SVT Raptor Pricing Announced

[GoCougs]

Nah dog, I can't let you go that easily. If you disagree, how do you disagree?

For the most part you're diving into the realm of the aftermarket; any engine can be improved upon to almost infinite lengths. In context what counts is what Ford released in its retail products. Ford hasn't led in Detroit engine development since the first gen Chrysler Hemi debuted in the mid '50s.

I can't imagine any argument on any level that the Y-block was better than the first generation Hemi.

The Windsor was inherently constrained to small valves - Chevy and Chrysler regularly featured 1.88" intake valves and 2.02" on hi-po applications (Windsor never got close).

The Ford FE was built as competition for the Chevy W-block (348, 409) as both debuted in 1958 - the FE couldn't match the later Chevy or Chrysler big blocks.

The Cleveland was one of Ford's worst motors - the 4 bbl intake ports were far too large and the 2 bbl engine was far too heavy given its measly power output.

The Boss 429 had the same problems - far too much intake capacity (valves and intake ports) - the Chrysler 440 Six Pack, let alone the 426 Hemi, would east Boss 429s all day long.

The Modular/Triton at best matched the ancient pooprod Chevy small block but got blown out of the water by the LT and later LS.

[FoMoJo]

Nah dog, I can't let you go that easily. If you disagree, how do you disagree?

Okay, I'm dog and you're cat.   Cat must read what dog wrote.

For the most part you're diving into the realm of the aftermarket; any engine can be improved upon to almost infinite lengths. In context what counts is what Ford released in its retail products. Ford hasn't led in Detroit engine development since the first gen Chrysler Hemi debuted in the mid '50s.

I can't imagine any argument on any level that the Y-block was better than the first generation Hemi.

I'm sure you can't, however, we're dealing with facts here.  As stated in the snippet I previously posted, the Lincoln Y-block outperformed both the 1st gen hemi and the Cadillac/Oldmobile.  Not only did it have better performance numbers, it was more robust (better built).

The Windsor was inherently constrained to small valves - Chevy and Chrysler regularly featured 1.88" intake valves and 2.02" on hi-po applications (Windsor never got close).

The Windsor was made in several versions by Ford as was the small-block by Chevy and not-so-much by Chrysler.  Certainly the work-a-day 2 bbl. versions had no real appeal to the enthusiasts but the performance versions, in particular the Boss 302, were matchless.

The Ford FE was built as competition for the Chevy W-block (348, 409) as both debuted in 1958 - the FE couldn't match the later Chevy or Chrysler big blocks.

True, both the MEL and FE series came out in '58.  The MELs were monsters and used to propel the behemoth Mercurys, Edsels and Lincolns at the time.  Lots of torque and weighed a ton.  Not exactly performance engines but very refined and purposeful.

The FEs started small, 332 cubes and, initially were outperformed by the larger displacement competitors, until the early 60s when the variations on the 427 - low-riser, medium-riser, high-riser, Tunnel port and the "SOC"; which was highly sought after but couldn't be had for love or money - emerged.  Guess when the HEMI lost its edge and had to resort to trick wings and airflow to keep up to the Fords and Mercurys; and that is not even mentioning the 428 and 429 variations.  The 385-series came along a little too late but had even more potential than the FEs.  Chevy wasn't even in sight.

The Cleveland was one of Ford's worst motors - the 4 bbl intake ports were far too large and the 2 bbl engine was far too heavy given its measly power output.

Now this just tells me that you don't have a clue about the Cleveland or you're getting your information from very biased sites.  It was one of the most desireable engines of the time.  A light-weight block with mind-blowing potential.  The 351 Boss was a big-block killer but, once again, a little too late to the game.  Blame OPEC .

The Boss 429 had the same problems - far too much intake capacity (valves and intake ports) - the Chrysler 440 Six Pack, let alone the 426 Hemi, would east Boss 429s all day long.

Not in the real world.  All being equal, especially the driver, a Mustang Boss 429 could edge out a Hemi Cuda all day long; and blow any SS 427 into the weeds.

The Modular/Triton at best matched the ancient pooprod Chevy small block but got blown out of the water by the LT and later LS.

Still it held the world's fastest car record sitting in the engine bay of a Koenigsegg CC.  I wonder why they never used an LT or LS; or something from Chrysler?   A 5.4 version in the GT outperformed a number of supercars of the day as well; and still does.

[GoCougs]

Okay, I'm dog and you're cat.  Cat must read what dog wrote.
I'm sure you can't, however, we're dealing with facts here.  As stated in the snippet I previously posted, the Lincoln Y-block outperformed both the 1st gen hemi and the Cadillac/Oldmobile.  Not only did it have better performance numbers, it was more robust (better built).

The most power the Y-block ever yielded was 260 hp and that was wrung out with a dealer-only option dual quads in the most expensive Ford cars (i.e., T-bird). The smaller versions of the Y-block never cracked 200 hp. The 354 Chrysler Firepower made up to 340 hp and the 392 made up 345 hp. This was no contest.

The Windsor was made in several versions by Ford as was the small-block by Chevy and not-so-much by Chrysler.  Certainly the work-a-day 2 bbl. versions had no real appeal to the enthusiasts but the performance versions, in particular the Boss 302, were matchless.

How was it matchless - Chevy and Chrysler motors were ALWAYS rated higher in hp for the entire life of the Windsor, up until 1996 when it finally died. The Boss 302 lived for only two model years because it was a horrible engine; 351c heads were just far too large. It got eaten on the street by the Chevy LT-1 and Chrysler 340 Six Pack.

True, both the MEL and FE series came out in '58.  The MELs were monsters and used to propel the behemoth Mercurys, Edsels and Lincolns at the time.  Lots of torque and weighed a ton.  Not exactly performance engines but very refined and purposeful.

The FEs started small, 332 cubes and, initially were outperformed by the larger displacement competitors, until the early 60s when the variations on the 427 - low-riser, medium-riser, high-riser, Tunnel port and the "SOC"; which was highly sought after but couldn't be had for love or money - emerged.  Guess when the HEMI lost its edge and had to resort to trick wings and airflow to keep up to the Fords and Mercurys; and that is not even mentioning the 428 and 429 variations.  The 385-series came along a little too late but had even more potential than the FEs.  Chevy wasn't even in sight.

Again, this is in racing where cars themselves. The FE was in all measures inferior to the Chevy and Chrysler big block. It was simply a much older design.

Now this just tells me that you don't have a clue about the Cleveland or you're getting your information from very biased sites.  It was one of the most desireable engines of the time.  A light-weight block with mind-blowing potential.  The 351 Boss was a big-block killer but, once again, a little too late to the game.  Blame OPEC .

Nah, even notice how there are virtually no Clevelands in hotrods nowadays? There's plenty of 'em out there. They're just not very good - too big, intake ports too whack. Windsor is a much better motor.

Not in the real world.  All being equal, especially the driver, a Mustang Boss 429 could edge out a Hemi Cuda all day long; and blow any SS 427 into the weeds.

Again, we're talking engines. The 426 Hemi, 440 Six Pack, 454 LS6, and 427 Tripower all made more power and had more usable power bands.

Still it held the world's fastest car record sitting in the engine bay of a Koenigsegg CC.  I wonder why they never used an LT or LS; or something from Chrysler?  A 5.4 version in the GT outperformed a number of supercars of the day as well; and still does.

Again, a modified engine. Not sure why they chose it, actually.

The Corvette Z06 performed just as well yet cost half as much and used a normally aspirated LS7 pooprod motor; meaning, the LS7 was a better motor.

[FoMoJo]

It's not the place for this discussion.  If you want to continue it open another thread.  I would start with the first OVH V8s from each of the manufacturers, Olds Rocket, Cadillac 331, Lincoln Y-block.  Theres lots of info out there that's not conjecture.  You might learn a thing or two.

[Nethead]

I read this week-end that TV's History Channel uses an F150, a coupla Super Duties, and two Raptors to service the highway for the "Ice Road Truckers" series.  Desert, mud, permafrost, and now ice.  I'd rather see the Raptors on the ice than the tractor-trailer rigs!

[68_427]

Raptor who?




God damn I wish that thing was street legal

[Nethead]

Raptor who?
God damn I wish that thing was street legal

68_427:  Then get a Raptor !  Why wait around for the other manufacturers to imitate a Ford for the forty-zillionth time ?

[68_427]

Don't be stupid...

[Nethead]

Don't be stupid...

68_427:  'Sorry!  Just jokin'!  Maybe Ram will do somethin' like that, although I think they'd be better served to go with a Dakota-sized truck than with the major large full-sizer.  Many dudes who want a factory pre-runner like the smaller trucks more--I do!  I got a '66 Bronco and passed on the larger-but-beefier second edition Broncos that came out originally as '78 models.  For the same reasons I woulda taken a GTO over a Catalina, Bonneville, or Grand Prix back in 1964--well, that and no money to buy any of them

[Nethead]

Back on what is page 15 of this thread using this woeful browser there is an article about the beating (No, Subbie, I ain't about to say "...a dead horse".  Deal with it.) Ford is giving a Raptor with an EcoBoost V6 instead of the regulation SOHC VVT dual-sparkplug 6.2L V8.  First was 150,000 "miles" on a dyno, then there's the Paul Bunyan (Sp?) session in the Pacific Northwest described below, followed by towing two NASCAR racecars for 24 hours non-stop around an oval, and finally competing in the Baja 1000--using the same EcoBoost V6 throughout:

Ford F150 Eco Boost Endures Torture Tests
http://media.ford.com/images/10031/110110_Timber_RearLogPile.jpg

? 2011 Ford F-150 EcoBoost? ?hero engine? demonstrates its best-in-class 420 lb.-ft of torque, especially its wealth of low-end torque, in Oregon by dragging logs weighing from two to almost five tons
? This real-world application is one of a series of videos documenting the torture tests for the 3.5-liter EcoBoost truck engine, which will be available in early 2011.
? Dyno stress web documentary shows this same engine already enduring the equivalent of 150,000 miles on the dynamometer, replicating the duty cycle of the harshest-use customer
? Up next for the 2011 Ford F-150 EcoBoost torture test is a 24-hour endurance challenge at Homestead-Miami Speedway towing an 11,300-pound trailer at maximum speed.

Ford Eco Boost Forum.com ? The 2011 Ford F-150 EcoBoost recently logged some tough miles in rugged Pacific Northwest country in the latest demonstration of its durability.

The new 3.5-liter EcoBoost ?torture test? truck engine moved from the lab to the outdoors with a stop at a logging company in Oregon. It?s the current phase of a multi-part series of Web-based documentaries that began when this randomly selected EcoBoost engine endured the equivalent of 150,000 miles or 10 years? use on the dynamometer, replicating the duty cycle of the harshest-use customer.

After the dyno torture testing, the engine was dropped into a new 2011 Ford F-150 to work as a log skidder for Nygaard Logging of Warrenton, Ore. Skidding is the process of moving harvested timber, after the branches have been removed, from the forest to a staging area where it is placed on a truck to be sent to a sawmill.

The 2011 Ford F-150 EcoBoost replaced a vehicle similar to a backhoe that ?ropes? the harvested timber using high-strength cables and drags it to the staging area.

The work was performed at Clatsop State Forest, where the 2011 F-150 EcoBoost pulled logs weighing from 4,000 to 9,000 pounds. That?s where the new engine?s best-in-class torque of 420 lb.-ft. at 2,500 rpm was essential ? especially low-end torque. Up to 90 percent of the EcoBoost truck engine?s peak torque is available from 1,700 rpm to 5,000 rpm ? all on regular fuel.

The EcoBoost truck engine also delivers best-in-class maximum towing capability of 11,300 pounds.

?Each of these real-world tests demonstrates the durability and reliability that is designed, engineered and manufactured into our new EcoBoost truck engines ? and all our truck engines,? said Eric Kuehn, chief engineer of the 2011 Ford F-150. ?This work in particular demonstrates the outstanding low-end torque the EcoBoost truck engine delivers.?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This ain't the way most manufacturers on Earth test their trucks, but this is a Raptor which ain't like any other trucks on Earth...

[Nethead]

The latest word from www.pickuptrucks.com is that there will be two EcoBoost 3.5L V6 Raptors in this week's Baja 1000--one using a stock EcoBoost 3.5L V6 with the stock six-speed automatic and one using the stock EcoBoost 3.5L V6 (transmission type not stated) that has done 150,000 simulated miles on a dyno, pulled logs for a logging company in the Pacific Northwest, pulled a trailer carrying two NASCAR stockers for 24 hours , and won some truck shoot-out.  Both will be in race-prepped Raptors that ran the race in prior years so the chasses should be well-sorted.  I'm a-thinkin' that the air filters need to be in easily removable locations for frequent replacement or they're gonna lose a lotta time down the peninsula--is the air filter box considered to be an official part (as in "must be OEM") of a stock engine in offroad racing rules books?  Bad aura if they are...  

EcoBoost Goes to the Baja 1000Posted by Mike Levine | November 12, 2010

By Robby DeGraff and Mike Levine

It?s official: Professional desert racers Mike McCarthy and Randy Merritt will each race a Ford F-150 EcoBoost V-6 truck in this year?s SCORE International Baja 1000.

The 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 is the first application of Ford?s gasoline direct-injection twin-turbo technology in a half-ton pickup. It?s Ford?s effort to shrink engine displacement for improved fuel economy while delivering tons of low-end power. In the 2011 F-150, the 3.5 V-6 is rated a strong 365 horsepower (at 5,000 rpm) and 420 pounds-feet of torque (at 2,500 rpm) with a flat, diesel-like torque curve. Ninety-percent of peak power is available from 1,700 rpm to 5,000 rpm.

McCarthy and Merritt?s Mongo Racing will be the first teams to introduce a turbo six-cylinder gasoline engine pickup truck to the Baja 1000. In the past, only specially tuned, naturally aspirated V-8s and turbo-diesels competed in the Baja. That prompted SCORE, the race?s administrative body, to create a brand-new class to accommodate the new mills.

McCarthy and Merritt will technically race each other in the newly created Stock Engine Truck Class instead of Stock Full, which is for production trucks. In 2008, the purpose-built Ford Raptor R raced in Class 8, for two-wheel-drive full-size trucks.

Making McCarthy?s Baja run a bit more interesting is the newly installed EcoBoost ?hero engine? that?s powering his truck. The same engine first endured the equivalent of 150,000 harsh-user miles on the dynamometer, then was installed into a new 2011 F-150 to work as a log skidder in Oregon, towed a maximum trailer load at a high-speed NASCAR track and beat the competition in a towing exercise at Davis Dam. McCarthy?s truck is also the former Raptor R race chassis.

Mongo Racing?s off-the-shelf EcoBoost V-6 has Ford?s stock 6R80E transmission bolted to it. It took months of extensive preparation and transformation of a stock 2011 F-150 XL (similar to one you can find at your local Ford dealership) to turn it into a silver desert marauder.

We?ll be closely following both trucks in the race Nov. 17-21.

[hotrodalex]

God damn I wish that thing was street legal

How is it not?

[68_427]

How is it not?

The after market parts of the Ram Runner are apparently not street legal.

[Nethead]

The after market parts of the Ram Runner are apparently not street legal.

68_427:  Again, solve that problem with a Raptor

[Nethead]

www.pickuptrucks.com posted updates from the SCORE Baja 1000 at random intervals, covering several vehicles.  The EcoBoost F-150 ('Thought the EcoBoost V6 was to be dropped into the engine compartment of a Raptor, but it was actually dropped into the engine compartment of a racing F-150 that competed in last year's race) driven by Mike McCarthy for Mongo Racing was one of the vehicles covered by www.pickuptrucks.com's Mike Levine.  This engine--the one that (A) spent 150,000 simulated miles on a dyno, (B) pulled logs in the Pacific Northwest for a logging firm, (C) towed 11,300 pounds for 24 hours around Homestead Raceway hitting over 95 MPH and averaging over 80 MPH for the 24 hours, and (D) won  a truck pull contest against V8-engined competitors--finished its battery of challenges by powering Mike McCarthy's F-150 number 899 in the Stock Engined Truck Class of the 2010 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000.  Here's the final update for number 899:

Nov. 20, 2010

3:17 a.m. (PST): Congrats to Ford! Mike McCarthy's 2011 Ford F-150 EcoBoost race truck (No. 899) with the torture-tested ?hero? engine finished one of the most grueling desert endurance races in the world ? the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 ? in 38 hours and 20 minutes, after 1,061 miles.

The 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine used to power the race truck performed spectacularly in the harsh terrain and extreme temperature swings of the Baja California Peninsula. The truck endured hard accelerations ? often at full throttle ? and stiff decelerations across the mountains at temperatures that swung between freezing and 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Though the EcoBoost engine entered the race with the equivalent of 10 years worth of rugged use, its inherent performance advantages ? twin turbochargers and direct fuel injection ? helped it complete the race.

"I?ve never seen anything like it in a stock engine ? especially one that?s been through what this one has,? said driver Mike McCarthy. ?This EcoBoost engine didn?t miss a beat. It took a beating and kept right on going. This is one tough engine."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
McCarthy pulled some other vehicles out of stucks along the way since his goal was finishing and not positioning.  About pulling others out of stucks instead of going all-out for position, McCarthy replied "They would have done it for me."  

And that's called sportsmanship.

[Nethead]

More details of the EcoBoost V6s at the SCORE Baja 1000 from www.pickuptrucks.com:

The Inside Story of Ford's Baja 1000 EcoBoost Race Trucks
Posted by Mike Levine | November 22, 2010
Words and Photos by Matt Kartozian for PickupTrucks.com

Years of work developing the first twin-turbo direct-injection six-cylinder gas engine for a light-duty pickup truck paid off for Ford over the weekend. The company?s F-150 EcoBoost race truck completed the grueling Baja 1000 off-road race in Mexico in 38 hours, 20 minutes, running on an engine that?s seen the equivalent of a decade of hard work.

This year?s 1,061-mile Baja 1000 was a point-to-point race that started in Ensenada, Mexico, about an hour south of San Diego, and finished in La Paz, a mere 100 miles north of the resort town of Cabo San Lucas near the tip of the Baja Peninsula. Imagine racing from Los Angeles to Portland, Ore., off-road, non-stop over a route filled with rock climbs, silt beds, fan-laid booby traps and many other terrain features just waiting to destroy your vehicle. That?s a pretty good idea of the Baja 1000.

The race was the culmination of Ford?s marketing efforts to convince skeptical truck buyers that a six-cylinder engine can do the job of an eight with the same reliability and durability.

The engine that powered Ford's Eco Boost racer was pulled off the assembly line months ago for a torture test that began with the engine racking up 150,000 miles on a dyno in Dearborn, Mich. Then it was put into a truck and used as a line skidder at a Northwestern logging company, dragging logs around the job site. From there it went to Homestead racetrack in Florida to tow an 11,000-pound trailer with two racecars around the track for 24 hours. Finally, the engine was put into Mike McCarthy's F-150 race truck to tackle Baja.

Randy Merritt and the Mongo Racing team raced a second F-150 with another EcoBoost V-6.

SCORE International, which normally doesn?t allow turbo gas engines, gave the two an exception allowed them to race in their own class of Stock Engine Truck Class, but the pair would mix it up with their normal competition in Stock Full and Class 8 on the track.

SCORE CEO Sal Fish gave us his thoughts on the program before the race. "I'm really excited. It is going to bring a lot to the sport. We are opening the doors and taking a look at this to see what happens and then reevaluate them for 2011."

The two EcoBoost-powered teams faced problems and adversity throughout the race, but both got their trucks to the finish line. While planning for the race, the team predicted an average of 3 mpg, but as the race progressed, they found they were actually getting 8.5 mpg. That prompted the team to change pit and fuel strategy.

McCarthy ran clean all the way to Loreto at Race Mile 750, where his missed his fuel stop, and while it would not have been an issue, McCarthy got nervous and fueled the truck at a local Pemex gas station. The gas was dirty and clogged the fuel filter, forcing McCarthy?s team to stop and change it out and costing them time. Baja also took its toll on the tires, and the team had to change a few, which is normal during a long race like the 1000. Without any other problems, McCarthy finished the race in the dark of night in La Paz with a time of 38 hours, 29 minutes, 58 seconds, with an average speed of 27.57 mph.

McCarthy, who is a man of few words, said, "It was awesome. We had a good day."

Merritt and Tracy Rubio had a much longer day in their EcoBoost F-150 and watched the sun rise and set twice over the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez in a brand-new race truck with less than 50 test miles.

They started clean and passed all of the Stock Full trucks in the first three miles and passed seven other vehicles before Ojos Negros at Race Mile 40. The trouble started near San Felipe at Race Mile 180, where a hole in the back of the radiator took a few hours to repair. Things got worse when they broke a spindle near Bahia de Los Angeles at Race Mile 380. The spare parts were far away in a chase truck and by the time it was repaired, the team was down for five hours. Later in the race, the right front shock failed, and the only thing holding all the parts together was the spring on the coil over. They limped it with the bad shock over 300 miles, further slowing the duo.

In the closing hours of the race, they were caught in a booby trap built by local fans who dug a big hole and covered it with powder, Merritt said. The truck rolled on its side, damaging spindles, shocks and upper A-Arms. In the end, they crossed the finish line in La Paz but about 70 minutes past the 45-hour time limit required to be considered an official finisher.

Despite the problems, both drivers were big fans of the new EcoBoost V-6.

"The turbos were awesome," Rubio said at the finish. "We did not know what to expect, but it works surprisingly well. It?s a wide power band, so once you get there, you can be lugging it and get on the gas and with lots of power with less gear changing."

Merritt was equally pleased and plans to run the engine for the full Best in the Desert season in 2011.

"It was long. It was a real challenge," an exhausted Merritt said at the finish. "The truck is beat to hell ? it?s in bad shape." Speaking of the EcoBoost V-6, he said, "It has way more power than the V-8. It?s much faster.?

[Nethead]

Four Wheeler Magazine's Pickup Truck of the Year is the 2011 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor
Posted by Mike Levine | December 3, 2010

Our friends at Four Wheeler magazine have selected the 2011 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor as their choice for Pickup Truck of the Year. The 411 horsepower, 6.2-liter V-8 Raptor beat two diesel-powered HD pickups for the top spot: The 2011 Ford Super Duty 6.7-liter Power Stroke Lariat FX4 and the 2011 Chevrolet 2500 Silverado Z/71 6.6-liter Duramax.

?The SVT Raptor is every four-wheel-drive enthusiast?s dream of what a factory pickup truck should be,? said Four Wheeler Editor Douglas McColloch. ?Straight off the showroom floor, the Raptor comes already equipped with all manner of premium performance parts that are designed for extreme off-pavement forays?be it rock crawling, mud bogging or desert racing. The Raptor undertakes these tasks without compromising the F-150 platform?s class-leading ride and handling characteristics on pavement. It inspires confidence in the dirt and delivers serenity on the street. All told, the Raptor 6.2 is a joy to drive, and a very deserving winner of our Pickup Truck of the Year competition."

Four Wheeler will publish the full results of the its PUTOTY competition in the March 2011 issue of Four Wheeler, on sale January 21, 2011.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Come on, Chevy & Ram, where are your copies of another Ford product ?  We ain't got all decade!

[Nethead]

From www.autoblog.com, an article that I also posted in cawimmer430's Dakar thread.  It merits posting here, too:

Journalist Sue Mead, racer Darren Skilton become first U.S. team to win a class in Dakar Rally
by Zach Bowman (RSS feed) on Jan 17th 2011 at 5:01 PM

The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is still proving that it can do whatever deed needs done, whenever it needs doing. Sue Mead and Darren Skilton managed to pilot a largely stock version of the desert-raiding pickup through all 12 stages of this year's Dakar rally. The team survived 16 days of some of the most brutal terrain on the South American continent and covered over 11,800 miles in the process. Their effort was enough to net the Raptor a 40th place finish over all and a first place finish in the OP class.

In fact, from what we hear, Mead and Skilton were the only contestants to even finish in the OP class, even with big names like Robbie Gordon gunning for the win.

That marks the first time that an American crew has ever managed to take a class win in the history of the Dakar Rally. The F-150 SVT Raptor that Mead and Skilton campaigned boasted the same 5.4-liter V8 that it rolled off the production line with, though a larger cooling system was fitted to handle the harsh temperatures of the course. Likewise, the pickup was equipped with a host of other race-capable bits including a new locker system for the differentials (ARB Air Lockers --Goooooooooo omiDude!), more robust shocks, springs and tires.

Overall, Volkswagen took the top three spots in the 2011 Dakar Rally. BMW filled out the remaining spots in the top five with its entries...

www.pickuptrucks.com adds these details:

Sue Mead's Raptor Finishes First in Class at Dakar Rally
Posted by Mike Levine | January 16, 2011

Late last night, we received a phone call from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Sue Mead, Darren Skilton and the team behind the FabSchool/General Tire Ford F-150 SVT Raptor piloted their truck to a first-place finish in the OP/2 racing class for autos (including light-duty trucks) competing in the 2011 Dakar Rally.

"The Dakar was brutal," said Mead. "[About] two-thirds [of the racers who started] didn't finish. We did. Darren and I will take home the OP/2 trophy. There were six racing in our class, including Robby Gordon and other folks from the U.S. We were the only one of the six that finished."

Mead, a freelance writer for PickupTrucks.com, is the first woman driver from either North or South America to compete in Dakar's auto class, though several women raced motorcycles. The Dakar was held Jan. 1-16 over a 5,903-mile circuit from Buenos Aires to the Atacama Desert in Chile.

Modifications to the FabSchool/General Tire Raptor (Truck No. 374) to prepare it for Dakar included an ARB locker , King Shocks at each corner and wheels from Walker Evans Racing. Inside, there are Cobra seats with Crow harnesses. Under the hood, the 5.4-liter V-8 Raptor is mostly in factory form except for a pair of Odyssey batteries and Royal Purple Racing oil.

Mead and Skilton worked the FabSchool Raptor from 126th place after the first stage to 40th place overall during the 15-day rally. Congrats!

[Nethead]

Raptor in Plain Black Wrapper Invents Snownuts for the Chronically Insane
From www.pickuptrucks.com:

Here's the link for the excellent pics:
http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2011/01/quick-drive-2011-ford-f-150-svt-raptor-supercab-62-liter-v-8.html

Quick Drive: 2011 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor SuperCab 6.2-liter V-8
Posted by Mike Levine | January 31, 2011

The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor and roostertails go together like bacon and everything. Since it was introduced, we?ve kicked up dirt, mud and rocks with both the original 5.4-liter and new 6.2-liter V-8 versions, but we?ve never carved a Raptor through snow and ice, until now.

Several weeks ago, we headed to Detroit for the 2011 North American International Auto Show. With temperatures hovering in the teens and 20s and sporadic snow showers, the climate could hardly have been more different from our backyard stomping grounds in Southern California?s Mojave Desert.

After spending two days hunting relentlessly for truck news inside Detroit?s Cobo Hall Convention Center from before sunrise until after sunset, we needed a break.

Weather that looked cold and bleak outside while eating shrimp with supermodels ? really cold, soggy sandwiches and stale brownies in the company of grumpy, over-caffeinated journalists ? turned into a playground for us and our friends from Jalopnik to take a Raptor for a spin (actually, dozens) in the snow.

On our last day in Michigan, we exited downtown Detroit and piloted a 2011 Raptor SuperCab 6.2 to a lonely parking lot near a Ford plant on the outskirts of Detroit, where several inches of snow had fallen the night before. Only we couldn?t tell it was a parking lot as we stared out from the cockpit of our Tuxedo Black Raptor at acres of virgin white powder that covered the icy pavement beneath.

In past off-road excursions, we naturally shifted the Raptor into four-wheel drive for maximum traction and activated its unique ?off-road mode.?

Off-road mode changes the truck?s power delivery and shift points so it performs like a desert racer. Gears are held longer, and throttle response is linear throughout the power band instead of weighted toward the low end during normal driving.

This time, we deliberately ignored four-wheel drive. Instead, we took advantage of the parking lot?s wide-open space, emptiness and icy conditions and left the truck in two-wheel drive, so all 411 ponies from its 6.2-liter V-8 were sent to the rear wheels.

We didn?t stop with two-wheel drive. We also disengaged the Raptor?s stability, traction and rollover controls and changed the antilock brake calibrations to their mildest settings by pushing and holding the AdvanceTrac (sliding car) button on the dash for 5 seconds.

With the electronic nannies off, it was playtime. The 6.2 quickly revved high into the RPM range as the Raptor?s meaty LT315/70R17 BFGoodrich A/Ts tires sought out the least bit of friction to get the truck moving. Several times, the truck cut throttle at redline like it was on a dyno because its traction control system was sleeping and the ABS was comfortably numb.

We chucked and skidded the Raptor from one end of the lot to the other as we explored the Raptor?s winter boundaries. We made ice-glazed doughnuts so perfect that Krispy Kreme?s chefs would have had coronaries for their recipe, and we conjured up icy roostertails that floated around the truck as we drifted on the pavement?s slick, black ice like a crazed Zamboni machine re-imagined by Ed "Big Daddy" Roth. By the end of it, we were laughing and smiling as much as school kids sledding on a snow day.

Soon enough, though, we had to call it a day and head to the airport.

As much as we enjoyed playing with the Raptor in the snow and ice, we didn?t come close to exploring how it performs in true off-road conditions in low temperatures. We?re very curious to see how its Fox Racing long-travel suspension ? the heart of the Raptor ? performs as the thermometer drops. We expect that testing will come later this winter.

For now, we accomplished our mission to create icy roostertails. And we found out the Raptor also sizzles like bacon, even in the snow.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

I see GMC has its own version of The Raptor in the works.

[giant_mtb]

Why the hell would they leave it in 2WD to spin donuts?  4WD is so much more fun...

n00bs.

[Speed_Racer]

I had one of these in my rear-view mirror in traffic today. It is incredibly sinister-looking! Scared me just a little.

[Nethead]

I see GMC has its own version of The Raptor in the works.

Monkey see.  Monkey do.

[Mustangfan2003]

I saw a new crew cab 6.2 truck at a local Ford dealer last night.  Fuel economy was 11 city and 14 highway lol 

[Tave]

Why the hell would they leave it in 2WD to spin donuts?  4WD is so much more fun...

Not in a truck.

[Mustangfan2003]

Not in a truck.

Yep you will pretty much just go in a big circle if you try to do doughnuts in a truck locked in 4wd

[SVT666]

I saw a new crew cab 6.2 truck at a local Ford dealer last night.  Fuel economy was 11 city and 14 highway lol 

That's pretty much my 2005 Ram 1500 Hemi got. 

[Mustangfan2003]

That's pretty much my 2005 Ram 1500 Hemi got. 

I knew they were bad but didn't know they were that bad. 

[SVT666]

I knew they were bad but didn't know they were that bad. 

My Ram was rated at 13/17, but I never ever got 17 on the highway and I never ever got 13 in the city.  More like 10/14.

[Nethead]

DUDES!  Good to have the time to pass thru the threads for a few short minutes!  My personal upgrade has had me here, there, and everywhere.  Stats: Yesterday, 5/16/2011, was 26 full circuits (up 130 stories and down 130 stories--which equals 3484 steps up and 3484 steps down) in 57 minutes 40 seconds--when I get that under 57:30 I'm going for 27 full circuits (which is averaging just over two steps up and two steps down per second for three thousand six hundred seconds).  

On a poleless elliptical last week, I averaged 205--210 strides per minute on a 28 minute strenuous-light-strenuous intermittent course to burn 434 calories within 28 minutes.  That was my first time on a poleless elliptical (I typically use pole ellipticals, which are always waaayy optimistic--just ask BlowCougs ) but I wanted a piece of that once Jerry said he burned 412 calories in 30 minutes on it.  I had Jerry set it up just like the course he used to burn the 412, only I put in my weight and rounded my age down just a tad to 30 years old to make the machine push me harder.  Jerry, at his weight, burned 412 calories at about 185 strides per minute but the Nethead here hadta average 205--210 strides per minute since we thirty-somethings are more muscle, sinew, and testosterone than pathetically old Jerry, age 53.
This was the same evening as the most recent nooner with the absolutely HAWT Personal Trainer who bashed my bones for 70 minutes on the company expense account.  

Good shit, all of this!

Like a Boss 302, which even Road & Track journalists can flog into 1:39.5 laps at Laguna Seca, and turn 0-60 in 4.1 secs with ETs of 12.3 secs.  1.02 G on the skidpad and 74.0 MPH in the slalom--check out the article on pages 54 ff in the May R&T...'Probably online, too--I ain't got the time to check it out.  In the same issue, a new GT350 takes a new Challenger SRT8 392 to school.  It ain't no accident that Boss 302R Mustangs have won the last two Grand American Continental Tire Challenge races

And I gained a second grandchild last week to add to the delights!

Sooooo, I got places to go, things to do, and people to see--glad I could pass through for a few minutes   I hope I'll get to pass through again in a month or so!  Meanwhile, keep it between the lines!

The Nethead here