I am the proud owner of a 2014 Ford Raptor SVT Crew Cab…as most of you know. I bought the rig in July 2014 and like it even better now than when I drove it off the lot. Which is to say, I love it.  I’ve put about 1,000 miles per month on it, and plan to keep the current Raptor for a very long time.
Ford, flushed with success with five years of Raptor sales in an environment where people seemed willing to pay over sticker for an already admittedly over-priced truck, is discontinuing the Raptor because the US Government is forcing them to. In order to meet mileage guidelines set by USGOV, a new Raptor must be lighter, which means eliminating the steel I-beam body framework and replacing it with aluminum.
Never fear, Ford is planning to roll out an all new and improved Raptor in 2017.
2017 Ford Raptor

At the time of this post, this is what we know:

  • The Raptor will be 500 pounds lighter than the current model.

Aluminum unibody will replace steel I-beam 

  • The new Raptor’s engine will be a 3.5L Ecoboost V6 with a new aluminum block and upgraded internals, revised heads, and tweaked fuel-delivery equipment for a rumored 450-500HP.

Same horsepower with a 3.5 liter V-6 as currently delivered from a 6.2 liter V-8…doable, but there are trade-offs that Ford is not discussing. Will the new engine be as reliable as the present power plant? I’ll eat popcorn and watch.

  • The new Raptor will be ~6″ wider than the standard new model 2015 F-150.

No change there. The current Raptor is ~6″ wider than the F-150 — almost as wide as a Hummer.

  • Rumored 10-speed transmission.

Trying to squeeze every drop of gasoline.

  • Paddle shifters!

Nice, but not necessary in my opinion. You can manually shift at present but I don’t because the power is quite sufficient to throw you back into the seat. The Raptor is functionally the truck equivalent of a Corvette.

  • 6 Upfitter (AUX) switches.

Two more than presently offered.

  • Push button start!

I prefer a push button start, but absent one, the key is good enough.

2017 Ford Raptor:

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20 COMMENTS

  1. Well that looks like a nice bit of kit, I have to say! Are you going to have this when it comes out?
    Don't think you'd get this down our country lanes!

  2. It's built to smash its way down your country lanes…but no, it's not a Mini. I don't think that I'll buy a new one when they come out because I have the 2014 model and the way that I baby cars, it should still be running like a clock in 3 years.

  4. Can v-six make the same torque as a v-eight, even with boost-a-roonie air-stuffing?
    A straight six can get close at the low-end, but then it runs out of top-end and can't breathe enough unless it has a wild-ass valve-train and expensive heads.
    Guess I'm gonna keep my '06 F-150 and look for a wild-motor when it takes a dump.

  6. It's a bi-turbo motor that is very complicated and produces a lot of HP, but you're right on the torque…won't be there. It's the price we all have to pay in the fight against global warming/global cooling/climate change/climate disruption or weather, depending on how you look at it.

  9. With the PRINCELY PAY that I'm told you all are pulling down in NY? Why the liberal press is simply apoplectic over the fact that you are paid at all to do the job you love…

    I am simply the product of double dipping and running a day job with consulting on the side. It makes toys more affordable. The down-side is that I don't have all that much time available to enjoy them.

  10. So if you see one with either a single front or single rear tire hiked up in teh air, you'll know they jumped it… And landed crooked 🙂

  12. I am CLEARLY a Raptor whore. Before they let me into church, they require that I put a scarlet letter "R" on my lapel.

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