The Ford F-150 Raptor is possibly one of the finest off-roading trucks money can buy. The 450-horsepower V6 provides ample motivation but since the arrival of the menacing Ram TRX, the Raptor's turbocharged mill looks anemic in comparison. After hearing the cries of fans, Dearborn finally succumbed to the requests and announced its working on a Raptor R.
Set to launch on July 18, the V8-powered truck is rumored to pack an almighty punch. Rumors suggest the TRX rival will gain motivation from the muscular Predator V8, originally used in the Mustang Shelby GT500. In the lairy muscle car, the supercharged 5.2-liter produces 760 hp and 625 lb-ft of torque; more than a match for its Ram-badged rival.
If that's not enough for you, Whipple is already offering an enhanced supercharger kit for the Raptor R - even though the truck isn't on sale yet. No price is quoted (you'll have to contact them), but the tuner notes the twin-screw supercharger is already available and that the Whipple 3.8L Gen5 can produce in excess of 2,000 hp in race applications.
The company's latest product boasts an all-new 3/4 asymmetrical rotor design which, together with the new housing, is responsible for the remarkable power increase. It also includes a 5.7-inch cold air intake system and a 5.19-inch Roval throttle body.
It should prove a cinch to fit, too. Whipple notes that each system ships with an intercooler vent system, molded hoses, an SC belt, and a billet idler plate and billet idler pulleys. It's quite a feat of engineering; the dual-core, dual-pass design of the intercooler has more than double the stock intercooler's volume. But if you're hoping to fit this to your road-going Raptor R (once it arrives) you may be a bit disappointed.
Whipple notes the supercharger kit "may be used solely on vehicles [partaking] in sanctioned competition which may never be used upon a public road or highway unless permitted by a specific regulatory exemption." Yes, that's disappointing - but there's still plenty to look forward to. The Raptor R makes a delightful racket and, shortly after orders open up, America's roads and off-road courses are going to sound a lot better.
