The Rundown
Ford has produced America's favorite pickup truck since 1975, and since its birth the F-150 has gone on to become the best-selling truck for over 40 years, and the best-selling vehicle period for 30 years. It was the first vehicle to overtake the Volkswagen Beetle in overall sales and continues to be dominant in America and abroad. Despite all of this rich history, our favorite model year of the Ford F-150 might just be the newest, the 2023 F-150. This is due to the new Raptor package that Ford has released in 2023. The Ford F-150 Raptor R. Although the Raptor already sets a ridiculously high bar on performance and comfort, the Raptor R has created new levels of performance for the F-150 with unheard of power. The main con of this new package is the price tag, the Ford F-150 Raptor R starts at around $109,145. The Raptor R does come packed with loads of goodies, but it is up to you to determine if these features are worth a six figure valued car.
What Mechanical Features are included?
First let’s talk about the most important feature of the Raptor R, the new overpowered engine. This V8 engine is a beast, displacing 5.2 liters, it generates 700 horsepower. Which completely dwarfs the standard EcoBoost Raptor engine that already gets 450 horses, a high output for a truck right off the lot. The pitch meeting we imagined for the Ford Raptor R, sounded like an engineer wanted to drop in a GT500 engine into a Raptor and take it out into the high desert. On top of having the best performance engine an F-150 has ever seen, the Raptor R package throws in larger wheels at 17 inches with bead lock capability. The R also received dampers that are specially tuned to support the massive 5.2 L engine, and stiffer front springs.
What are the Cosmetic Features of the Raptor R?
With Ford, enough is never enough. The Raptor R comes with unique accents and cosmetic features that will let everyone know exactly which Ford F-150 you have, and scream performance. The Raptor R features a package specific color scheme, with black as the predominant color and orange accents throughout. Not only that but all of the Raptor stickers come included and all stickers feature the R highlighted in orange (stickers are on the tailgate, and both sides of the truck bed). The hood receives a special vent and R badging, while the grille below gets “code orange” tow hooks and R badging as well. On the interior it comes loaded with Recaro leather seats that have orange stitching and microsuede accents. The cabin also features R badging throughout and carbon fiber accents.
Summary
Ford has let out all the stops on the new F-150 Raptor R. Raptor enthusiasts who are willing to pay for the superpowered V8, will love the extreme fun and adventure they can get out of R. This truly is the fastest an F-150 can get and outperforms all previous Raptor and F-150 generations.