Daily Slideshow: Is the VelociRaptor F-150 6x6 the Best Big Truck Around?
Tired of keeping up with the Joneses? Got a spare $300K sitting around? Then you probably already have one of these.
From Texas with Axles
It's a cliché as old as them thar hills to say they do things bigger in Texas (it's like a whole other country) and we could stop repeating it if only the likes of John Hennessey would stop upping the ante. The latest creation to come from the land of Carroll Shelby and Jim Hall is the VelociRaptor 6X6, Hennessey's F-150 Raptor conversion. One gets the feeling that Hennessey likes to poke other manufacturers with a stick when naming his vehicles, besides one-upping Ford's Raptor by adding Veloci(ty) to it, their biggest splash yet has been the Cobra- and Viper-taunting Hennessey Venom GT—a car that sent Bugatti (and their behemoth owner, VW) back to the drawing table when it embarrassed the Veyron's earlier production-car speed record by hitting 270.49 mph on February 14, 2014, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
From Texas with Turbos
The VelociRaptor doesn't reach 270mph (though there's no word on its top speed yet, so we can hope) but it's no slouch—its heavily-massaged twin turbo EcoBoost 3.5 liter V-6 puts out 605 horsepower and 622 pound-feet of torque, enabling it to reach 60mph in only 4.9 seconds. For comparison, Ford's Raptor makes 450 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque, with two fewer wheels.
More is Better
About those extra wheels—the four-door VelociRaptor features locking rear axles, a bump in wheel size up to 20 inches (on Toyo Open Country tires), an uprated Fox suspension system, and Brembo brakes. The 6x6 retains the Raptors new ten-speed transmission but gets a whopping 10 inches of extra ground clearance.
David and Goliath
How does Hennessy's 6-wheeler compare to the G-Wagon-on-steroids, the Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6x6? The Benz, which wasn't imported to the U.S., sports a twin suspension system for each wheel, portal hubs, and multiple differential-locking options. Under the hood, the Benz lags a little behind the VelociRaptor, with a paltry 536 horsepower and 561 pound-feet of torque from its 5.5-liter twin-turbo V-8. The G63 isn't made anymore, but when it was its sticker price was approximately $515,000 US Dollars, though examples have recently been offered for sale the royal sum of $803,000.
At the Checkout or Down the Chimney
Compared to the Mercedes, Hennessey's 6x6 is a bargain at $349,000, with the donor 2018 Raptor included. Also, part of the deal are custom bumpers, a roll bar, increased armoring, a full complement of brighter LED lights, and a custom interior with improved electronics. The engine mods supporting all that extra power include a more efficient front-mounted intercooler, a custom-tuned ECU, and the unexpected stainless steel bits and pieces. Mercedes sold out their 6-wheeler in short order, so if you want your very own 6x6 F-150, get one before they're gone... or look under your tree this holiday season.
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