How do you improve on one 411 hp, 6.2L, 100 mph baja-lite desert runner complete with factory warranty? Boost, obviously...
Ford didn't stray far from the script when building the 2017 Raptor. Hulking stance, widened fenders and toddler tall tires (ok 35 inches) are all mainstays from the Raptors first rodeo.
While the 2017 Raptor received a new platform, reworked suspension and the first application of Fords new 10 speed gearbox, the star of the show is the newly reworked 3.5L Ecoboost V6 made specifically for hi-po applications.
Matching its bodywork the reworked 3.5L Ecoboost engine benefits first and foremost from a new aluminium block, upgraded internals, revised heads and remapped fuel delivery. Well and good but what is the tangible meaning? Luckily at the 24 Hours of Daytona, Ford’s Global Product Development VP, Raj Nair let slip accidently (on purpose) that the Raptor’s reworked 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 sums at 450 hp, torque remains unannounced.
Considering that the Raptor shaved 500 lbs of its waist line and gained an extra 40 horses for 2017, expect the Raptor to fly farther, run harder and still remain uncatchable...