We loved Fords last Raptor - a tough lookin mothertrucker, stuffed with an equally tough motor. After our drive of one back in 2013, we were hooked, and added it to our Lotto list. Fast forward to the present day and Ford have just previewed an all-new Raptor at the Detroit show. With a rad new look, its still madder than a sack of snakes and its still a big rig, but the motivator under the bonnet has been cut down by two pots. Boo. But its not all bad news. While it no longer fires on eight cylinders, the replacement donk, a hi-po v6 with a couple of turbos bolted on for good measure, is said to produce more power and torque than the old 6.2 litre bent eight could muster. Built by Fords Special Vehicle Team, the Raptor scores the all-new F-150s ‘military-grade’ aluminium body said to reduce the kerb weight by a whopping 225kg. Underneath, Raptor cops a heavier duty chassis, along with trick high-riding off-road suspension to help it cope with the rough stuff. Electronic terrain management allows for on-the-fly tweaks to the four wheel drive system, which even includes a Baja mode for high-speed desert runs! Power is fed to all four wheels via a torque shuffling diff and a ten speed auto. Styling embraces the big-is-good approach, meaning pumped guards, chunky bumpers, heavy duty bash plates and oversize knobbly tyres. Overall, the Raptor measures in 150mm wider than a stock F-150. The lucky buggers in the US of A will be able to buy the new Raptor towards the end of the year, however as no right-hand drive versions are planned, Kiwi Raptor fans will need to import their own.
Posted on: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 00:30:44 +0000