2023 F-150 Raptor R, Engine, Interior And Price – We’re all familiar enough with the father of the factory built desert truck, the first generation Ford F-150 Raptor. Since the introduction of these trucks in 2009, they’ve been a dominant force in the off-road community, each generation seemingly better than the last. The current (third generation) Raptor being no exception. Changes over the outgoing 2020 model were significant, even if they look very similar from the outside.
We’ve known for a while that Ford was coming out with the 2023 F-150 Raptor R, a more hardcore version of the already-wild Raptor. Now, it’s here, and we finally have all the juicy specs you’re lookin’ for.
Ford on Monday unveiled the 2023 F-150 Raptor R. Under the hood is a 5.2-liter supercharged V8 that Ford first used on the Mustang Shelby GT500. In this truck, it makes a properly ludicrous 700 horsepower and 640 pound-feet of torque. That’s just 2 hp and 10 lb-ft under the Ram 1500 TRX.
2023 F-150 Raptor R
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2023 F-150 Raptor R Engine
As promised a year ago, the 2023 F-150 Raptor R returns a V8 to Ford’s F-150 Raptor off-road pick-up – after two generations of 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6s – using the 5.2-litre supercharged V8 heart of America’s Mustang Shelby GT500 muscle car.
Built to rival the 6.2-litre supercharged V8 Ram 1500 TRX, the 2023 F-150 Raptor R develops 522kW and 868Nm – an increase of 192kW/177Nm over the 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 F-150 Raptor, but down 1kW/14Nm over the Ram.
There’s an elephant in the room when it comes to the 2023 F-150 Raptor R and there’s no way we can go further in this guide without addressing it. Ford put a V8 back in it! Not only that, it’s a 700HP version of the supercharged 5.2 V8 found in the Shelby Mustang GT500.
There are a few differences between the voodoo-based engine in the GT500 and the 2023 F-150 Raptor R powerplant. Notably, a smaller pulley on the 2.65-liter roots-style Eaton supercharger, which helps give the Raptor version a bit more torque than the Mustang.
Of course, a Mustang V8 would work in an 2023 F-150 Raptor R without many changes, but Ford revised the Raptor R’s engine a bit for use in an off-road truck. The automaker tweaked the supercharger and replaced its pulley to boost low- and mid-range torque, which is the operating range that Ford says customers use most often.
A 10-speed automatic transmission is standard, delivering power to all four wheels, and Ford beefed up the torque converter to better deliver that power when and where it’s needed. Ford didn’t give any 0-to-60 times, but it has to be pretty close to the TRX’s 4.5-second time.
2023 F-150 Raptor R Interior
2023 F-150 Raptor R Interior
As for the dimensions, it measures the same as the standard Raptor, except for the height. The Raptor R is 0.8 inches taller, which is because of the bigger tires. It must be noted that the Raptor with 37-inch tires and the Raptor R have the exact dimensions.
Aside from the standard 2023 F-150 Raptor R interior, which is nice enough on its own. The Raptor R gets some specific touches that really set it apart from the rest of the F-150 line. For example, all Raptor R’s come standard with Recaro seats covered in a sporty and elegant combo of leather and suede.
There’s also a unique “tri-axial weave” carbon fiber on many of the interior panels, which Ford says helps convey the R’s “combination of performance, toughness, and durability.”
Although the cabin isn’t luxurious, it is quite sporty. The black theme continues on the inside as well. Recaro seats come as standard and they are upholstered in black leather and Alcantara suede. You’ll find genuine carbon fiber elements on the doors, media bin door, and upper parts of the instrument panel.
The instrument panel features a unique tri-axial weave design that is a subtle touch, but looks pretty cool. In terms of tech features here, the 2023 F-150 Raptor R comes with a 12-inch touchscreen as standard. It is powered by SYNC 4 technology and supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Raptor R will also come with Ford Power-Up over-the-air software update capability.
2023 F-150 Raptor R Price
2023 F-150 Raptor R Price
Apart from standard Raptor product, Blue Oval will even introduce the Ram TRX killer, the 2023 F-150 Raptor R. From details that we received, the R design will commence at $75,000, which can be virtually a lot more compared to the authentic one. The two models will get there later on in the 12 months, whilst revenue should start soon right after.
