Rumors have been flying that Ford is finally working on a successor to its beloved, tire-smoking F-150 Lightning pickup that left dealerships in 2004. Now according to a report from Four Wheeler, at a recent meeting with dealers in Las Vegas executives from the blue oval confirmed the speculation: a new super-truck, dubbed the F-150 Raptor, is indeed on the way.
Introduced at the meeting by none other than Ford Marketing chief Jim Farley, the Raptor's front-end will be distinguished by the lack of a traditional emblem, with the automaker opting for "FORD" printed in block letters on the black mesh grille instead (perhaps inspired by the Bronco concept at the 2004 Detroit Auto Show). Dealers were also shown one of the truck's Fox 2.0 piggyback shocks, which raise the wheel travel four inches over a stock F-150, for a total of 12 inches overall.
Under the hood the Raptor is said to house a 6.2-liter, BOSS V-8 sporting at least 380 horsepower and 400 lb-ft. of torque. Some think these may be low estimates, but no matter what the final numbers are you can be sure the Raptor will be ready to take on the Tundra's top-line 5.7-liter, 381 horsepower i-FORCE V-8. With that in mind Ford also showed video of the Raptor bounding across the desert on its 35-inch tires, proving that unlike the last-generation F-150 Lightning it will be a true off-road truck.
Speaking of the Lightning, there is also a possibility the new Raptor will mark the return of Ford's SVT badge, last seen in 2007 on the Mustang Shelby GT 500. And though the Special Vehicle Team's guru John Coletti retired in 2004, if the Raptor drives anything like its specs suggest, this truck will definitely be worthy of the designation.
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