2022 Ford Raptor V8: New Ford F-150 Will Be Equipped With The V8 5.2L Supercharger
2022 Ford Raptor V8 when Ford redesigned the F-150 Raptor for 2017, it ditched the V8 for the EcoBoost V6 which was a mild disappointment to those who believed there was no substitute for the displacement. Now, the crowd might be able to breathe a sigh of relief because based on the audio from the latest Raptor spy video, the Ford performance truck might get those extra two cylinders back.
Provided by the folks at the F150Gen14 are video and, more importantly, camouflaged truck audio with clear F-150 body lines and some suspicious thick tires. The next generation of Raptor will certainly come as a 2021 model so the key point here isn’t that this truck exists, but the sound it makes. It’s not enough for us to definitively say that the next Raptor is getting the V8 but, for what it’s worth, the gravel growl emanating from this thing sure sounds deeper than the tune sung by the current model’s 3.5-liter turbo.
Looking at the latest developments after last July we found that the next-generation Ford F-150 Raptor will return to using V8 power. Ford’s off-road pickup has been powered by the high-output version of The Blue Oval’s 3.5L EcoBoost V6 throughout the second generation, and the configuration has done pretty well without making use of the eight cylinders. Regardless, the next-gen Ford F-150 Raptor will indeed offer buyers the most powerful V8 currently in the FoMoCo lineup.
From one of the major media outlets we’ve covered the FA has learned that the next-generation Ford F-150 Raptor will get the Ford Predator V8 5.2L, the same engine currently found in the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. However, it will deliver a little less power than it does to The Blue Oval topping pony. On the Raptor, eight blasts will produce between 725 and 750 horsepower. In comparison, the GT500’s 760 horsepower rating.
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Ford’s intention with the Predator-powered Raptor is clear – to beat the new TRX 2021 Ram, which was just revealed earlier this week. The TRX is equipped with a supercharged version of the Hemi V8 6.2L FCA, which produces 702 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque. FCA calls the TRX “the fastest and most powerful mass-production truck in the world,” with a claimed 0-60 time of 4.5 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 12.9 seconds at 108 mph.
The prototype used a coil-spring rear suspension arrangement in place of the current Raptor leaf springs, and the truck’s Fox shocks were moved to the front of the rear axle. It’s worth noting that the TRX Ram features five-link coil suspension, which provides superior articulation over traditional leaf spring arrangements.
It is currently unclear whether the all-new third-generation Ford F-150 Raptor will come to the market for the 2021 or 2022 model years. The vehicle may launch towards the end of the 2021 model year, but with very limited availability.
2022 Ford Raptor Test Drive
The test driver did his best not to use the throttle wide open, but there are a few points in the video where we can start hearing the exhaust of the new Raptor. From what we can tell, whatever engine this truck uses sounds different from the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 EcoBoost found on the current Raptor.
It emits a lower growl that almost sounds like a V8, much like the first-generation Raptor. We may not know for sure until Ford officially announces the Raptor powertrain, but it’s still cool to see the next generation model in action for the first time.
Seeing the next generation of Raptor holding a competition for the first time in the form of a Ram 1500 TRX. The TRX will use the same supercharged V8 found in the Hellcat model, meaning it can produce nearly 700 horsepower. 450 hp on the Raptor at the moment seems like a lot, but Ford better is ready to bring A-game if the TRX turns out to be as strong as we think. A TRX disclosure is scheduled for next week, but the Raptor disclosure is still a long way off.
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Also With the 1500 TRX Ram presumed to arrive with a V8 producing immense power, the Ford F-150 Raptor could complete the year with an egg on its face. In 2017, Blue Oval ditched the 6.2-liter V8 model for the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 and added a gear quartet – pissing off some die-hard fans of this model.
The Boys of Baja have complained about the decision to fit a more elaborate motorbike into a vehicle designed to be abused mostly off-road, while others are simply outraged by the loss of the V8’s sound. However, most of those who are not obsessed with the SVT badge agree that the changes did not break the truck and that a second-generation suspension upgrades ultimately resulted in a better off-road vehicle.
That said, Ram dumped the models into markets targeting the same audience, and with the V8, that’s bad news for Ford. But it doesn’t have to be, especially if the sound we heard from the exhaust of the latest test mule was what some listeners were claiming.
On Friday, F150Gen14 shared a video clip of a disguised F-Series pickup (h / t The Drive) that sounded as if it had packed a V8 under its hood. The footage features terrible audio, but there are a few moments where you can hear the vehicle moving away clearly (especially with the headphones) and the sound isn’t like the stock V6.
We already know Ford plans to equip some 14th-generation F-150s with its 395-horsepower 5.0-liter V8 brand, so it makes perfect sense for the company to get something ready for the Raptor as soon as they find out Ram pulls the trigger on the TRX. But the outlet suggested this to be the 2021 Raptor model year, although Ford previously told us the unit would be taking a year off.
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The hat was before the info leaked, as well as some helpful VIN decoding that made it seem as though the pickup would be with us in 2021 – possibly equipped with a hybrid gas-electric V6.
However, it looks like a lot of complicated (and heavy) components to fit into a truck whose greatest power is flying off the dunes. There’s a lot of speculation about here, but we’re very interested in borrowing your ears to help us decide the weather, we heard a V8 on video, or if Ford just fitted a truck with a trick exhaust to keep everyone guessing.
Although Ford hasn’t officially said anything about the truck drivetrain yet, this leak occurred just three days after the revelation of the Hellcat-powered TRX. In a segment as loud as full-size pickups, Ford doesn’t seem willing to wait for Ram for lunch. We speculate that the V8 could be heard in the prototype video shared last week, and although that sparked a fair amount of disagreement on social media, this report is further confirmation of Ford’s real plans.
2022 Ford Raptor Price and Release Date
There’s no official price and release date for the new Raptor as of yet – Ford also didn’t have any comments to make when we contacted them – however, it’s rumored that an early 2021 launch is a possibility. Until then, we just have to be happy combing through spy photos and watching videos of camouflaged trucks running around.
