Ford has released the first teaser image of the 2021 F-150 Raptor, ahead of its debut on February 3rd at 11 a.m. EST. While the image isn’t very revealing, it shows the redesigned truck will have an evolutionary grille with prominent “FORD” lettering. We can also see a familiar mesh pattern as well as wider grille-mounted lights. Additional details are hard to make out, but there’s a contrasting black bumper and what appears to be decals on the hood.
Ford is staying light lipped on specifics,
but previous spy photos have shown a beefy front skid plate and recovery hooks.
The off-road goodies won’t end there as the model will have pronounced fender
flares and BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A tires. The big news is the truck’s suspension,
which trades rear leaf springs for more modern coils. This should result in a
more comfortable ride and the change also allowed engineers to add a new
structural brace that attaches to the rear axle.
Speaking of underbody changes, the exhaust
has been rerouted and now features a straighter exit. More importantly, it
features higher mounting points for improved clearance. We haven’t gotten a
glimpse inside the Raptor, but the model will benefit from the updates applied
to standard F-150. As a result, the truck should have a 12-inch digital
instrument cluster, a 12-inch SYNC 4 infotainment system and higher quality
materials.
The twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 is expected to
carryover with some modifications for improved performance. There’s no word on
numbers at this point, but the engine currently develops 450 hp and 691 Nm of torque. It could eventually be joined by a
supercharged 5.2-liter V8 sourced from the Mustang Shelby GT500. Rumors have
suggested it will be used in an F-150 Raptor R and produce more than 700 hp.
The Raptor R is slated to battle the Ram
1500 TRX, which has a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine pumping out 702 hp and 880 Nm of torque. It enables the model to accelerate
from 0-96 km/h in just 4.5 seconds.
