Excess can be a good thing. When an automaker adds an upgraded powertrain, suspension, and technology, things can turn out well. This even applies to pickup trucks. Ford had the regular F-150 Raptor, but there was a problem. Its rival at RAM stuffed a giant V8 into its 1500 and created the TRX. How do you fight a 700+ HP monster when your little twin-turbo V6 produces significantly less power? Add an R! For an extra $30,000, you can get the Raptor R with a supercharged V8 out of the Mustang GT500. Does it live up to the Raptor name?
It does with the looks! What first pops out are the graphics. RAPTOR is spelled out with a red R and APTOR in white. It has a background with 8’s and a single V that you get to find. This Raptor R was in Code Orange Metallic. It definitely isn’t a shrinking violet. The other thing that stands out is the large hood, housing the 5.2 liter V8. The top of the hood is black, and also has RAPTOR spelled with a red R, albeit with the rest written in black. A red R is also seen on the front with a blacked-out grill and FORD spelled out. Raptor R comes with black 17-inch wheels and massive 37-inch tires.
I’m appreciative that Ford gave the Raptor R running boards because this truck is so high off the ground! Anyone under 5’5” is going to have difficulty getting inside. Large body cladding on the wheel arches gives the illusion that this is an even bigger truck. Although there are no R badges at the rear, the tailgate has a strip of black with FORD embossed in black. I have to say, this is a menacing truck. People will stop and stare, but you are in an orange truck that’s properly loud. I’ll get to that later.
Since this is an F-150, you get plenty of space and lots of equipment. The seats are heated and ventilated, and you get a heated steering wheel. Ford’s infotainment system is large and easy to use. There’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. You’ll see that there are buttons and knobs for the climate control. I always appreciate it when automakers stick with good ol’ fashioned buttons and knobs! For productivity, the gear selector and fold down and you can flip the center console above it for a sort-of desk. If you own an F-150 with this, have you ever utilized it? I enjoyed the Bang & Olufsen 18-speaker sound system, but I mainly listened to the engine.
Time for the fun part! F-150 Raptor R’s come with a 5.2 liter supercharged V8 with a whopping 700 HP/522 kW and 640 lb-ft/868 Nm. Pairing with a ten-speed automatic, when you’re in a four-wheel-drive, this truck gets from 0-60 MPH in 3.6 seconds. We are in times where gas-powered trucks can hit the mid-threes. That’s insane! Raptor R literally picks up and goes. If you think this needs more power, I can assure you, not it doesn’t. Not only will you obliterate everything minus supercars and high-powered EVs, but they will hear it!
Remember those buttons from early? Of course, you do! They can be customized along with an R button. I’m glad that the exhaust has a “quiet mode” because I don’t like waking up the neighbors at 6:00 a.m. Once I get to the main streets, everything changes. The custom modes include Normal, Sport, and Baja. The R button was set to everything in either Sport or Baja. Select either of those, and the Raptor is very loud. I found myself using the paddle shifters just so I could earlier than when the transmission wanted to. Fuel economy? If you have to ask…10. 10 MPG.
How about driving it on the road? Look, the Raptor R was made for the desert and rock crawling. There’s body roll and you get the sense that you’re in a huge pickup. Similar to the M2, it felt like I had to hold it back since I couldn’t get it off any tarmac. When I drove around, I had the exhaust in Sport, but everything else in Normal. Have to let people listen to that V8, right? Since the Raptor R is fully loaded, you get adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, and blind spot monitoring. If you want even more tech, you could check out its EV brother, the F-150 Lightning.
With all of these upgrades, the Raptor R doesn’t come cheap. Like I said, it’s a $30,000 upgrade. You can almost get a new car for that money! At $109,000, this is extraordinarily expensive. A top-spec F-150 Lightning is $14,000 less. Raptor R does come with a plethora of safety tech, an extremely powerful engine, and technology. Should you buy one? If you can, please do. This truck is bonkers. I only ask one thing: please take it off-roading. Use Baja mode to the fullest extent. You do that, and you’ll be smiling from your house to the trails.
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