Even though the launch of the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor is over a year away, we’re being inundated with news and rumors. The latest comes from Ford itself this past weekend.
Ford product guru Raj Nair was doing an interview during the Rolex 24 and mentioned that the new Raptor would make 450 horsepower. If that ends up being true, I nailed it!
Whether on purpose or by accident, Nair let slip during an interview with Fox Sports that the new truck would make 450 hp. We knew from the launch that the twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 would make more power and torque than the outgoing 6.2L V8. This horsepower would represent a healthy increase in power.
Combined with a weight savings of approximately 500 pounds, the new Raptor, according to Ford, will be a rocket-ship. Add in the new 10-speed automatic transmission, and it might even get better fuel economy than the previous truck (even if that’s not the reason why you buy the Raptor).
With the truck launch being so far away, that horsepower number may change. We’ll know more as the time approaches. But Raj Nair is definitely in the know, and we’d take his word over a bunch of other sources. What I do know is this truck is shaping up to be quite a monster!
By Chad Kirchner
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January 26, 2015
