When it was introduced at the Detroit Auto Show, Ford said the latest F-150 Raptor’s EcoBoost V6 would make more power than the old Raptor’s V8, but didn’t say how much.
At the 24 Hours of Daytona over the weekend, Ford product development boss Raj Nair let slip in a televised interview on Fox Sports that the new Raptor will make 450 horsepower, according to Automobile.
As Ford said in Detroit, the 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 indeed produces more than the outgoing 6.2-liter V8, which can muster 411 hp and 434 pound-feet of torque.
The new Raptor will almost certainly be faster too. In addition to the extra power, the F-150’s aluminum body saves about 500 pounds over the previous Raptor.
That added performance should mollify fans who might be upset about the lost of the V8, or confused about the Raptor’s sudden emphasis on efficiency.
For such a specialized machine, Ford is making fuel economy a major focus for the 2017 Raptor. The downsized engine will be mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission, which will eventually find its way into other Ford trucks and possibly even the Mustang.
Will have to wait awhile to see if all of those ingredients make a tasty off-road truck, though. The 2017 Raptor won’t go on sale until the Fall 2016.
