When Ford debuted its redesigned, next-generation F-150 Raptor in 2021, it wasn’t the V8-powered Ram TRX killer truck fans were hoping for. But the Blue Oval promised us that a second, more extreme Raptor R was in the works for 2022 – powered by Ford’s 5.2L supercharged V8 (codenamed Predator) taken straight out of the Ford Shelby GT500 – aimed directly to take on the TRX.
Well, the 2023 F-150 Raptor R is here, and it’s awesome like every other Raptor-fied full-size pickup before it. Except this high-performance off-roader is the most powerful version today.
Torque-dense supercharged V8 off-roader
Unlike its regular Raptor sibling’s 3.5L twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 engine, the Raptor R finds a new 5.2L supercharged V8 good for 700 horsepower and 640 lb.-ft. of torque (almost ten years since the F-150 Raptor last saw a V8). All paired to a 10-speed SelectShift transmission, Ford says, gets improved calibration. End of the day, aside from being the most powerful to date, it’s also the most torque-dense supercharged V8 yet in a production pickup. Fast forward a year, the 2024 Raptor R gains 20 extra horses, surpassing the Ram 1500 TRX in the power department.
Not the 760 horsepower spec we were expecting, but hey, 700 horses will do just fine. Especially when all this power is paired with all the off-roading improvements Ford focused on for proper trail-conquering capabilities, particularly the long-travel suspension with FOX Live Valve shocks tuned to handle the Raptor R’s burly V8 power.
The company’s performance chief engineer is making a solid case here: “When customers experience Raptor R in the desert and beyond, it will make the hairs on the back of their necks stand up – and they’ll love every second of it.”
Based on our experience taking the 2017 Raptor to an ice track, we’re pretty sure this engineer is good on his word. Only a handful of trucks can perform at this level, and for the longest time, the F-150 Raptor was in a class of its own.
Update: here’s our firsthand experience with the 2023 F-150 Raptor R.
The Raptor R pickup sits on 37-inch tires and offers the segment’s best ground clearance, according to Ford, and gains a new front axle with an improved higher-strength carrier casting paired with a larger-diameter aluminum driveshaft.
Frankly, this list of suspension mods and off-road handling features goes on and on – from the five-link rear suspension (taken from the new third-generation 2021 Raptor) with longer trailing arms and the electronically controlled dampers, to optimized Baja mode for proper high-speed off-roading and Raptor-specific torque converter with heavy-duty turbine damper and four-pinion rear output assembly.
Release date
The 2023 F-150 Raptor R production begins at the end of 2022 at Ford’s Dearborn Truck Plant in Michigan, but the order has now opened up as of July 18. We expect official pricing sometime in late 2022/early 2023.
