Given its size, the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor SuperCrew is easy to see. It’s a cinch to envision it being used by the Border Patrol or the Forest Service. There’s zero difficulty in picturing it being driven by well-heeled thrillseekers on the West Coast and off-road junkies in the South.
What about people in China, though? Ford is going to make it easy to see people driving the 2017 Raptor SuperCrew over there because it’s going to sell the dune-jumper in the country starting next year.
According to Forbes, “Within seven years, China will outstrip the United States to become the world’s leading market for premium cars.” The Raptor may not wear a Lincoln badge, but it is the ultimate performance F-150 – and Ford (and, initially, dealers) will charge a premium for it. Plus, Americans have a different definition of what a luxury vehicle is than the Chinese; in China, a loaded Ford Explorer can be considered a high-end set of wheels.
Despite the differences between the U.S. and China, Raptor buyers in the People’s Republic will be able to enjoy the same second-generation high-output EcoBoost V6, new 10-speed automatic, lightweight aluminum-alloy body, six-mode Terrain Management System, and FOX Racing Shox that we’ll be able to.
This news makes us wonder: How do you say, “Hey, watch this!” in Chinese?
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
