Production of the third-generation Ford F-150 Raptor got underway early last month and now those completed examples are making their way to dealerships. And yes, they have all the necessary semiconductor chips. The hardcore off-roader will understandably be very popular just like its two predecessors, and that's exactly what some dealerships are banking on.
The Raptor Connection, via Instagram, discovered a 2021 Raptor for sale at Oxmoor Ford near Louisville, Kentucky with a $10,000 mark up above sticker price. Someone must have quickly snagged it because the now $90,000 truck is no longer listed on the dealer's website. The Drive spotted another Raptor for sale at a Pennsylvania dealer priced at $84,570. Its MSRP is higher than the previous example but there's no markup.
Unless buyers pre-ordered their trucks months ago, expect dealers to take advantage of an in-demand vehicle, especially when F-150s are hard to come by right now. We've seen past examples of this on the Honda Civic Type R, Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, Bronco, Ram TRX, and the Dodge SRT Demon. OEMs have tried various measures in recent years to discourage dealers from charging hefty premiums but, legally speaking, there's not much they can do.
Dealers are privately-owned franchises and they're free to charge whatever amount for any vehicle they wish. The MSRP, or manufacturer's suggested retail price, is exactly that - a suggestion. As far as the Raptor goes, it's important to remember an even more powerful variant is on the horizon, the Raptor R.
The "base" Raptor comes powered by an upgraded 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 with 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque, a little bit less than we were expecting. The Raptor R is expected to offer around 700 hp. If you're patient, the R variant is the one to get. The regular Raptor is still very capable on- and off-road, but there's something about having a 700-hp truck that just sounds very appealing. TRX owners would wholeheartedly agree.
The Raptor R should be on sale in roughly a year from now and we can all be guaranteed dealers won't hesitate for a second to increases those prices by thousands too.