If you're nuts about trucks, the Ford SVT Raptor is probably already on your radar.
SVT? That’s right folks-- Ford’s just brought their long-resting Special Vehicles Team out of suspended animation.
Raptor? Yep. It’s a tweaked-up, F-150-based performance truck that puts upgraded hardware and a specially-engineered suspension at its owner’s disposal. This machine isn’t just a bunch of bolt-ons, it’s a whole different animal.
Unmistakable looks—inside and out
The Raptor’s goal is delivery of high-speed, high-excitement driving on virtually any terrain. This is communicated to those nearby via massive flared fenders, a more imposing stance and some optional decaling that resembles claw-marks. The latter look like battle scars—as if the Raptor had perhaps been playing 'whose tougher' with an angry Dodge Power Wagon.
Perimeter LED lights create a unique lighting profile at night, and the Raptor-specific front end showcases the horizontally-expanded body. The unique fascia says “move it, now” better than any in recent memory, and the overall package looks like a Tonka Truck and a BMX bike had a baby-- and fed it a whole lot of steroids.
The visual awesomeness carries on inside, too. In stark contrast to the standard F-150's available wood and leather cabin decor, the tester featured orange accenting, multi-textured black and orange seats, and aluminum-colored dash trim. There’s a special steering wheel with a red centering notch to help aim the truck out of high-speed slides, and a special 'RAPTOR' welcome display appears on the navigation screen whenever it's turned on.
Said screen also houses controls for the advanced Ford Sync infotainment system. It does numerous jobs-- including reading your incoming text messages aloud and even ripping your favorite CD full of mud-flinging music to the built-in hard drive.
Plenty of space and storage are available throughout, but rear seating quarters lack the requisite 'holy-heck' handle passengers will ask for. Up front, a pre-wired auxiliary switch panel houses controls for potential aftermarket accessories, as well as the buttons that activate Raptor's Hill Descent Control and Off Road Mode. The latter alters shifting, ABS and stability control algorithms for optimized shenanigans on loose or slippery surfaces.
SVT? That’s right folks-- Ford’s just brought their long-resting Special Vehicles Team out of suspended animation.
Raptor? Yep. It’s a tweaked-up, F-150-based performance truck that puts upgraded hardware and a specially-engineered suspension at its owner’s disposal. This machine isn’t just a bunch of bolt-ons, it’s a whole different animal.
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| The overall package looks like a Tonka Truck and a BMX bike had a baby-- and fed it a whole lot of steroids. |
Unmistakable looks—inside and out
The Raptor’s goal is delivery of high-speed, high-excitement driving on virtually any terrain. This is communicated to those nearby via massive flared fenders, a more imposing stance and some optional decaling that resembles claw-marks. The latter look like battle scars—as if the Raptor had perhaps been playing 'whose tougher' with an angry Dodge Power Wagon.
Perimeter LED lights create a unique lighting profile at night, and the Raptor-specific front end showcases the horizontally-expanded body. The unique fascia says “move it, now” better than any in recent memory, and the overall package looks like a Tonka Truck and a BMX bike had a baby-- and fed it a whole lot of steroids.
The visual awesomeness carries on inside, too. In stark contrast to the standard F-150's available wood and leather cabin decor, the tester featured orange accenting, multi-textured black and orange seats, and aluminum-colored dash trim. There’s a special steering wheel with a red centering notch to help aim the truck out of high-speed slides, and a special 'RAPTOR' welcome display appears on the navigation screen whenever it's turned on.
Said screen also houses controls for the advanced Ford Sync infotainment system. It does numerous jobs-- including reading your incoming text messages aloud and even ripping your favorite CD full of mud-flinging music to the built-in hard drive.
Plenty of space and storage are available throughout, but rear seating quarters lack the requisite 'holy-heck' handle passengers will ask for. Up front, a pre-wired auxiliary switch panel houses controls for potential aftermarket accessories, as well as the buttons that activate Raptor's Hill Descent Control and Off Road Mode. The latter alters shifting, ABS and stability control algorithms for optimized shenanigans on loose or slippery surfaces.
 |
| There’s a special steering wheel with a red centering notch to help aim the truck out of high-speed slides. |