Six is nice, but eight is better
Ford's Baja trophy truck for the road is set to return to its V8 roots. The F-150 Raptor is unrivaled in its ability to provide true trophy truck racing ability, in a road-legal package. Currently, this super truck is powered by a 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 engine but Ford knows that its customers would prefer the Raptor to have V8 power, once again.
A big-capacity V8 legacy
The engine which established Ford's F-150 Raptor's reputation was a large capacity V8. When Raptor debuted, it was powered 5.4-liter naturally aspirated V8, good for 310hp. An optional 6.2-liter V8, cranking out 411hp, quickly became standard fitment in those first-generation Raptors.
>>Join the conversation about the next Ranger having a V8 powerplant right here in Ford-trucks.com.
Lots of room, many options
So what are Ford's engineering options to return F-150 Raptor to its status as a V8-powered high-performance pick-up? Under the vented hood there should be enough room for a larger capacity engine than the current 3.5-liter V6, which isn't shy in itself since it's pushing out 450hp.
>>Join the conversation about the next Ranger having a V8 powerplant right here in Ford-trucks.com.
Plenty of ponies from a pony car transplant
One option is to borrow an engine from Ford's famous pony car. The Mustang has a range of proven V8 options, of which the forthcoming Shelby GT500's would appear the most alluring. This new Mustang engine measures 5.2-liters is supercharged, and will in all likelihood boast 700hp.
>>Join the conversation about the next Ranger having a V8 powerplant right here in Ford-trucks.com.
Perhaps a supercharged V8 kit?
Another option could be the 5.0-liter V8 kit from Ford-approved tuner, Roush. It also manages to generate an immense surge of torque, which peaks at 610 lb-ft. And for pick-up truck owners, torque is more important than outright power.
>>Join the conversation about the next Ranger having a V8 powerplant right here in Ford-trucks.com.
A Super Duty Raptor?
The surprise option could come from Ford's 2020 Super Duty truck line-up. A huge new 7.3-liter pushrod V8 engine has been confirmed for Ford's Super Duty trucks. There are a host of engineering features present in this new engine which could make it very easy to upgrade for a possible Raptor application. These include a high-flow port fuel injection and variable camshaft timing.
>>Join the conversation about the next Ranger having a V8 powerplant right here in Ford-trucks.com.
Powering ahead
The current Ford Raptor V6 certainly is not underpowered. With a lighter engine above the front axle, it is also a much more stable truck in the air, when jumping. But Ford realizes that its loyal F-150 customers pine for a V8-powered super truck again. Therefore, the probable candidate engine to power F-150 Raptor into the future will be a boosted version of the new Super Duty 7.3-liter V8.
>>Join the conversation about the next Ranger having a V8 powerplant right here in Ford-trucks.com.
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