Truck enthusiasts and journalist alike have long swooned over the Ford F-150 Raptor. Introduced in 2010, the Raptor proved Ford could make a Baja trophy truck and sell it to the average Joe. First equipped with the old 5.4-liter V-8 and then the updated 6.2-liter V-8, the Raptor has always been a heavyweight bruiser when it came to off-road performance and muscle.<\/p>\n
Things are changing for the Raptor \u2013 and for the better. Completely all new for 2016, the Raptor moves to the new F-150 design that incorporates the aluminum bodywork, beefy high-strength steel frame, upgraded interior, and yes, even Ford\u2019s EcoBoost technology. That\u2019s right, the Raptor is ditching the 6.2-liter V-8 for a high-output version of the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6.<\/p>\n
While some may be concerned the Raptor has lost its mojo, Ford says the new high-strung EcoBoost puts out more than the old 411-horsepower, 434-pound-foot V-8. The engine is then backed by a 10-speed automatic transmission and controlled by a new Terrain Management system and new transfer case.
\nAdd to that the reduced weight of the V-6 and the new aluminum skin, and the Raptor tips in 500 pounds lighter that the outgoing model. While that\u2019s not as much as the 700 pounds the standard F-150 lost, the 200-pound difference is tied up in the Raptor\u2019s strengthened frame. Yes, strengthened beyond the newly upgraded 2015 F-150 frame.<\/p>\n
Other improvements include a dual exhaust system that exits under the shorty rear bumper, larger FOX Racing shocks with more suspension travel, and BFGoodrich\u2019s newly released All-Terrain K02 tires.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Truck enthusiasts and journalist alike have long swooned over the Ford F-150 Raptor. Introduced in 2010, the Raptor proved Ford could make a Baja trophy truck and sell it to the average Joe. First equipped with the old 5.4-liter V-8 and then the updated 6.2-liter V-8, the Raptor has always been a heavyweight bruiser when …<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1758,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[49,181,193,9],"class_list":["post-942","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-unrecognized","tag-car-industry","tag-cars","tag-ford","tag-lifestyle"],"yoast_head":"\n