RAPTOR REPORT Could the 2017 Raptor Make 700 Horsepower?
Earlier this week, we reported that the new Ford GT might end up making upwards of 700 horsepower in final production trim from its 3.5L EcoBoost V6 engine. If that sounds like a lot of power, you’d be right. That would outmuscle anything the Americans have to offer in terms of a super sports car, and be right in line with the Lamborghini Aventador, which it is said to be priced similarly to.
But what other vehicle is going to have a high-output 3.5L EcoBoost V6 engine? That’s right, the Raptor. Is it possible that Ford’s new super truck could make that much horsepower?
Keep in mind that I have absolutely ZERO evidence to claim that it’ll make any more power than the 450 horsepower that was originally suggested a few months back. However, that doesn’t mean that this isn’t a fun thought experiment.
The 3.5L EcoBoost in the Ford GT is really just a variant of the same engine in the 2015 Ford F-150. We hear the engines are more similar than they are different, meaning the base 3.5L is capable of handling a lot more power than what Ford is currently throwing at it.
The 3.5L EcoBoost in the 2017 Raptor is another variation of the engine that appears in both the base Ford F-150 and in the Ford GT supercar. Again, it’s just a different state of tune and slightly different engine components.
We have no idea how much the new Raptor will cost, but with the flexibility of the 3.5L EcoBoost that they’re offering, they could price out a high-performance version that people surely would buy. It wouldn’t need to be 700 horsepower, but it could be in the 500 range without much difficulty at all.
So what would hold Ford back from going absolutely bonkers on the 2017 Raptor?
First would be price. Even though the engines are similar in a lot of ways, work still needs to be done to ensure the longevity of the engine. The Raptor would see a different type of work than the Ford GT, and will likely see a lot more miles on each engine than the supercar. All of that would see an increase in the MSRP of the truck.
Also, how much horsepower can the four-wheel drive system handle? Hennessey makes a 600 horsepower variant of the VelociRaptor without any drastic changes to anything but the engine. That trucks hits 60 mph in 5.2 seconds and will run the 1/4 mile in 13.6 seconds. That’s not too shabby for a pickup truck.
The 2017 model year is still over a year away. We are just now talking about 2016 F-150s. So it might be awhile before we really have any idea how much power the new Raptor will make. But if the Ford GT shoots way higher than originally expected, we might be able to expect big numbers out of our favorite performance truck.
What do you think? Sound off in the comments or in the forums to let us know!
