Last month, Ford Performance announced they were building a rather interesting (and modified) F-150 Raptor that was destined to be shown off at the then-upcoming EAA AirVenture Oshkosh aviation expo. We were kind of blown away, even without being shown little more than renderings.
We now know a tad more about the breathtaking super truck, which has indeed taken a lot of inspiration from the Lockheed Martin F22 Raptor stealth jet fighter, and it looks so good in the flesh alongside the iconic aircraft. It’s exactly the company car that the Top Gun squad needs when they climb out of the cockpit
They've only built one, and at said event it was sold at auction for $300,000, giving one lucky owner the privilege of parking this unique machine in their driveway. It's the latest in a series of vehicles built by Ford and sold at auction to raise money for the Experimental Aircraft Association’s (EAA) Young Eagles Foundation, helping to foster the ambitions of future aviators. Prior to this, they’ve stuck creating one-off Mustangs to match the P-51 Mustang WWII fighter.
This year, though, they’ve found a new name that overlaps. And in hindsight, it did take them a while to associate one of their most popular models with one of the most advanced and influential fighter jets of the modern era.
Now that it’s here though, let’s explore what’s been done to it over a standard F-150 Raptor. First of all, that engine: a 3.5-litre EcoBoost twin-turbo V6, which is the same as in the standard version but now produces 406kW and 895Nm through the addition of a Whipple intercooler and Borla exhaust kit. Basically, it's got more torque than a Ford GT supercar.
Drive, obviously, is sent to all four corners through a 10-speed automatic transmission, but it rides on some heavily altered suspension components: the first thing you’ll notice are those menacing beadlock wheels that wear Falken Wildpeak tyres, and from there we have Deaver springs and adjustable Fox bypass shock absorbers. Also, the Raptor’s been given beefier brakes, DeBerti spare tire rack to haul a pair reserves on the bed, and a huge lightbar across the sun visor.
To accommodate the larger wheels and tyres, Ford fitted some wheel arch extensions and adorned the exterior with carbon fibre inserts, ‘F22’ side decals, and an F-22 Raptor front profile integrated into the front grille.
We just love looking at it alongside the imposing jet fighter.
For more on Ford vehicles, check out our Showroom, which unfortunately does not include the F-150 Raptor (yet?)
