F150 Raptor Factory Prerunner - Prerunner Trucks

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F150 Raptor Factory Prerunner

Prerunner Fans our prayers have been answered. No longer a rumor, the factory prerunner Ford Raptor will be release to the public.

“Ford trucks have been a mainstay on the off-road racing scene for more that 20 years because of our long history of capability and durability,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford's group vice president for Global Product Development. “With the F-150 SVT Raptor, we will be delivering a true off-road performance truck with the proven ‘Built Ford Tough' capability and durability that is at the core of every F-150.”

We here at Prerunner Maniac feel it is about time Ford made a truck that matches their intended use. Ford has been dominating the desert racing scene for years. I would say most prerunners today are built using Ford vehicles, it seems like a no brainer for Ford to offer a factory prerunner to help make the prerunner scene more mainstream.

Some might call owners of the Raptor, “Posers”, but we feel this is a huge step in the progression of the sport. Let’s face it you can’t make everyone happy.

So what makes the Raptor a prerunner? Well the first thing you notice is the bulge in the front fenders and the flare to the bedsides making room for the large BFG tires.

A quick peek under the front you clearly see the internal by-pass FOX SHOX giving the Raptor 11.2” of travel and this is with 4WD. The front suspension has been completely redesigned with, “…new upper A arm, new lower A arm, new tie rods, and new half-shaft joints,” said Jamal Hameedi, Ford SVT chief engineer.”

The rear of the Raptor uses piggy-back FOX SHOX giving you 13.4” of travel.

The Raptor will be released with the tried and true 5.4 liter Triton® V8 three-valve engine, which delivers 320 horsepower and 390 lb.-ft. of torque. Ford reports a new open-valve fuel-injection strategy improves the air/fuel charge conditions in the combustion chamber, allowing greater spark advance at higher loads and engine speeds.

After the launch of the Raptor a new 6.2-liter V8 will be available. It will feature all-new architecture specifically designed for robustness in a truck application.

After seeing the final details of the Ford Raptor it looks like Ford really did its homework, answering the needs of desert speed freaks. Now I am not saying we are going to see a Raptor tackling 2 foot whoops at 60mph, but it is a step in the right direction.