2017 Ford F-150 Raptor In-Depth: Twin Turbos, 10-Speed Gearbox - Car and Driver (blog)
Ford’s first F-150 Raptor hit like a meteorite when it made its debut for 2010—sudden, spectacular, and surprising. Developed by Ford’s Special Vehicle Team, it somehow survived both the Baja 1000 desert race and the worst economic faceplant in recent history to become a certified critical and commercial success, even if many a Raptor never set a wheel off-road. While many details are still guarded, the second-gen truck will launch in autumn 2016 as a 2017 model under the new Ford Performance banner. The Raptor’s new boxed steel frame is reinforced from the normal F-150’s and will come in two sizes: the sportier 133-inch-wheelbase SuperCab and the roomier 145-inch SuperCrew. Despite the beefier frame, Ford claims that the new truck’s aluminum body (as well as the composite hood and front fenders) helps trim 500 pounds from its predecessor’s curb weight. the 2017 Raptor is EcoBoost only and the first recipient of a second-generation 3. 5-liter V-6 with twin turbochargers and direct fuel injection. Ford says the high-powered EcoBoost engines it develops for sports-car racing influenced some of the production V-6’s improvements, including a new aluminum block and updates to the fuel system, cylinder heads, and internals. To further improve airflow, the high-output engine exhales through a true dual-exhaust system. Source: www.caranddriver.com
