More than a decade ago, Ford SVT introduced the Raptor, which was meant to be the top-spec model in the Blue Oval food truck chain. For years the nameplate had been reserved for the full-size F-150 truck, but that changed when Ford debuted the Ranger Raptor in 2019 for markets outside the US.
With the F-150 Raptor now in its third generation and the Ranger Raptor in its second, is there an opportunity for Ford to expand its high-performance Raptor lineup to include larger Super Duty trucks?
Ford Super Duty engineering manager Aaron Bresky answered that question in an interview with Ford Authority.
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According to Bresky, nothing is stopping Ford from building the Super Duty Raptor. However, this will depend on the customer’s request.
“If a customer says ‘we love Tremor but where’s the Super Duty Raptor?’ we listen to our customers,” Bresky said Ford Authority in interview.
The revamped 2023 Ford Super Duty was introduced in September with a standard 6.8-liter V8, with the Tremor standing as the most off-road capable version of the heavy-duty truck yet. It comes with a set of 35-inch Goodyear tires wrapped around exclusive 18-inch wheels, as well as front end lift, adjustable suspension, Trail Turn Assist, selectable drive modes (including Rock Crawl), and a Dana front axle with limited slip differential and ventilation tubes. axle.
The Super Duty Raptor will likely be tuned differently, built to go further and further than Tremor. You can expect a five-link suspension at the rear for better handling, which is paired with Fox shock absorbers, among other things. The engine setup will also be different, which could be a pumped-up version of the Godzilla V8 engine. Whatever the case, you can expect the Super Duty Raptor to be its most powerful iteration yet – just like the other Raptors out there, if that happens.
With the Super Duty lineup leaning more towards heavy duty work than play, do customers really want a Super Duty Raptor? And will the number of interested buyers be large enough for Ford to consider building one? Let us know what you think below.
