Production 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor Brings The Muscle

It’s been a full year since Ford first revealed the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor, and since then the exact parameters for the world’s only full-size sport pickup have remained vague. Today, Ford fills in some of those blanks, but not all — showing off the production Raptor with a new four-door version and a boost in power.

The biggest change comes under the Raptor’s hood, where it receives a high-output version of Ford’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V-6, mated to an all-new 10-speed transmission—the first use of such a gearbox on any mass-produced car. Ford played shy with the power numbers, saying only that the V-6’s output would surpass the 411 hp and 434 ft.-lb. of torque. Not that Raptor buyers particularly care, but the changes also mean better fuel efficiency.

As before, the Raptor will come in either SuperCab or four-door SuperCrew editions. Thanks to the lighter F-150 frame and aluminum body, the Raptor weighs as much as 500 pounds less than its prior self. As for its off-road prowess, the four-wheel-drive system has been enlightened with a “terrain management system,” which provides six driving modes, including the two coolest, “rock” for low-speed crawling and “Baja” for trekking through the desert at pace.

Many Raptor buyers will rarely use the Fox racing shocks or particularly care that the 17-inch wheels are beadlock-capable. For those who do, the Raptor remains the only truck of its kind, and one that can fly a little higher than before.