2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R First Drive: Tremendous Quick and Pleasant

These are unusual occasions within the auto trade. After years of ready and two generations with out it, Ford is placing a V8 again within the Raptor to create this, the 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R. On the identical time, Ford is making a fully-electric F-150 pickup truck. The supercharged, Shelby-powered Raptor R and all-electric F-150 Lighting exist at reverse ends of a single spectrum, and going between the poles of Ford’s (and America’s) best-selling mannequin may be jarring.

You possibly can say combustion-powered autos have discovered themselves within the uncomfortable place the final dinosaurs have been in as they watched an asteroid streak throughout the sky. A kind of animals needed to be a Velociraptor, proper? The metaphor doesn’t work with out it, however humor me. Effectively, no. Humor this 700-hp Raptor, as a result of if that is the tip of the internal-combustion period, then what an finish it’ll be.

Full Disclaimer: Ford flew me to Muskegon, Michigan to drive the brand new 2023 F-150 Raptor R, paying for my keep at a heat place indoors in a pleasant resort. The following day, a gaggle of us drove to Silver Lake State Park the place the supercharged V8 reminded us there’s no substitute for displacement.

2023 Raptor R: Drivetrain and Suspension

G/O Media might get a fee

A gift for literally everybody.
Gifts under $20, $10, and even $5. It’s Wish, the catch-all shop for all of the above.

When I say same old Raptor, I mean that this is a return to form. The authentic F-150 Raptor, the primary extensive and menacing dinosaur from Ford Efficiency, got here with a V8. Thus, the Raptor R is all about its brawny engine and adjoining parts. That features a revised suspension, which was essential to deal with the added weight and energy of the V8 engine.

The F-150 Raptor R has a 5.2-liter supercharged V8 making 700 hp and 640 lb-ft of torque. You may acknowledge that engine because it comes from one other Ford Efficiency thoroughbred: the Mustang Shelby GT500.

Strict emission and different rules, nevertheless, didn’t permit for the complete 760-hp output of the Mustang within the Raptor R. I hesitate to name the Raptor R’s powerplant a giant, beefy engine, as a result of Ford paid consideration to the effectivity of its packaging: the cast-aluminum-block engine appears nearly compact, even with that supercharger on high.

However for all its packaging prowess, the V8 engine continues to be considerably heavier than the three.5-liter twin-turbo V6 within the base Raptor, which makes “simply” 450 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque. The Raptor R’s V8 nominally weighs 83 kilos greater than the Raptor’s V6. Ford makes use of a (considerably beneficiant) tolerance to be protected, saying with manufacturing variances, the larger engine can weigh roughly between 80 to 100 kilos greater than the EcoBoost V6. So, whereas it gives a whopping 250 extra horses, it provides mass to the Raptor’s snout.

The common Raptor is constructed on a strengthened model of a tow-package-equipped F-150 body, with a beefier suspension because of stronger management arms and steering knuckles, taller strut towers, and strengthened Panhard rods.

The Raptor R takes these reinforcements even additional with strengthened entrance axles, a novel entrance spring price, and entrance dampers with larger-diameter rods to deal with the burden of the V8, although the electronically managed variable dampers are the identical as these of the bottom Raptor.

One other notable change is that the Raptor R has 13 and 14.1 inches of entrance and rear suspension journey, respectively. That’s one inch lower than the Raptor in both metric. Technically, that’s a downgrade, however one thing needed to give, proper? Each the V6 and V8 Raptors have the identical 10-speed computerized transmission, however Ford Efficiency retuned it for the Raptor R.

2023 Raptor R: The Sights, the Sounds and the Fury

First, I wish to speak in regards to the different adjustments that set the Raptor R and base Raptor aside. Specifically the styling, and, in fact, the exhaust system. At a look, the one factor distinguishing the Raptor R is a modest replace to the design. It’s onerous to inform the 2 Raptors other than a distance, however the nearer you get, the extra you discover the accents that give away the R.

Tony Greco, program supervisor for the F-150 Raptor R, stated his design edict to the staff was, “Much less is extra.” Nobody, and I imply no one, will ever name the F-150 Raptor R understated — nor another Raptor, for that matter. How may they when the truck sits on 37-inch tires over 17-inch wheels, and is 87 inches extensive not counting the mirrors?

However Ford may’ve simply gone excessive with this new truck to make it stand out from different Raptors. Doing so would’ve been a misstep, and I’m grateful that Greco requested the staff to point out slightly restraint. The truth is, in sure colours (ahem, Antimatter Blue) the Raptor R appears sharp and nearly refined.

It’s confidently restrained. The headlights and taillights are nonetheless a bit a lot, however the amber lights all around the truck are rising on me. They appeared particularly cool as we rode in a convoy of Raptor Rs at the hours of darkness, the megatrucks standing in stark distinction with each different automotive on the street. In a rearview mirror, all the things is quiet in comparison with a Raptor.

I used to be actually hoping the truck wouldn’t say “Raptor R” wherever, as a result of that’s simply an invite to loudly yell Raptorrrr, which sounds actually dumb. Possibly Ford anticipated this, as a result of as a substitute of slapping on a “Raptor R” badge, designers gave the truck’s title a shade accent. The primary and final “R” on sure Raptor badges are rendered in Code Orange, emphasizing the robust consonants with out making you sound like a pirate. Arr.

The factor that betrays the Raptor R’s restraint, nevertheless, is the hood scoop. Greco advised us he wished drivers to have one thing they may have a look at to remind them they personal a Raptor with a V8. Whereas onlookers and fellow motorists will simply spot the Raptor R graphics and orange accents that differentiate the extra highly effective truck, homeowners and drivers simply should look down and have a look at the facility dome on the hood, a full inch taller than the one on the bottom Raptor.

It’s a positive and largely unobtrusive design contact. It even is sensible intuitively, given the larger engine. However, actually, it’s not needed, as a result of the actual reminder of the truck’s cylinder rely isn’t visible. Drivers don’t have to take a look at the hood nor below it — they only should take heed to the Raptor R’s exhaust word.

The sound of the Raptor R’s supercharged V8 is unmistakable. Belief me, you’ll know when an R is close by: You’ll be warned by the low growl that gurgles early by way of the facility band, and solely will get greater pitched because it zings towards redline, turning right into a wail on the high.

Ford redesigned the air consumption and modified the exhaust system of the Raptor R for the sake of higher stream and sound. The brand new stainless-steel twin exhaust does away with the curved “trombone” pipe discovered on the EcoBoost V6. The active-valve twin exhaust on the V8 runs straight down the size of the chassis, with every pipe getting two resonators for a complete of 4. It could be unfair to say the Ford Raptor R exists for the V8 exhaust word alone, however that’s a giant a part of what makes the truck particular.

2023 Raptor R On-Street Dynamics

Very like the Raptor’s R design, the exhaust word doesn’t overwhelm. The R has the identical seven drive modes as the bottom Raptor (Slippery, Tow/Haul, Sport, Regular, Off-Street, Baja and Rock Crawl), remapped and optimized for the V8, and that features making the raucous exhaust excellent for any given setting. In different phrases, making it livable for the proprietor and bearable for different drivers within the extra mundane settings.

Our drive would have us push the Raptor R to the restrict at Silver Lake State Park, which is kind of an enormous sandbox on the shore of Lake Michigan. Attending to Silver Lake meant we needed to drive up from the town of Muskegon alongside a mixture of floor roads and a stretch of freeway. We woke vivid and early — nicely, darkish and early — and Ford herded us to a row of Raptor Rs. One or two of us might have fallen over from lack of sleep, except I dreamed that.

Quickly we went from being crusty-eyed journalists to a decent pack of Raptors prowling to the sport path. Regardless of the absurd dimension, the truck by no means felt prefer it was plodding alongside. Make no mistake, no matter its engine, the F-150 Raptor R is ludicrously massive. Late-model Chevy Silverados one way or the other appeared small within the subsequent lane. However the Raptor R feels lighter than it has any proper to; Ford hasn’t revealed an official weight, however I assume it may possibly’t be a lot lower than 6,000 kilos with the heavier engine.

With 700 hp, the Raptor R is, uh, quick. On public roads, it’s near unsettling. I’ll admit this is likely one of the first autos I’ve pushed the place I used to be really afraid to pin the throttle when overtaking on the freeway.

To take action, most drivers would sign a lane change, head-check their blind spot, and throttle simply sufficient to clear slower visitors. However within the R, “sufficient” comes means sooner than I anticipated. I gave it an enthusiastic blip, the supercharger inhaled with a whine, and the truck surged forward, growling.

The Raptor R can pull, and never simply on the backside finish. However there’s loads of low- and midrange torque to get you going, and even with the engine loafing within the backside third of the tach, it’s mighty snappy. On the freeway, between 65 and 85, the tach hardly goes previous 2,000 rpm, coronary heart price not even near being elevated.

My pulse, then again? Yeah, it was up there.

2023 Raptor R Off-Street

The Raptor R’s energy is superfluous within the metropolis, but it surely’s brilliantly matched to the truck in its pure habitat. The Raptor R ideally belongs off-road in extensive open stretches of desert, like Baja California, or the dunes of Silver Lake, Michigan.

The Huge Three — and different automakers — deliver their off-road machines to Silver Lake to check them in brutal situations. There’s even a dune known as Take a look at Hill, which stopped at the least one Raptor R in its tracks (although I’m prepared to name that driver error). The huge dunes and extensive swaths of sand wrest away the momentum of any machine silly sufficient to enter. You don’t actually glide over sand a lot as push it apart by power. A supercharged V8 makes that easy.

Good tires assist, too, and the Raptor R comes with 37-inch BFGoodrich all-terrains commonplace. Aired down to fifteen PSI, the extensive contact patch and two additional cylinders made bombing by way of Silver Lake simple.

The lead truck in every group was piloted by a Ford Efficiency teammate who advised us the right way to sort out every part of our off-road take a look at, which included driving over dunes, tracing tight strains over steep grades and looping again round with out shedding management.

Going over the large dunes required us to deftly modulate our speeds. Too quick and also you’ll go over violently, pitching that heavy entrance finish down and bottoming out the suspension. I’ll or might not have executed simply that. However when you go too gradual, the steep grade of free sand will bury you near the highest.

It requires a sophisticated steadiness of push and pull, however the Raptor R makes it laughably simple. Certainly, the primary time we got here to Take a look at Hill, it appeared like a wall of sand to me. By the tip of the day, I noticed we’d gone over a few occasions and I hadn’t even seen. Or if I had, I assumed it was another dune, not one named for its capacity to journey up an inferior machine. Piloting the Raptor R and harnessing the facility of its V8 looks like dishonest.

We have been fortunate that, after just a few moist and windy days, the climate at Silver Lake had turned in our favor. We obtained nothing however solar, which helped dry the part referred to as the strip, the place Ford advised us to go wide-open throttle. Hell, they inspired us to race; it could have been impolite to not, so I obliged. I had a hammer formed like a pedal, and there was a supercharged nail on the opposite facet of the truck’s firewall. So I hammered away, unhinged and reckless.

I solely obtained caught within the sand as soon as, early on. That’s how I noticed the Raptor R is just scary outdoors of its pure habitat. On the terrain the place it belongs, it’s really fairly pleasant. The facility of the V8 is tuned in a means that received’t overwhelm you within the acceptable setting — Baja. Johnson Valley. Silver Lake.

And once more, we’re again to livability. The Raptor R is near an ideal machine for the setting the place it belongs. When I drove the Ford Bronco Raptor, I used to be all the time aware of a roll-over. The Bronco Raptor is supremely succesful, but it surely’s additionally much less forgiving. It calls for respect. In contrast, the Raptor R hunkers down at pace. It will get firmer the extra you push. It feels prefer it’s correcting you right here and there, and it encourages you to take probabilities. When doubtful, throttle out. There’s all the time energy on faucet within the Raptor R, after which some.

Reality be advised, I used to be anticipating to return away with the opinion I introduced with me: That the smaller Bronco Raptor could be higher off-road and on. The Bronco struck me as a polymath, a proficient automobile able to doing a lot of issues very nicely. For me, a relative beginner, the Raptor R is a extra confidence-inspiring machine off-road, and extra snug on the freeway as well. Even in delicate drive modes, the Bronco Raptor feels tense by way of the rev vary. Its glorious transmission is tuned for efficiency, however the beefier gearbox of the Raptor R is best at sharpening the facility of the V8 with a veneer of consolation and composure. The F-150 Raptor is now in its fourth era, and it reveals.

The truth is, it’s painfully apparent how a lot the F-150 Raptor has improved in consolation in comparison with prior Raptors. Nothing contained in the R feels or appears low cost. It has a thickly-padded leather-wrapped steering wheel; it has closely bolstered leather-based and Alcantara seats; the cabin has triaxial carbon-fiber weave all alongside the dashboard. The infotainment is identical as Bronco Raptor, however the display screen is best built-in. It’s really opulent inside.

2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R: Last Verdict

The F-150 Raptor R is a supremely snug truck. It’s one way or the other each a luxurious automotive and gnarly off-roader. However it should be on the worth Ford might be charging, which is steeper than Take a look at Hill. When the 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R goes on sale on the finish of this yr, it should have an MSRP of greater than $109,000. That’s greater than $30,000 over the beginning worth of the EcoBoost Raptor.

It’s additionally lots in comparison with the Ram 1500 TRX, which prices over $20,000 much less and comes with 2 extra hp and 10 extra lb-ft. However the Raptor R’s mixture of energy, poise and poshness is tough to beat.

The Ford F-150 Raptor R looks like a wild animal that may languish in captivity. For the love of God, when you’re one of many individuals who can afford this truck, take it to Silver Lake, or Huge Bend, or Baja, or Johnson Valley. That’s the place it belongs. Neglect the paper comparisons; crumple up the spec sheet and simply get on the market. Now that EVs are coming, together with the Ford F-150 Lightning, it’s unclear how a lot time the Raptor R has left earlier than the V8 goes extinct.