The F150 Raptor: Ford's Desert Racer

Ford recently redesigned its F150 Raptor and is preparing it for a release date in mid to late 2016 in Utah and across the country. However, before it becomes available to the public Ford will showcase the abilities of the new Raptor during the Best in the Desert Race Series. All six of the races in the series take place in the deserts of Arizona and Nevada from February 2016 to December 2016.

Although the F150 Raptor has been a race truck from its first appearance in 2010, the 2016 model is the first major update to the vehicle. The body is made of military-grade aluminum, which makes it lighter than previous model years. It also comes with a high-output twin turbo V6 engine that has been paired with a 10-speed transmission, with most estimates putting it at  approximately 450 hp. 

Greg Foutz—one of Ford's top truck designers and drivers—noted that without extensive customization of the truck, the 2017 Raptor is one of the best stock race trucks that he has ever seen. Foutz also suggested that the public and other truck manufacturers are going to be astounded when they actually see the Raptor perform. 

Despite all of the brawn packed into the stock edition Ford F150 Raptor, the racing edition has several modifications. Foutz Motorsports, one of Ford's race partners, has equipped the truck with custom features to help it through desert races or the towering mountains of Utah, including a roll cage, five-point harnesses and performance shocks and springs to handle the intensity of the desert terrain. 

It doesn't matter if you are driving a stock edition Raptor in Utah or lucky enough to drive the racing edition, each truck will come with the ability to select a drive mode based on road and weather conditions. This drive selection is more sophisticated than simply adapting for conditions involving rain and snow—it anticipates the rugged and changing terrain of a desert track. 

For everyday drivers and those who drive race cars and trucks, encountering a change in terrain often requires a skilled driver to power through it. However, drivers of the Ford F150 Raptor will have an advantage over most other drivers. If the driver encounters rain and mud, there is a mode for that. But there is also a mode for sand, rock crawling and high-speed desert bajaing. Clearly, it doesn't matter if a race is in the snows of Utah or the deserts of Arizona, the 2017 Raptor is going to be the truck to beat.  

Ryan Muir is an automative writer for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Henry Day Ford. Follow on Twitter.