2017 Ford F-150 Raptor SuperCrew

A second Raptor officially hatches.

In the modern automotive idiom, few names stir up as much enthusiasm—and testosterone—as “Raptor.” Indeed, the moniker of Ford’s brawny, F-150–based off-road sensation ranks right up there with Hellcat, GT350, GT3, and GT-R for many enthusiasts, and it tops all of those among folks with a taste for suspension travel and heading off the beaten path.
 
And so the introduction of the all-new, second-generation 2017 F-150 Raptor at last year’s Detroit auto show was a much-anticipated event, even though the new truck doesn’t go on sale until this fall. Now, Ford is using the 2016 Detroit auto show as an opportunity to roll out its new Raptor in SuperCrew form. 

Based on the aluminum-bodied F-150 SuperCrew, the Raptor SuperCrew rides on a 145.0-inch wheelbase—a foot longer than the standard SuperCab-based model—and has four front-hinged doors and the SuperCrew’s 5.5-foot bed. Aside from that, and the inevitably more capacious rear seat, not much changes compared with the standard Raptor, which we detail in this story.

Frustratingly, Ford still hasn’t disclosed output figures for the Raptor’s engine, which is a version of Ford’s prolific, 3.5-liter Ecoboost V-6. Earlier reports suggested that the engine could produce some 450 horsepower, but all Ford has said officially is that it will outmuscle the previous Raptor’s 6.2-liter V-8, which churned out 411 horsepower and 434 lb-ft of torque. With up to 500 fewer pounds to lug around—thank you, aluminum!—and 10 gear ratios allowing the engine to stay in the sweet spot of the powerband, the 2017 Raptor is expected to be much quicker off the line. It also should be a force to be reckoned with off-road thanks to torque-on-demand four-wheel drive plus a new terrain-response system with six available modes. It’ll be more fuel-efficient, too, if anyone cares.