SVT Raptor Pricing Announced

[hotrodalex]

My MG, and I think my old Volvo, could do that.

Of course, they are/were both 30 + years old.

Interesting. My El Camino has to have the clutch depressed and it's 10 years older.

[SVT666]

Oh for goodness sake. No wonder we all laugh at you.

Do you have any idea how awesome this truck would be in the Outback?

[the Teuton]

...truck...Outback?

Sometimes I just do it to piss you off.

[Rupert]

My friend had this Ram 2500 with the 8.0L V10 and a 6 spd. It was simply ridiculous. The rear broke loose any time it even smelled dirt. I think an auto in that beast may have been a bit more useable.

Exactly.

I like manuals in low power vehicles because the gear you are in is pretty important for, well, everything. But in something with a lot of power, the auto is better. Keep in mind that I'm comparing a 125 hp I4 to a 350 or so hp V10 in a giant tank of a truck, so it's really not that huge of a difference, as felt while driving.

[Rupert]

Interesting. My El Camino has to have the clutch depressed and it's 10 years older.

'69? Try three years older.

[sandertheshark]

Do you have any idea how awesome this truck would be in the Outback?

I imagine you could run right over a drop bear and not even feel it.

[hotrodalex]

'69? Try three years older.

Eh, I was going off your "30 + years older" part.

[Nethead]

From www.leftlanenews.com:

Ford takes more than 1,500 orders for F-150 SVT Raptor
08/12/2009, 3:20 PM By Andrew Ganz

Ford says that more than 1,500 orders have been placed for its radical, high-performance off road-oriented F-150 SVT Raptor truck ? a figure that has maxed out capacity at the automaker?s River Rouge plant in Michigan.

The automaker says that more than 40 percent of the trucks ordered so far have been swathed in either Molten Orange or Tuxedo black and that most have been loaded up with a moonroof, the Luxury package (which includes heated seats and a premium audio system, among other features) and that over half have been equipped with the exterior graphics package.

As is the case with most high-performance vehicles, a good number of SVT Raptors will be tucked away as collectibles ? Ford says about 16 percent of the mostly male buyers claim they purchased the truck because of its collectible value. Only 31 percent, however, say that they purchased the F-150 SVT Raptor for its off road ability.

Leftlane will be behind the wheel of a Raptor soon and we?ll be sure to report back our first drive impressions.

[Galaxy]

Hopefully you can get it without the graphics.

In fact they want $ 1.075 for those ugly graphics.

[Galaxy]

While I think it looks a bit to cartoonish, I do prefer it to the Lightnings. Nothing is more schitzophren then lowering a truck or SUV.

[S204STi]

I gotta say, it's growing on me.  Not the graphics per ce, but overall.  Lack of a low range still kinda sucks.

[Colonel Cadillac]

That truck is awesome! Speeding off road sounds awesome.

[SVT666]

Personally I wanted the Raptor to be a proper offroad machine rather then a Baja racer, but it is what it is, and it's quite good for what it is.

[giant_mtb]

I gotta say, it's growing on me.  Not the graphics per ce, but overall.  Lack of a low range still kinda sucks.

Why would you ever need low range for the type of driving this truck was designed for?

[S204STi]

Why would you ever need low range for the type of driving this truck was designed for?

We already went over it, go back and read a couple of pages since you're confused.

[SVT666]

We already went over it, go back and read a couple of pages since you're confused.

Low range is useless in a truck designed for high speed offroading.

[Nethead]

From the SVT website:

Details of Ford's new 6.2 liter V8 for Raptor!

* The 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor launches with the proven three-valve Triton 5.4-liter V-8 engine delivering 320 horsepower and 390 ft.-lb. of torque; a new 6.2-liter engine with an estimated 400 horsepower and 400 ft.-lb. of torque becomes available shortly after launch
* Both engines underwent extreme laboratory testing, including running the engines at over 6,000 rpm for more than 150 hours
* The engines also were put to the test in the desert on a 62-mile evaluation loop to prove out the durability demanded by high-performance, off-road enthusiasts

Borrego Springs, Calif., Aug. 17, 2009 ? Mike Harrison?s enthusiasm for V-8 engines is apparent. Harrison, Ford Motor Company?s premium V-8 systems manager, is particularly excited about the availability of the new 6.2-liter V-8 that will power the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor.

Producing an estimated 400 horsepower and 400 ft.-lb. of torque, Harrison rattles off the new engine?s components and features quickly and easily, pointing them out and explaining them with more than a trace of pride.

Harrison wants that engine to perform to its maximum capabilities so that customers of the F-150 SVT Raptor won?t have anything to worry about. In short, if the engine can withstand the rigorous testing Ford demands during the development cycle, it can withstand almost anything the most enthusiastic off-roader can dish out, even desert racers.

The testing is intense. It?s cruel, dusty and dirty. By working in the lab to push the engine to its limits, the process simulates how a customer would use the engine. But then it goes a little bit further.

?Running it over 6,000 rpm for more than 150 hours, which is over the peak power limit of the engine, really puts it through its paces,? Harrison said. ?We?ve tested it in harsher operating conditions on the engine dyno than would ever be seen by a customer who races.?

Beginning in fall 2006, Harrison and his team tested more than 50 engines, with each running through a dozen separate tests. Evaluations included high-speed durability, crank-torsional testing, aeration and a thermal cycle where the engine is ?shocked? from one temperature extreme to another.

As with all Ford programs, attention to detail was a hallmark of the testing process.

?We did a careful teardown of each engine at completion of testing to ensure there absolutely are no issues with the hardware,? Harrison said. ?These are very demanding, very stringent tests ? far more stringent than anything you would see on a truck ? racing or otherwise.?

Testing in the heat

Besides dyno testing, the engine was put to the test in its element ? the desert of Borrego Springs, Calif. Important factors such as engine cooling were evaluated on the 62-mile test loop designed by Ford?s Special Vehicle Team (SVT).

Engine cooling is key on Raptor ? when the truck is in a desert environment, the hot weather and deep sand put a heavy load on the vehicle, and the engine has to exert maximum power to keep it going through deep sand.

There also is less airflow through the radiator at low speeds, and a large and effective cooling system is required for this extreme environment. To improve airflow to the engine, grille openings were increased by 20 percent.

?We spent a lot of time developing our desert durability test so that it?s very close to replicating the Baja 1000,? said Kerry Baldori, SVT chief functional engineer. ?Desert testing proved to be a very quick way to learn about the reliability of the truck and it put another level of extreme loads on the engine that our normal durability testing doesn?t cover.?

Features of the new 6.2-liter V-8 engine include:

* Cast-iron engine block and four-bolt main bearing caps, with additional cross bolts , for durability
* Aluminum cylinder heads, with two valves per cylinder head and two spark plugs per cylinder to more efficiently burn the fuel-air mixture in the combustion
* Single overhead camshaft with roller-rocker shaft drivetrain, which creates a stiff valvetrain that allows optimized camshaft lift profiles and results in better low-speed torque. The roller-rocker shafts allow valve angles to be splayed, resulting in optimized intake and exhaust port layout for better engine ?breathing?
* Dual-equal variable cam timing means intake and exhaust valve opening and closing events are phased at the same time to optimize fuel economy and performance throughout the engine speed range and throttle positions (I'd say this is more Marketing hype than engineering finesse )

Core to the improvements is using a larger bore and shorter stroke. This approach to creating power has its roots in storied Ford racing engines from the past. The large bore (102 mm) allows for larger intake and exhaust valves for improved engine breathing, and the shorter stroke (95 mm) allows higher engine speed for increased horsepower. Still, peak horsepower is generated at a relatively modest 5,500 rpm. Piston cooling jets squirt oil on the underside of the pistons to keep the piston crowns cool under extreme operating conditions.

Crankcase breathing is also improved to reduce windage losses and oil aeration levels at very high speeds. ?That really helps get a robust lubrication system for the engine,? said Harrison. ?It allows us to endure a lot of time at extreme high speeds.?

The 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor launches with Ford?s proven three-valve Triton 5.4-liter V-8 engine. The new 6.2-liter engine will become available in early 2010.

[GoCougs]

Low range is useless in a truck designed for high speed offroading.

Not at all - with big meats like that, that truck will bog and have tire spin modulation issues in deepish sand, mud and snow.

[GoCougs]

Cast iron block and two valves per cylinder???

D'oh! Ford botches yet another engine development project...

[Galaxy]

Not at all - with big meats like that, that truck will bog and have tire spin modulation issues in deepish sand, mud and snow.

I am not 100% certain but I believe that the Dakar racers do not have low range.

[SVT666]

Cast iron block and two valves per cylinder???

D'oh! Ford botches yet another engine development project...

You do realize that every manufacturer uses cast iron for their truck blocks right?  One reason is that trucks take a shit load of abuse, especially a truck like the Raptor (if used as intended), and another reason is that when a truck weighs in at 5500 lbs, 50 extra pounds ain't makin' a damn bit of difference.

[SVT666]

Not at all - with big meats like that, that truck will bog and have tire spin modulation issues in deepish sand, mud and snow.

I've never seen a Baja racer with low range.

[S204STi]

Well then it's useless for any kind of "offroading" other that across a dirt field or something.  Way to go Ford.

[SVT666]

Well then it's useless for any kind of "offroading" other that across a dirt field or something.  Way to go Ford.

It's Baja style racer.  It's not meant for rock crawling or anything like that.  It's meant for high speed offroad racing, and since 85% of our continent is flat or just "hilly", it seems appropriate.  It's useless for me considering where I live, but it's pretty much perfect for anywhere east of the Rockies.

[S204STi]

It's Baja style racer.  It's not meant for rock crawling or anything like that.  It's meant for high speed offroad racing, and since 85% of our continent is flat or just "hilly", it seems appropriate.  It's useless for me considering where I live, but it's pretty much perfect for anywhere east of the Rockies.

Yeah, I get the target audience, but I still don't see it as being a well-rounded truck.  Baja racers also have a couple feet of suspension travel and tube chassis to deal with the abuse of flying across the desert and over jumps and such.  I seriously question the longevity of one of these if driven as a serious Baja racer.  That's why I value low range.  You can creep along offroad up most obstacles without ever stressing the vehicle.  I suppose though that if your main pursuit in life is cattle, this truck's for you.

[GoCougs]

I am not 100% certain but I believe that the Dakar racers do not have low range.

I was just relaying my personal experience, having driven on beaches and sand dunes - even moderately deep stuff (6-10") can bog down a truck when in hi-range.

[GoCougs]

You do realize that every manufacturer uses cast iron for their truck blocks right?  One reason is that trucks take a shit load of abuse, especially a truck like the Raptor (if used as intended), and another reason is that when a truck weighs in at 5500 lbs, 50 extra pounds ain't makin' a damn bit of difference.

Toyota's 4.6L and 5.7L V8s, GM's 6.2L V8 and Nissan's 5.6L all use aluminum alloy blocks.

[GoCougs]

I've never seen a Baja racer with low range.

Chances are the vast majority of baja racers you've seen are 2WD or if 4WD and the size/weight of the Raptor, have 50 - 100%+ more power.

[Cookie Monster]

IMO I think Roy is correct. I don't think this thing will handle huge jumps very well after a couple thousand miles.

You see a lot of old trucks (like Toyota Trucks/4Runners) still out on trails crawling around. I doubt this will be the case with the Raptor after a few big jumps "Baja" style.

Yet again, another failed truck that will most likely see its days cruising the mall parking lots.

[GoCougs]

I don't think it's a failure but more like a bit of a poser; kinda like the Ram SRT-10 or H-D F-150.