration and harshness efforts kept things as serene in the Raptor as in the remarkably refined standard F-150.

Inside, you?ll find few changes aside from a panel with four pre-wired auxiliary switches ? aimed at powering additional lights, winches, big screen TVs set up in the bed and the like. An optional $395 interior accent package adds the bright orange trim on the seats, dash and doors for those rather less-than-introverted types. A grippy, SVT-exclusive steering wheel with an orange on-center marker ? if you don?t know what it?s for, the Raptor is not your truck of choice ? rounds out the interior add-ons. Factor in the more bolstered captain?s chairs and the extended cab-only Raptor is one refined Baja 1000 racer.

Desert romping
And a Baja 1000 racer it is. Ford took the initiative of entering a preproduction Raptor in this year?s Baja 1000, the first such effort by an automaker, and wound up taking third place in its class. Not a bad effort for a virtually stock rig.

With the tires aired down to about 25 psi ? and the instrument panel ?low pressure? idiot light illuminated (thanks lawyers!), the Raptor was ready for its romp. Aside from the addition of an electrically locking rear differential, which can be operated at any speed in any of the three transfer case modes, the four-wheel-drive system is the same as you?ll find on any other F-150.

True high-speed desert driving is done in two-wheel-drive, but the Raptor is designed to appeal to buyers in the 45 or so states that lack anything resembling a desert, too, so the four-wheel-drive truck is thus capable of decent mud bogging, wide fire trail running and rock crawling. Its width, which makes a standard F-150 extended cab, short bed model look puny, will be its only real obstacle. Ample wheel travel, communicative rock-crawling steering and the safety net of a rear locker help tremendously. Our only gripe was the open front differential ? SVT tells us that a Torsen-style front differential could make the Ford Racing-engineered options list in the future.

With the aid of an experienced SVT engineer, we piloted the Raptor along a 22-mile sand-covered off-road course in well under 30 minutes. Let?s visit those numbers in more detail: The Raptor helped us go 22 miles in fewer than 30 minutes ? through washes and sand beds, over waterboarded stretches and between gullies. And we?re just amateurs; an experienced desert runner could easily shave several minutes off of our best time.

At speed, the Raptor responds as predictably as a video game. Light flicks of the steering wheel might push the tail out a bit in a sandy corner, but with Off Road mode engaged, the stability control quietly put us back in place. For expert drivers, the stability control can be fully disengaged, but at 70 mph in sand that would stop a camel in its tracks, we were content to leave the system engaged.

Most notable were the Fox Shox for their outstanding performance. Over even the roughest terrain, they filtered out any harshness we might otherwise have encountered, and they simply prevented the Raptor from bottoming out at any attainable speed.

The 5.4-liter Triton engine that seems a little underpowered in street-going F-150s proved more than sufficient in the desert. A specially-tuned exhaust provided a nice growl and the Off Road mode kept the transmission smack dab in the middle of the engine?s torque curve. We can?t imagine wanting more power here for anything other than bragging rights, but we can imagine wanting some sort of shift-it-yer-own-damn-self ability like paddles or at least a separate flick back-and-forth gate for the six-speed automatic.

Leftlane?s bottom line
The Raptor business case was no doubt tough to make, but Ford says that early orders have been brisk. Few, if any, Raptors will be enjoyed in the desert ? due mostly to the lack of desert-like terrain in most of the United States and Canada. In reality, most Raptors, like most high-performance sports cars, will be sold for their credibility and image, rather than their new owners? intention to push them to their limits.

For those not afraid of getting a little dirty, the Raptor performs in spades. Its merits are obvious, its detriments few and far between ? especially for its reasonable $2,500 premium over an equivalent F-150 FX4. Replicating the Raptor?s performance in aftermarket parts would well exceed that figure, especially when you consider the SVT-exclusive Fox Shox. After a day of desert romping, it came as little surprise to hear that the U.S. Border Patrol has already expressed interest in acquiring some Raptors. Watch out!

More than anything, the Raptor helps reinvent SVT for the future. While we don?t want to see the elite group of Ford engineers move away from on-road performance entirely, we appreciate their unique out-of-the-box thinking, not to mention their obvious ability to build a fun and exciting full-size Tonka.
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor base price, $38,995.

ifcar


S204STi

#128
Nice review.  Only problem I saw with it is that they claim the 4wd system is just like other F150s, which doesn't sound right.

Also, I predict future internet bitching from guys who leave the rear locker engaged on pavement and blow them up, a la the Dana rear axles on the Nissan Titan.

Nethead

#129
Raptor rave from www.jalopnik.com:

Jalopnik Reviews
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor: First Drive
By Wes Siler, 12:00 AM on Mon Aug 24 2009

SVT engineers had a choice: make another Lightning or do something no manufacturer has ever done before ? produce a high-speed off-road super truck. The 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, the fastest off-road vehicle we've ever driven, is the result.

Full Disclosure: Ford wanted us to drive the Raptor so badly they flew me out to San Diego and put me up in a swanky hotel. They also fed me steak one night, then steak fajitas for lunch the next day. It's nice to see that Ford knows how to save money by making the most with leftovers. :lol:

Based on the stock 2009 Ford F-150, the Raptor adds little more than some fancy suspension, fancier electronics and some sporty exterior design. It retains the stock engine, the same 6-speed automatic gearbox (albeit in a less enthusiastic state of tune), the stock frame and a gussied-up stock interior and flared exterior. But oh, what suspension and electronics.

Headlining the changes are the internal triple bypass Fox Racing shocks. Like other off-road suspension packages, they add lots of travel (the total now stands at 11.2" of travel at the front and 12.1" at the rear), but unlike other systems they take radical steps to control that travel with the damping becoming four times stiffer at the end of the shock's travel as it is at the beginning. The initially soft, progressively stiffer damping means the Raptor floats over undulations both off-road and on, but controls that float so there's no bouncing around on the springs.

Drive along at whatever speed, hit a bump and the jolt is absorbed with no further impact on the experience. The suspension compresses to the extent required to clear the obstacle, then extends back to its normal position rather than compressing and extending through a few decreasing cycles like on virtually every other suspension setup.

That control isn't just down to the dampers, the Raptor increases the width of the F-150's track by seven inches, necessitating the use of unique "SVT" stamped upper and lower control arms and the wild new bodywork. The result of that is stability, especially noticeable at high speeds.

Connecting that new suspension to the road are bespoke 35-inch BF Goodrich tires on same-size, but unique-looking, 17-inch wheels. They use the same tread pattern as other BF Goodrich off-road tires, but everything else about them is designed to boost on-road refinement while retaining off-road ability. They're dead quiet even while bouncing off the 100 MPH speed limiter on the road, yet grip rocks and loose sand just like their off-road-only brothers and sisters.

Helping all that out is an "Off-Road" mode button that lets the ABS lock the wheels up at low speeds for more effective braking in the dirt, makes the shift programming and throttle response much more aggressive and backs off the traction and stability control.

That we've just spent five paragraphs describing the fancy suspension and electronics should give you some idea just how special they are. In fact, they transform the F-150 from a practical and luxurious utility truck into the most bitchin' multi-purpose vehicle we've driven all year. It's just a shame about the transmission.

That the Raptor is fast, refined and utterly stable up to its limited top speed belies its true nature as an off-roader. We were initially disappointed in the truck because we couldn't imagine a situation where all this roadability couldn't come at the expense of off-road speed. The thing is, we were wrong.

Designed for high-speed desert running, the SVT engineers didn't find it necessary to sacrifice any rock-crawling or mud-plugging ability. The extra ground clearance, improved approach and departure angles, beefed-up half shafts and other assorted upgrades like the huge SVT-branded aluminum skid plate actually make the Raptor more capable in the slow stuff than the stock F-150. All that truck's off-road aids are retained in the form of super slow-motion hill descent control and locking differentials.

And then you get to the go-fast stuff.

There's plenty of trucks, SUVs or whatever that can competently tackle a boulder. There's none available straight from a show room that are designed to run across the desert at 100 MPH. That's exactly what the Raptor does.

Push the "Off-Road" button, turn off the traction control and engage the rear axle locker in two-high and you're in the unofficial sport mode. This sets you up to tackle the loose surfaces, bumps, jumps and corners of your average desert. Point it down a dry creek bed or across the open desert and hit the gas. Add some corrective steering to overcome that slide and you're good to go. It's like driving your average pickup down a dirt road, only, in the Raptor, you'll be going twice as fast and you don't need that dirt road.

The triple bypass dampers absorb any bump small enough for the Raptor to actually make it over or cushion the landing off just about any jump. You'll find yourself going so fast - we bounced off the 100 MPH limiter without a thought - that when it comes time to steer around that boulder or cliff you won't realize how much you need to slow down until you're right on top of that obstacle. That's ok, because the off-road ABS programming has been tuned so perfectly that it can bring the Raptor to a rapid halt even on loose sand. It does that by allowing a controlled amount of wheel lock at low speeds to build up a berm in front of the tires, but keeps the wheels from locking at higher speeds to retain steering control.

Sadly, even with the more aggressive programming in off-road mode, the transmission will put itself in too high a gear, causing the Raptor to occasionally bog down, spoiling your tail out fun through some slow corners.

We first drove the Raptor over a month ago here in New York and walked away from the experience distinctly underwhelmed. Rather than finding the extreme race-focused off-roader we expected, the Raptor, in city traffic at least, turned out to be a better-riding, taller and more refined version of the stock F-150. The gearbox kept trying to put itself in sixth gear, no matter what the speed, and was then reluctant to kick down. That means it was slow. Really slow.

Unfortunately that gearbox didn't get better between that pre-production truck and this final-spec vehicle. Trying to get some maintenance throttle through the hairpin curves between San Diego and Borrego Springs resulted in either nothing or, with a bit more throttle, a two gear downshift and way too much acceleration. I almost had to drive it like an ?80s turbocharged Saab, hammering the throttle before the apex to ensure that there'd be some acceleration on tap by the time the corner exit appeared.

Ford plans to add a 400 HP/400 Lb-Ft of torque 6.2-liter V8 to the Raptor lineup near the end of this year, but it's going to be equipped with the same shitty gearbox as this 5.4-liter, meaning the extra 90 HP and 10 Lb-Ft will largely be wasted. Some sort of manual override beyond the ability to select first, second or third and the ineffective overdrive off switch is desperately needed, but sadly not planned.

Of course, bitching about the lack of an appropriately tuned gearbox in a 6,000 Lbs, 78.4-inch tall truck is indicative of how satisfying the rest of the experience is. Throw the Raptor into an on-road corner and it heaves way over to the outside, but settles into that position through the rest of the corner. Nothing about its cornering ability is wayward, imprecise or challenging. In fact, its far more able than the stock F-150 and is capable of pulling .83 G on the skidpad, which is nearly as much grip as the stock 2010 Ford Mustang GT. 0-60 takes 8.2 seconds, well, if the gearbox cooperates.

The way to get around the ridiculously awful gearbox is to floor the Raptor down every straight, then slam on the 13.8-inch front, 13.-7-inch rear (same as the stock truck) brakes just before a corner. The front dives towards the ground alarmingly and the tires go "fizzzzz" in protest, but the brakes never fade. Stay on them to just before the apex to quicken the steering then slam on the throttle so that you stand some slim chance of accelerating at some point on the following straight.

Ford's PR team carefully planned a jump free route for us to avoid the liability of inadvertently jostling the pacemakers of geriatric buff book hacks, but we managed to channel our inner hoon and find a good ramp regardless. We hit the four-foot high berm at 80 MPH and caught what felt like serious air, but even that failed to overcome the natural stability and the Raptor's ability to soak up anything thrown at it. It landed perfectly and carried on as if nothing had happened. Even sliding sideways into ruts and bumps near the limited top speed failed to provoke any roll or any sign at all that we could do anything to upset the Raptor.

With the stability control off, things got a bit looser, but were still impressively controlled given the amount of sideways action taking place, while with four high locked in, the same speeds were attainable, albeit with less fun.

We'll have to wait until we try a Raptor in an unsupervised environment to definitively declare that it's impossible to flip or roll one, but on this initial trial that appears to be the case.

The Raptor's performance potential is so unique that we have to look outside the car and truck world to find any serious parallels for its ability. Off-road it performs like a faster, taller KTM race quad bike with its huge slides and go-anywhere high-speed ability. But we've never gotten a quad up to 100 MPH. On road the nearest equivalent would be a supermoto - a dirt bike converted for road use with sticky track tires - it's long travel suspension actually boosts cornering ability over the stock vehicle. But we've never ridden a supermoto this refined.

To put it plainly, the Raptor is the fastest off-road vehicle we've ever driven, yet remains a refined, capable and fun daily commuter or work truck. It's ability to travel at extremely high speeds over rough terrain is utterly unique among stock vehicles. It does all that while only asking a $2,900 premium over the F-150 FX4. In a world of cars and trucks designed only to compete with peers in specific classes and on boring things like fuel economy, trunk volume and stereo spec and in a society beset with oppressive liability concerns, the Raptor sets itself apart by doing something no one else has ever thought was a good idea, was possible within the legal framework of an automobile company or, hell, even possible at all. The 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is fucking awesome.
So many stairs...so little time...

S204STi

Netdude, you're going to run out of tissues and lotion what with all this blue oval pr0n running around the interwebs.

Nethead

#131
R-inge:  Yeah, my paper towel budget IS massive.  

Smacking down GoCougs misinformation & disinformation (nouns: politically correct terms denoting bullshit and lies) is a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it :ohyeah:
So many stairs...so little time...

MrH

Looks like it does have a transfer case.  There goes that argument.

Looks awesome!
2023 Ford Lightning Lariat ER
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2023 BRZ Limited

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S204STi

Quote from: MrH on August 24, 2009, 12:32:07 PM
Looks like it does have a transfer case.  There goes that argument.

???

I've never seen a 4wd vehicle without some sort of transfer case or unit, so what are you trying to say?

MrH

Quote from: R-inge on August 24, 2009, 12:32:53 PM
???

I've never seen a 4wd vehicle without some sort of transfer case or unit, so what are you trying to say?

Sorry, that was poorly worded.  I meant it has a 2-speed transfer case.  Wasn't there a huge bitch fest here about it not supposedly having a low range?
2023 Ford Lightning Lariat ER
2019 Acura RDX SH-AWD
2023 BRZ Limited

Previous: '02 Mazda Protege5, '08 Mazda Miata, '05 Toyota Tacoma, '09 Honda Element, '13 Subaru BRZ, '14 Hyundai Genesis R-Spec 5.0, '15 Toyota 4Runner SR5, '18 Honda Accord EX-L 2.0t, '01 Honda S2000, '20 Subaru Outback XT, '23 Chevy Bolt EUV

S204STi

Quote from: MrH on August 24, 2009, 12:39:27 PM
Sorry, that was poorly worded.  I meant it has a 2-speed transfer case.  Wasn't there a huge bitch fest here about it not supposedly having a low range?

Yeah, there was because the initial specs stated there was only one speed in the T-case.  Does it have two then, and if so based on what?  So far I have read two different reports on the matter, so we need a 3rd source.

S204STi

The problem is that the Ford website is really vague.

MrH

Quote from: R-inge on August 24, 2009, 12:50:45 PM
Yeah, there was because the initial specs stated there was only one speed in the T-case.  Does it have two then, and if so based on what?  So far I have read two different reports on the matter, so we need a 3rd source.


That's what I'm going off of.  Almost all reviews mention it has an electronically activated 2-speed t-case too.
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2019 Acura RDX SH-AWD
2023 BRZ Limited

Previous: '02 Mazda Protege5, '08 Mazda Miata, '05 Toyota Tacoma, '09 Honda Element, '13 Subaru BRZ, '14 Hyundai Genesis R-Spec 5.0, '15 Toyota 4Runner SR5, '18 Honda Accord EX-L 2.0t, '01 Honda S2000, '20 Subaru Outback XT, '23 Chevy Bolt EUV

GoCougs

#138
Wow - just as the review states, standard-functioning A/T is not the way to go - such a vehicle with this pretense needs to be able to positively select (and lock) all gears.

And I have yet to see mention of a 2 sp t-case. If it does have one, it makes sense - Blue Oval fanboys blindly defending the absence of one was comical.

Eye of the Tiger

Why does it have trailer brakes? The sand slows you down pretty quickly.
2008 TUNDRA (Truck Ultra-wideband Never-say-die Daddy Rottweiler Awesome)

S204STi

Quote from: MrH on August 24, 2009, 01:06:23 PM


That's what I'm going off of.  Almost all reviews mention it has an electronically activated 2-speed t-case too.

Frakkin' sweet.  Thanks.  Pretty much all my complaints about the truck are instantly cleared up with that.

MrH

Quote from: GoCougs on August 24, 2009, 01:07:53 PM
Wow - just as the review states, standard-functioning A/T is not the way to go - such a vehicle with this pretense needs to be able to positively select (and lock) all gears.

And I have yet to see mention of a 2 sp t-case. If it does have one, it makes sense - Blue Oval fanboys blindly defending the absence of one was comical.

You're just a negative nancy about anything Ford related, aren't you?
2023 Ford Lightning Lariat ER
2019 Acura RDX SH-AWD
2023 BRZ Limited

Previous: '02 Mazda Protege5, '08 Mazda Miata, '05 Toyota Tacoma, '09 Honda Element, '13 Subaru BRZ, '14 Hyundai Genesis R-Spec 5.0, '15 Toyota 4Runner SR5, '18 Honda Accord EX-L 2.0t, '01 Honda S2000, '20 Subaru Outback XT, '23 Chevy Bolt EUV

GoCougs

That makes sense - everything else is stock on the drive train, even the decidedly non-performance A/T; why spend money to design only a single speed t-case???

GoCougs

Quote from: MrH on August 24, 2009, 01:22:03 PM
You're just a negative nancy about anything Ford related, aren't you?

Um, that review utterly trashed "the ridiculously awful gearbox." I was merely parroting it, with implied off-road experience of my own...

Nethead

#144
Raptor rapture, AutoBlog version: a 997 for the dirt?  Check out their website--lotsa chassis pics and component pics the Nethead here did not see in the articles on other sites:
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/24/first-drive-2010-ford-f-150-svt-raptor-is-a-diamond-on-the-roug/

First Drive: 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is a diamond on the rough
by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) on Aug 24th 2009 at 11:58AM

Although some of us have an unabashed love for all-things off-road, the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor didn't register a huge blip on our collective radar. We figured it would be a performance kit that was much more kit than performance, or an off-road wunderkind that makes life a Hobbesian kind of brutish when used anywhere but the moon. We spent two days in Southern California, one of which in the Raptor's Anza Borrego Desert birthplace, to discover one thing: We were wrong. The Raptor is all that. And a bag of chips. And dessert.

A few years ago, some of the gents at SVT decided to try their expertise on a truck that would put their particular brand of oomph on the dirt instead of on the streets. Incredibly, there were other SVT gents who weren't so keen on the idea, thinking an SVT joint is a tarmac performance vehicle, not a... truck. Yet in 2006, Ford marketing data pointed to the ascent of off-road performance as a consideration for people buying pickups, with street performance as the end-all on the decline. Thankfully, for anyone who likes bombing the dirt on four wheels, the first group of gents won. What they've given us is the Raptor, and it is terrific.

The Raptor is a clean-sheet truck. The SVT engineers wrote down what they wanted, then they took other trucks out to benchmark them. Then, according to SVT, they broke all those other trucks and still hadn't experienced anything like what they wanted. So they took their specifications list to outside suppliers, like their axle maker, Fox and BF Goodrich. And those outside suppliers laughed at them. When the SVT engineers didn't laugh, the outside suppliers said "Oh, wait ? you're serious?" And then everyone got to work.

Comparing the Raptor to an F-150 is nearly useless.  Built at the F-150's production center, the Raptor rides on a chassis seven inches wider than its donor sibling, and according to one SVT fellow, "It just barely fits down the line." But comparing the Raptor to an F-150 is nearly useless. It makes far more sense to look at the Raptor as what an F-150 would be if it were the most intense off-road retail truck imaginable.

The Raptor's bed box is from the F-150, but the rear outer box is unique, as is everything forward of the A-pillar. It rides on a widened version of the F-150 frame, and the suspension points match the F-150, but some tweaks were made to the mounting of a variety of parts, including the shock mounting bolts that were moved to make clearance for the suspension travel. Mounted to those rails are a suite of beefy, highly engineered components: aluminum squeeze-cast control rods, rear axle tube shafts that are thicker and of a higher grade steel than on Super Duty trucks, upgraded hydro-mounts for the engine, microcellular jounce bumpers, high-strength steel for the rear lower shock mounts and more heat shields.

To top it off there's a unique skid plate package and a full-sized spare hanging out back. The spare is black, not grey like the standard wheels, because of the government mandate on non-TPMS-fitted wheels. Outside, the running boards are cast aluminum and coated in a Rhinoliner-like material, and they flex instead of bending irretrievably.

The wheels are 17-inches in diameter, and SVT didn't want to go any bigger because they wanted the tallest possible sidewalls for the 35-inch BF Goodrich All Terrain tires. Those BFGs, while made in the same molds -- and carrying the same tread pattern -- as traditional BFGs, have a unique compound. SVT found that the standard compound didn't work well in mud and snow, which would be a huge obstacle to Midwestern buyers (and the Michigan-based SVT workers themselves), so they worked with BFG and changed the thickness, belt angle, and compound to create a tire that could handle actual seasons and not make a lot of noise while doing it. With all that, the tires are just $200 each to replace.

Inside, it's mammoth. The seats are custom, more highly bolstered to attend to off-road jostling, but the cabin is large enough for a whale pod. The orange trim is unique, and the steering wheel gets an orange center mark to keep you apprised of what's happening up front. There are also auxiliary switches included so you don't have to patch-job them in when you want to add two light bars.

The Raptor only comes in four colors: orange, black, white and blue. The orange-accented interior trim is available as an option on the orange and black exterior-colored versions. Otherwise you get a gray metallic treatment, which we liked just because we're low-key like that, but the orange isn't bad. For the outside, we prefer black. The Raptor is a machine of function, and like most such things, it isn't, to our eyes, a looker. It is cool and awesome and badass and all that ? it just isn't the most handsome thing around.

The Raptor rides 9.8 inches high, and because it's seven inches wider, the DOT mandates that it have marker lights. The two out back are red and on the rear fenders; in front the amber array sits atop the grille.

It took about 20 minutes of driving on the roads for us to figure out the urban-route Raptor: it's an F-150. The additional hours we spent behind the wheel on highways, B-roads and serpentine mountainside roads didn't change our minds. With 320 hp and 390 lb-ft from the 5.4-liter, three-valve SOHC engine working through a six-speed transmission, the truck has decent pace. Weighing in at 5,863 pounds, the engine has to put in some effort when you want quick maneuvers, but again, it just feels like a truck.

On the outside, though, it does sound very good. Hit the gas and it roars like a modded truck. On the other hand, inside all you'll get is the sound of a regular F-150.

Of course, that's also meant to be part of the triumph of the Raptor -- it drives like an F-150, not like a desert-eating monster. Even though it's huge inside, from behind the wheel it doesn't feel seven inches wider. Stopping at a 7-11 for coffee, we didn't notice the extra width when pulling in between two cars. The BF Goodrich tires don't roar. The suspension, especially that foot of travel out back, does well on roads ? you don't float, nor do you get your brains beaten out by stiffness. On those serpentine roads it understeers pretty quickly if you decide to put it to the test, but again, it's a three-ton truck. There's a bit of bustle out back with an empty bed and rough roads, however the big brakes never cried for mercy and were reassuring at keeping everything under control.

It was the off-road portion of the event where we discovered equal parts praise and lament for the Raptor. The off-road vehicle ecosystem, as with every other, is changing; more vehicles can go more places more easily. The profusion of off-road driving aids means that much of the time, all you need do to tackle a tricky bit of trail is stay alive and steer. What used to require getting out, manually locking hubs, shifting gears and transfer cases, and then paying minute attention to line and throttle is now addressed with the flick of a knob and the common sense to put your coffee back in the cupholder.

Allow us the latitude to compare the Raptor to the Porsche 997. Twenty-five years ago, if you could pilot your 911 in serious anger ? heaven forbid it was a turbo ? over a snaking bit of road with which you weren't familiar and not end up ass-end forward, you had done something. Now a guy in an automatic 997 could do that same stretch of road faster while making dinner reservations and changing his XM presets and, Gott in Himmel, braking mid-corner. The scale of progress and the ability for Mr. Average to do what were once momentous things is impressive. The loss of that former frightening thrill does make us lament just the teensiest, tiniest bit.

After a day kicking up all kinds of Anza Borrego dust, the Raptor is to those previous modes of high-speed off-road running what the 997 is to the classic 911. What's more, it is to other hardcore off-road trucks what the 997 is to other sports cars. Yes, we said it. And we've spent a week debating and thinking about it. That's our finding.

The Raptor's central function is to travel quickly over the desert, and it does that brilliantly. Our tiny bit of nostalgia for those earlier days resides in the fact that if you haven't ripped through the desert in a truck devoid of aids, like an old Trooper or CJ-5, you'd have little idea of just what you were doing ? rather, of just how much the Raptor was doing for you. Point the Raptor, hit the gas. Grab a cool drink at the end of the drive.

All right, so it's not exactly that mindless, but close enough when compared to How it Used to Be in the Olden Days. The Raptor's packing 11.2 inches of travel in front, 12.1 in back. Massive credit for how that travel is used has to go to the engineer at Fox who came up with a set of triple interior-bypass shocks that keep the truck balanced while the wheels do what they need to do. The three-stage shocks get progressively firmer, and also rebound progressively; combined with the generous suspension travel, the shocks have a wide enough window to firm up and release without hitting the proverbial wall of stiffness. The result means that you don't bounce around the way you would expect ? you just ride over rough roads, you aren't being pelted. We were told that the oil alone in the Fox shock costs more than another complete shock assembly.

The most common wish was for more power. That's coming in the form of the SOHC, dual VVT 6.2-liter V8 at the end of this year.Again, that shock and suspension setup works both ways, which is really what makes it where the Raptor's Wizard of Oz lives. Get a wheel, or all of them, off the ground and they don't just shoot back to the end of their travel. They progressively return. In high-amplitude situations, the wheels aren't being utterly victimized by two forces at once: rapid and extreme rebound crashing up against forceful compression.

The desert doesn't present a single terrain: berms, washboard, silt beds, dunes, rocks, ruts and holes all mix it up together. There are some fantastic vehicles that are very good for a number of those terrains. And to be honest, most trucks out there could cover all the ground we covered. A Wrangler Rubicon would be hideous overkill if you just wanted to cover terra firma. But none of them, at least none that we've been in, could do what the Raptor does as quickly and as comfortably as we did it. Held back so that we wouldn't hurt ourselves, we did whoop-de-doos at 35-40 mph. Given a hot lap with one of the Raptor test drivers, we were doing them at 60-65 mph and above. In Baja you'd want a buggy for that kind of work.

But then you'd be in the hurt when it came to beds of sand and the wide-open stretches. No such word as "hurt" exists for the Raptor. Sand was a laugh. Open stretches were invitations to see how fast your SVT co-pilot would let you go. On that hot lap we did 100 mph more than once. And it was exciting, sure ? but it felt about as difficult as drinking tea. That's how good the Raptor is.

And we spent the entire day in two-wheel-drive.

Beyond that there were two features of the truck that stuck out. There are several different settings for the Off-Road Mode that works in conjunction with AdvanceTrac and ABS. You can't turn the ABS off, but there is an off-road setting for the ABS. Press the Off-Road button, and the throttle mapping and transmission programs are recalibrated. Press the AdvanceTrac button after that, and you get an Off-Road Sport mode that tells the Raptor you need some latitude when it comes to wheelspin, sliding and braking. The difference stood out most in the sand, when the truck let you slide around more, yet unlike some other off-road systems we've sampled, it didn't just cut power if it decided you needed help. There are vehicles out there that force you to make a devil's bargain between maintaining a conservative line or getting bogged down in the sand by the supposed driver's aids. The Raptor does not.

The ABS braking is also altered slightly. It relaxes a bit so that when you make a hard stop, the wheels will lock up some and allow sand to build up in front of them, shortening the braking distance.

The other feature we noted was Hill Descent. The same as on the F-150, it offers the kind of control we like. As opposed to a set speed or speeds, you control how fast you go, up to 20 mph. Once you let off the gas the Raptor holds that speed. If you hit the accelerator again, the Raptor holds that new speed. Hit the brake, the Raptor then holds that speed.

Keeping in mind what the Raptor is ? an F-150 ? it is hard to find anything wrong with it. The most common wish was for more power. That's coming in the form of the SOHC, dual VVT 6.2-liter V8 at the end of this year. The jump to 400 hp and 400 lb-ft (both numbers are estimates for now) will give the Raptor a welcome dose of dig-deep power. Still, the request for more grunt was usually phrased as "It could use more power," or "I'd like the 6.2," but we never heard it put "It needs more power." The 5.4 is better than fine; the 6.2 will be simply better.

It is so much more than Built Ford Tough. It's Built Raptor Good.We'd also like to see some grab handles over all the windows, including the folks in back. There's a handle on the A-pillar for the passenger, but that's it. The steering wheel, while great to grab, is huge. It's an F-150 wheel, wrapped in two different coverings, and it's fine enough, but we'd fit something a little smaller.

When we asked some SVT folks what they would do if they were going to take the Raptor up a step, the only thing mentioned was installing a limited-slip diff in front. Of course, they're happy with the setup as is, but if you were looking for a modification, that's all anyone in-house could recommend.

The Raptor was designed in and for the Anza Borrego terrain. The truck performed beautifully, but after three years of constant testing over the same courses we drove, the only surprise would be if it didn't do well. We want to get a Raptor in some other desert elements, and in some situations that it wasn't purpose-built for, slow off-road environments like rock crawling and mud. Then we'll see where the Raptor really stands.

Nevertheless, there is one final Raptor feature that inclines us to think that as long as it's at least capable in other environments, there is nothing else that can beat it as a comprehensive vehicle: the price. The 5.4-liter Raptor starts at $38,995, which includes the destination charge. The coming 6.2-liter adds a few grand more at $41,995. If you built up a truck yourself to Raptor specs it would be tough to match those numbers, and then you wouldn't get the expertise of teams of engineers making sure it all works together properly, nor the warranty that comes with it. For $39K you get an F-150 with a 1,000-pound payload capacity and 6,000-pound towing capacity that doubles as a beginner's guide to trophy truck driving ? but still acts like an F-150.

The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is so much more than merely Built Ford Tough. It's Built Raptor Good. And for that, we applaud them-and shed a tear and tip a glass to The Good Old Days...
So many stairs...so little time...

ChrisV

Love this truck. So badass, and so antisocial. As mentioned on another board...

"Does anybody else see this as Ford's way of LOLing at ChryCo and GM?
Ford: "Yes, We Can. And We Did. Bitches." and "Can't make things like this with that bailout money, now can you?"

And the ad some proposed (with Dennis Leary narrating)

"Ford brings the Raptor to the 'Ring. There's a GT-R and a GT3 in the pits. The Germans and Japanese are making snide remarks and laughing disdainfully. They lay patches, and screech off down the track. The Raptor driver gets in, checks his teeth in the mirror, cracks his neck, and then cranks it up to about 75 - then swerves off the track into the woods with no loss in speed, bombing through bushes and creeks, cuts across the whole course, yumps over the armco onto the track, and lumbers across the finish line ahead of the GT-R and GT3. Scene cuts to cursing, red-faced German engineers. Fin."

How fast does it go around the Ring?

It doesn't go around... it goes over.

Poseur truck? failure? Way off base.









QuoteProvides a staggering level of capability that doesn't make any compromises on pavement; a benchmark truck.
...
Green is in, and the Raptor allows us to explore all those far-flung places we're preserving without needing to pave them first. Share this logic with the Prius weenie that's giving you the stink eye and watch his head explode.

QuoteAll this hardware makes for very high handling limits off road, and we quickly learned that owners will need to build up the skill?and bravado?to make the most of it. Because of the inherent nature of the bypass shocks, the Raptor actually seemed to ride smoother the faster we hit obstacles; hold back or stab the brakes and the front end would compress violently over whoops.

QuoteFor example, the Raptor's electronic locking rear differential (E-locker) engages at all speeds, in any mode from 2HI to 4LO, with a simple pull of the drive-selector knob. Clicking the Raptor into Off-Road mode initiates a unique, higher-performance throttle map and shift schedule for the six-speed transmission. The result: more aggressive shifting with revs held longer and the flickability of a prerunner with the traction of a 4x4. Hill Descent Control, a Raptor exclusive, utilizes the ABS actuators and allows for slow-speed downhill crawling in forward and reverse, without ever touching the brake pedal.

QuoteThe Raptor can do things we didn?t think were possible in a factory pickup. We don?t really know or care how it was given the OK by Ford?s attorneys. The fact is, it?s available now and it?s virtually perfect for the application for which it?s built. We?re just happy Ford?s legal eagles must like their Raptor as much as we do.





Like a fine Detroit wine, this vehicle has aged to budgetary perfection...

SVT666

The more I read about this truck the more I want it.  I still can't believe the price though.  It's downright cheap for what you get.

S204STi

Quote from: HEMI666 on August 24, 2009, 02:48:14 PM
The more I read about this truck the more I want it.  I still can't believe the price though.  It's downright cheap for what you get.

Yep.

GoCougs

Quote from: ChrisV on August 24, 2009, 02:16:59 PM
Love this truck. So badass, and so antisocial. As mentioned on another board...

"Does anybody else see this as Ford's way of LOLing at ChryCo and GM?
Ford: "Yes, We Can. And We Did. Bitches." and "Can't make things like this with that bailout money, now can you?"


Na - this was in development before any talk of bailouts hit the scene...

ChrisV

Quote from: GoCougs on August 24, 2009, 04:09:06 PM
Na - this was in development before any talk of bailouts hit the scene...

Yeah, but actually building it at this point, rather than canceling it, says kind of the same thing... ;)
Like a fine Detroit wine, this vehicle has aged to budgetary perfection...