New 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor Proves to be 25% Faster in the Desert

2017 Ford F-150 Raptor Durability Testing

On paper the new 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor looks to be a monster. Ford announced it finished more than 1,000 miles of testing on a desert trail designed to be as tough as the Baja 1000, the grandaddy of extreme off-road racing. Ford created a 66-mile course that involved challenges of steep climbs in deep sand, fast sandy washes, and touch-and-go rock crawls through tight trenches. At the end of each lap was a tabletop jump. Lap times for the new 2017 Raptor were 25% faster than the outgoing model after 1,028 miles of smash-mouth testing in the southwest desert of the US.

Final specs haven’t been released, but we do know the 2017 Raptor is using a new twin-turbo 3.5-liter EcoBoost® engine and 10-speed transmission. The current generation uses a 411 horsepower 6.2-liter V8 that generates 434 lb-ft of torque and is paired to a six-speed automatic. With the new aluminum body, Ford is claiming significant weight savings of 500 pounds.

2017 Ford Raptor

 

The 2017 Raptor is 6 inches wider than the standard F-150 for improved stability off-road. An all-new four-wheel drive, torque-on-demand transfer case with off-road driver-assist technology and available Torsen front differential further improves Raptor’s trail performance. FOX Racing Shox and up to 11.2 inches at the front and 12 inches of suspension travel at the rear make the F-150 Raptor make it the most capable off-road truck in Ford’s line-up.

2017 Ford Raptor

Ford will continue testing the new Raptor into 2016 before it arrives in showrooms late in the year. Until then, we can enjoy video footage of the current generation Raptor.

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And here is the reveal of the 2017 Raptor at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show.