5.2 liters of awesomeness await.
Way back in February of last year, Ford officially confirmed that the F-150 Raptor would be getting V8 power, but the Dearborn-based automaker did not disclose what form this would take exactly. Videos had already confirmed as much, and the rumors have suggested that this engine will be the 5.2-liter supercharged Predator V8. The vehicle would likely be called the Raptor R and has been said to be arriving later this year, but no official word has given any of these rumors substance. But now we have no need for an official announcement, as a leaked build rotation sheet shared on Instagram has given us all we need to know.
Ford
theraptorconnection/Instagram
Ford
The above sheet shows that the 5.2-liter supercharged V8 known as the Predator will be migrating from its original home of the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 to the F-150 Raptor R. In the Mustang, it generates 760 horsepower and 625 lb-ft of torque. By comparison, the Ram TRX with its 6.2-liter supercharged Hellcat V8 produces 702 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque. However, since all we have is confirmation that the rumored engine is going into the Raptor R, we do not know if Ford will detune the motor slightly. What we do know is that, whatever it produces, the most hardcore Raptor yet will certainly be a capable off-roader.
Recent rumors have suggested that orders will open in the fall, which aligns with what we heard about the truck being revealed in the third or fourth quarter of the year. We also feel confident in guessing that Ford’s outstanding 10-speed automatic will handle transmission duties, but we have no word on what the brutish truck will cost. The Ram TRX retails for around $70,000, but knowing how greedy Ford dealers have been lately, we wouldn’t put much faith in getting the new Raptor at MSRP. Whatever happens, we hope that Ford’s new plan to stop price gouging is effective.
