The Ford F-150 Raptor R Has The 690bhp V8 Heart From A Shelby GT500

A red-hot version of the Ford F-150 Raptor has been unveiled by the Blue Oval brand, and it’s called the F-150 Raptor R. The Raptor R will have a detuned version of the same V8 Predator engine used in the Shelby GT500 – someone at Ford must have a screw loose, but we’re not complaining…

The Raptor R’s supercharged 5.2-litre V8 engine has gone through a few changes during the transplant from the Shelby GT500. Although it produces around 750bhp and 625lb ft of torque in the Shelby, the tweaked supercharger in Raptor R version helps it make an uprated torque figure of 640lb ft at the expense of a slightly more modest 690bhp power output (that extra torque will probably better suit the much heavier pick up on rougher terrain.)

For context, the regular Raptor comes with a 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine producing 444bhp and 510lb of torque. That’s a fast truck, but one that looks weedy next to the RaptorRRR.

The powerplant used in the Raptor R is also paired with a 10-speed automatic gearbox specifically tuned for offroad capability. The engine also has a much deeper oil pan and a more heavy-duty oil cooler for the increased durability such an extreme engine requires. The Raptor R also has a much larger air intake that increases intake volume by around two thirds to help the massive engine breathe.

There’s also a new exhaust system fitted to the Raptor R which comes with four different modes depending on how and when you’d like your Raptor R to shout: Normal, Quiet, Sport and Baja.

Although the Raptor R’s rival, the Hellcat-powered Dodge Ram TRX, has ever so slightly more power at 692bhp, the Ford pickup isn’t quite as heavy and has a better power-to-weight ratio. The Raptor R has a curb-weight of around 2700kg, the TRX weighs in at around 2880kg, so it would be an interesting test to put these extreme rivals head-to-head. It might also help the Raptor R to boast marginally better economy figures than the Ram, which does 10mpg around town according to US figures.

The Raptor R also comes with some style upgrades over the ‘pedestrian’ Raptor. There are orange ‘R’ badges and graphics on the wings and a more aggressive bonnet with a dome-shaped centre section suggesting there’s something big underneath it. Inside, there are more Raptor R badges and logos, plus Recaro sports seats, carbon fibre on the door panels and a unique weave on the instrument panel.

Let’s be honest though, one blip of the throttle while you’re pulled up at the lights next to a standard Raptor would be enough to show the driver that you’re behind the wheel of a completely different beast; something unhinged, insane and extreme.