An F-150 Raptor truck from Ford which was inspired by the F-22 Raptor jet from Lockheed Martin was sold for $300,000 at the recent EAA AirVenture auction.
100 years
Ford is currently celebrating one-hundred years of pickup trucks, and this may just be the reason why they decided to use the F-150 Raptor as the canvas for building an aircraft-inspired vehicle for the AirVenture event. You shouldn't get attached to this unique raptor though, since someone has already bought it!
Each year, Ford comes to the AirVenture event by the Experimental Aircraft Association and auctions off a vehicle which is inspired by design and technology from an aircraft. Usually, Ford turns to the Mustang for the donor car. But, this time, it went with the F-150 Raptor. It doesn't come as a surprise though that the truck drew inspiration from the F-22 fighter jet that is also called the Raptor.
Raptor
The F-22 Raptor may just be the most popular and identifiable aircraft in the US Air Force. Thanks to its appearances in tons of TV shows, movies, and comics as well as its futuristic design, this advanced flying machine has been the poster boy for the ages. It is the aircraft which many automobile designers seek inspiration for futuristic concept drawings.
Design
The Ford F-22 Raptor F-150 got a huge upgrade in terms of output and mechanicals. The torque has been increased by 150 lb-ft and the power by 95 hp. Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, it is!
Melvin Betancourt, the person responsible for the design of the one of a kind Raptor drew multiple cues from the fighter jet while creating the F-150. Roof-mounted lights, fighter jet colors, bespoke graphics, all-new wheels, hood & fender vents, carbon-fiber fender flares, a unique grille with the F-22 motif, and a new exhaust system makes this truck a powerful head-turner, to say the least. Inside, you will find an F-22 inspired trim and various other updates including two-tone leather seats and an absolutely phenomenal sound system.
Cause and effect
The proceeds from this auction were donated to the pilot training program called Young Eagles.
We haven't even gotten to the best part about the vehicle though. The best part is that this isn't just a cosmetic update of the F-150 with the same output and mechanicals as the donor car. It's much more powerful and packs a mean punch too.
The Raptor comes with a 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 which produces 545 hp of power and 660 lb-ft of torque. The new intercooler and boost revisions have come a long way from the regular Raptor’s 450 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque. Even the suspension setup has been revised along with giant wheels and new brakes.
As mentioned everywhere, there's no point getting attached to this vehicle though since it's one of a kind. There's no point preparing to bid for it either since it already has an owner, Gary Ackerman from Gaudin Ford, Las Vegas. Ackerman paid $300,000 at the auction for the Ford. That is a lot of money!
On a side note, while this F-22 Raptor truck might not be one of the trucks hunting you down in the real world, that is not the case for the F-150! If you try something, don't be shocked when a Ford F-150 Police Responder is breathing down your neck. That is right, Ford is just getting it done and remember, they never received a bailout! No corporate welfare for them!
Categories:
News