Ram threw down the gauntlet at Ford's feet with the new 1500 TRX, a 702-horsepower brute that supplanted the F-150 Raptor as king of the stupidly powerful desert-running pickups. (If Ram's intent were not clear enough, the new truck has an easter egg graphic of a T-Rex eating a Velociraptor.) Naturally, Ford has a response planned — in the form of a new V8 version of the Raptor. And the Blue Oval apparently plans to reveal it very soon — 11am EST on February 3rd on Ford's YouTube channel, to be precise.
Reports from reputable sources like Car and Driver claim the F-150 Raptor will be splitting into two variants. A base model would get an upgraded version of the current Raptor's 3.5-liter V6, which currently puts out 450 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque. A version of Ford's twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 hybrid powertrain could be an option at that level as well.
The upgraded model, which may be called the "Raptor R," should get the supercharged 5.2-liter V8 from the Shelby GT500. That engine delivers 760 horsepower in that iteration. Expect it to be tuned lower than that...but above the Ram 1500 TRX's output, of course.
Like the refreshed 2021 F-150, the new F-150 Raptor probably won't look dramatically different on the exterior — with the exception of more aggressive appearance for the 700-plus horsepower model. Spy shots have suggested Ford will switch from leaf springs to a coil-spring setup on the rear suspension, like the Ram.
Expect a base price a bit above the current F-150 Raptor, which starts at $53,455. The V8 version is likely to start around the Ram TRX's $70,095, with options to spend far more than that. Somehow, that feels reasonable.
