Ford F-150 SVT Raptor
Raptor. Even the name inspires awe. It conjures visions of eagles, falcons, and ospreys diving from the air to seize their prey on the ground with sharp and powerful talons, creating an explosion of dust in the process. Indeed, the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor seizes its competition leaving them to eat its dust as it accelerates beyond their reach.
The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is a beefed-up variant of the most popular of the 60-year-old Ford F-Series pickup trucks, the F-150. For 24 years, the F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle in the US, and if we consider only trucks, its reign is extended to 34 years. Make sure to get the best car insurance for your SVT Raptor.
Intended for off road adventures, the pickup truck is equipped with a 6.2-liter V-8 engine that can churn out 411 horsepower. Although initially available with a 5.4-liter Triton V-8 engine with a 320-horsepower capacity, this has since been discontinued. Power is transferred to all four wheels via a 6-speed automatic transmission. There are no two-wheel drives for the Raptor.
In order to improve stability, the track of the Raptor is widened by seven inches. With this, the half-shafts are longer resulting in an increased wheel travel. Indeed, the front wheels can move up and down up to 11.2 inches while the rear can even do better at 13.4 inches. To support this movement, the half-shafts have been strengthened and are designed to be more durable than the standard F-150s.
Landing from tall obstacles or from jumps can be jarring to the passengers. For this reason, the truck is fitted with specifically tuned internal-bypass Fox Racing shock absorbers and micro-cellular urethane bump stops.
Standard tires for the Raptor are 35-inch BF Goodrich all-terrain tires which are especially formulated for it. The body has a slight variation from other F-150s. It has a black grille that looks like a stack of bricks in a running bond pattern. In the middle of the stack is the name “Ford” running the entire width of the grille, instead of the more famous Blue Oval. The hood and fenders are also a touch different.