A leaked image suggests that the upcoming 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R may be using a 5.2L V8 engine. Everybody is assuming that it will be a supercharged 5.2L V8 engine, but could it be something else? What if it’s a twin-turbo 5.2L V8 engine? How much power could it produce? Let’s take a close look.
This image can be found on the TheRaptorConnection Instagram page.
The first noteworthy piece of information on this leaked “build sheet” is that it labels the vehicle with an “MY2023” or Model-Year 2023. The 2023 model year makes sense, considering that Ford recently closed customer orders for the 2022 F-150 pickup trucks. Ford initially promised that the top-of-the-line “Raptor R” will be shown this year. There is still plenty of time this year for this debut to happen. It’s possible this special Raptor truck will go into production and go on sale by the very end of this calendar year or in the first part of next year. In either case, it makes sense for it to be a 2023 model.
Next, the build sheet labels it as “Raptor C“. What is this? Why not label it as “Raptor R”? It’s difficult to say for sure, but it may just be identified as a “Raptor Crew Cab”.
Finally, there is a reference to “5.2L” and “TT“. The 5.2-liter displacement clearly suggests a possibility of a 5.2L V8 engine. However, the sheet labels it as “TT” – which is often used to abbreviate “TwinTurbo“. There is no reference to “SC” or “SuperCharged”.
What do you think? Could Ford be developing a unique twin-turbo version of the 5.2L V8 just for the F-150 Raptor R, or are we reading too much into this leaked build sheet?
How much power could this hypothetical twin-turbo V8 produce? Let’s use Ford Raptor’s high-output 3.5-liter TT V6 as a basis. This current engine is rated at 450 horsepower (or 128.5 hp/liter). If you simply multiply the specific output by 5.2 liters, you get 668.5 horsepower. This does not appear to be the Ram TRX-crushing power output, but Ford may not be simply chasing a horsepower number. Ford could be after the outright performance. If the F-150 Raptor R beats the Ram TRX in a drag race, this could be the measure of success they are looking for.
On the flip side, what if Ram ups the output of their 2023 Ram TRX supercharged V8 engine? We are living in exciting times.
