Ford Motor Co.’s 2023 F-150 Raptor R adds eye-popping V-8 punch to the automaker’s off-road lineup, but won’t supplant the Ram 1500 TRX as the apex predator of the full-size performance pickup segment.
Ford said the Raptor R’s 5.2-liter V-8 engine will generate 700 hp and 640 pound-feet of torque, just below the TRX’s 702 hp and 650 pound-feet of torque. But Ford officials argue the Raptor R’s expected curb weight of 5,950 pounds — about 400 pounds lighter than the TRX — will make it a more agile, durable beast.
“In the end, two or three horsepower doesn’t really matter,” Tony Greco, program manager of F-150 Raptor, told Automotive News. “It really comes down to the power-to-weight ratio. It’s a nimble, nimble monster and that’s what it takes to be fast in the environment we want to compete in and dominate.”
The Raptor R, meant for desert-racing enthusiasts, is Ford’s most powerful Raptor-badged vehicle to-date. While the brand has been a hit for Ford, and was recently expanded to the Bronco nameplate, enthusiasts have been clamoring for V-8 power for years.
