Rumor: The Ford F-150 Raptor Is Getting the Mustang GT500's Supercharged V-8

Photo credit: Chris Doane Automotive
Photo credit: Chris Doane Automotive

From Car and Driver

  • A special version of Ford's F-150 Raptor pickup is coming with the Mustang GT500's supercharged 5.2-liter V-8 engine.

  • This powertrain would give this already impressive off-road performance truck upward of 700 horsepower-not to mention a more thrilling soundtrack than its current 450-hp twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6.

  • Expect the V-8–powered Raptor to arrive sometime in 2020 or 2021, near the end of the current F-150's production run.

Ford is looking to bring back V-8 power for a special version of the F-150 Raptor. Multiple sources within Ford are telling us that the company is building a Raptor with the Mustang GT500's 5.2-liter supercharged V-8. This super-Raptor will serve as a sendoff for the current-generation F-150, scheduled to be replaced in 2021 or 2022.

At this point, we only know that the supercharged 5.2-liter V-8 is slated to make more than 700 horsepower in its Mustang Shelby GT500 application, so it's safe to assume that the V-8 will provide a similar amount of power in the Raptor pickup. Ford and GM's 10-speed automatic transmission seems like it would be plenty stout to hold up to this engine, given that it's used in the 650-hp Camaro ZL1, while Ford could easily source a sturdy enough live rear axle from component supplier Dana.

This would give Ford a strong response to Ram's planned TRX pickup, which is all but confirmed to use FCA's supercharged Hellcat V-8 that makes upward of 700 horsepower. Ram is likely to get the jump on Ford in terms of timing, as the TRX is slated for a debut sometime in 2020.

The Ford should arrive late in 2020 at the earliest, as we hear that this V-8–powered version of the Raptor will have a short production run spanning either one or two of the last model years for the current-generation F-150 that debuted for 2015. Given the current Raptor's base price of $54,450, we might expect this V-8 version to command somewhere north of $70,000.

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