The Ford F-150 Raptor R is quick, but so is the GMC Hummer EV.
Daunting Matchup
For years, rumors of the V8 engine's return to the F-150 Raptor swirled intensely, but essentially no one thought that the automaker would stuff the supercharged, 700 horsepower, 5.2-liter V8 in its muscular off-road-focused pickup. However, that's precisely what they did, and we've enjoyed watching the F-150 Raptor R destroy all kinds of fast machines in a straight line ever since. Its latest foe proved to be a bit more of a challenge than most, however - the GMC Hummer EV - in a series of races put on by the folks at Hoonigan recently.
Heavyweight Contenders
While the F-150 Raptor R is certainly no slouch thanks to its aforementioned 700 horsepower output, it's also quite heavy at 6,077 pounds. However, the GMC Hummer EV tips the scales at an incredible, commercial truck-like 9,640 pounds, thanks mostly to its massive battery pack. The problem for the Raptor R, specifically, is that the Hummer EV also has more than enough power to compensate for that portly number.
Paper Specs
The Hummer EV utilizes three electric motors to generate 1,000 horsepower and 1,200 pound-feet of torque, in fact, which is obviously hypercar territory. Couple that with the EV's instant torque and four-wheel traction, and it would seem to be a ringer in this particular race. However, on paper, these two vehicles are quite even, with the Raptor R doing 0-60 in 3.6 seconds and covering the quarter-mile in 12.0 seconds, while the Hummer EV does the same in 3.3 and 11.9 seconds, respectively.
Real World
This is precisely why we race, as they say, and in this case, lining up these two very different yet similar vehicles produces some intriguing results. In the first race, the Raptor R actually gets a better start off the line than the Hummer EV, but the latter pickup makes up ground quickly. The EV begins to lose steam at the top end - which is common with all-electric vehicles - but it still holds on to take home the first win.
Even Larger
Thus, as Hoonigan typically does in its This vs. That series, the loser gets a bit of an advantage for round two in the form of a one-truck head start. However, that doesn't really help, as the Hummer EV driver - fresh off learning how to launch the truck properly in round one - wins by an even larger margin this time around.
Racing for Fun
That leaves the Hummer EV as the victor, but the pair decide to try a third race just for fun, this time giving the Raptor R more of a chance in a longer 1,500-foot drag race with the Blue Oval hauler getting a three-truck-length head start. That proves to be enough to secure a win for the Raptor R, in fact.
Big Differences
While the GMC Hummer EV is clearly the quicker vehicle on this particular day, we certainly have to recognize the fact that the Raptor R is facing several disadvantages - aside from its lower curb weight, of course. We'd love to see a modified Raptor R take on the Hummer EV with a similar power level, because we think that the results may be very, very different in that case.
>>Join the conversation about this battle on the track right here in the forum.
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