Ford has a huge variety of chassis and engines in the wild competing in various endurance races across the globe.
Move out of the way Mother Nature, here comes Ford and Ford is not taking no for an answer. The incredible thing is, you can now handle Mother Nature in all her glory, and temper tantrums when she is tossing wind, sand, snow, and water at you, in comfort. Even the strongest Ford trucks are comfortable to operate and drive. You wish your couch was that comfortable!
The Raptor
The latest case in point is the Raptor which is being driven by none other than stock truck pilots like Greg Foutz and Tim Casey this year. They will be wearing the number 1201 and will be seen racing in their brand new but stock and factory condition Raptor. This is going to be part of BITD and Ford is offering contingency money.
The Raptor was the only truck in its class in the last year’s Mint 400 that was held in Las Vegas, and though it did achieve a podium finish; it fell short by 50 miles of the finish line at the Parker 425 that was held in the wild Arizona. That happened due to a faulty ground wire.
The 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor race truck is currently being tested in Nevada deserts preparing for the Laughlin Desert Classic which is being presented by the Best in the Desert. The two day trial was eventually divided into an hour and a half heat that was further broken down by class.
You will find that there is a difference between the 1201 that is participating in the race, and the production commercial ready model of the Raptor. The 1201 race version is going to be equipped with a full blown cage enclosing three racing seats that comes with 5 point harnesses.
The front and the rear springs have been engineered to handle the extra payload, weight of the fuel cell, cage and the three inch diameter Fox Racing Shox that is adjustable for each race. In addition to these, there are LED light bars, a Lowrance GPS, digital dash, data logger that makes the final version of the Raptor.
EcoBoost Engine
Ford was earlier known to be using 6.2 liter v8 engine that was rated at 411 horsepower and the 434 pound feet of raw torque, but now Ford has decided to use the 3.5 liter twin turbo EcoBoost engine. Ford refuses to share the details but it is known to beat the performance of the older engine.
The body made of aluminum alloy weighs around 500 pounds less than the older version, and there is also use of high strength steel that was used in the manufacturing process. Ford is the first company in the history of auto manufacturing to be using a 10 speed automatic transmission that will result into better performance and mileage.
The Raptor comes installed with a start and stop function that will continually kill the engine in order to save the fuel. The Ford has decided against fitting the external bypass Fox Racing Shox in the production commercial version.
Not everyone likes to play in the dirt and desert so that is why Ford thought it best to remove this feature. But then again, a truck is known to be an off roader and chances are that you are going to perhaps be off road at some point in time or perhaps the paved street is being flooded or is piled up with snow. Maybe the future versions will sport it.