2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R Gets 700 Horsepower for $109K
Photo: Ford
Ford on Monday revealed the long-rumored, much-anticipated 2023 F-150 Raptor R. As suspected, the absolute madlads and madlasses and madfolx at Ford equip the most powerful F-150 Raptor ever made with a revamped version of the Shelby GT500’s V8, gifting it an unruly 700 horsepower and 640 lb-ft of torque.
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And while those figures are certainly nothing approaching timid, they may seem low if only because of the assumed intent. The F-150 Raptor R has been held up as the natural predator of the Ram 1500 TRX, Ford’s called shot to take the superlatives of fastest and most powerful truck away from its rival.
But the Ram 1500 TRX makes ever so slightly more power at 702 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. The Raptor’s power numbers could rise closer to production kicking off toward the end of the year, but it also seems like the goal for Ford may not have been toppling a competing truck in the numbers game after all. It may have simply been an effort to top itself.
At that, Ford appears to have shot the moon with the 2023 F-150 Raptor R. The current Raptor makes 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque with the high-output twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6. To say the Raptor R’s supercharged V8 represents a sizable upgrade would be an understatement about as massive as this thing’s presence.
New F-150 Raptor R makes more torque than Shelby GT500
Photo: Ford
The 5.2-liter supercharged V8 gets upgraded including cast stainless steel exhaust manifolds, a wider air intake inlet, improved oil and air filters, and a deeper oil pan. The recalibrated supercharger gets an upgrade, too, with a new pulley system that adds 15 lb-ft of extra torque over the Shelby. And that’s all in the low end and middle of the range, where an off-road truck would need it most.
The changes ultimately result in sacrificing 40 ponies from the Shelby and yielding the horsepower crown to Ram by two. But all in the service of delivering a truck that comes closer to recreating the feel of running in the Baja 1000.
“We’ve heard our customers demanding the sound and power of a V8 back in Raptor,” said Ford Performance Chief Engineer Carl Widmann. “That’s not something we were going to rush. This supercharged 5.2-liter V8 is the ideal fusion of high-density power paired with the third-generation Raptor’s all-new rear suspension and shocks to deliver a one-two punch that goes far beyond the sum of its parts.”
F-150 Raptor R rides on 37-inch tires
Photo: Ford
Indeed, those critical components are optimized for the 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R, including retuned FOX Live Valve shocks. Another major upgrade: 37-inch BFGoodrich KO2s, which not for nothing are larger than the TRX’s tires. Thanks to these robust rubbers, the F-150 Raptor R gets class-leading ground clearance of 13.1 inches.
Ford differentiates the Raptor R with unique touches like a 1-inch-taller power dome on the hood, Code Orange exterior accents, and tell-tale R badging. You can also opt for a graphic that runs over the rear fenders, depicting cracked desert terrain but also somewhat resembling scales one might assume belong to a dinosaur.
Another possibly fallacious assumption was that the F-150 Raptor R would be offered in extremely limited quantities. Ford hasn’t yet breathed a word about limiting availability to any particular number of trucks. But you probably don’t need to restrict numbers too much when you’re talking about a truck that starts at $109,145. That’s a hefty chunk of change more than the 2022 Ford F-150 Raptor. The difference is right around $27K between the Raptor R and a Raptor with the Raptor 37 Performance Package.
The 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R is available to order now and heads into production toward the end of the year.
Kyle S. Johnson lives in Cincinnati, a city known by many as “the Cincinnati of Southwest Ohio.” He enjoys professional wrestling, Halloween, and also other things. He has been writing for a while, and he plans to continue to write well into the future. See more articles by Kyle.