2016 NAIAS: Ford Shows Off the Production Version of the 2017 F-150 Raptor SuperCrew

Our Patrick Rall called it: Ford brought the production version of the 2017 F-150 Raptor to the 2016 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.

Compared to the SuperCab model, which Ford used as the foundation for the Raptor concept, the Raptor SuperCrew will have 12 more inches of wheelbase for a total of 145 inches of space between its next-generation BFGoodrich All-Terrain KO2 tires that are wrapped around new beadlock-capable 17-inch wheels. Those will move a fully boxed high-strength steel frame and a body that’s six inches wider than that of a regular F-150. Thanks to the use of aluminum – *sarcasm* you might have heard Ford is dabbling in its use *sarcasm* – that four-door shell will be up to 500 pounds lighter than the outgoing SuperCrew Raptor. Something that will be going up is the diameter of the front and rear shock canisters – from 2.5 to three inches. Those will enable greater suspension travel than the last Raptor could offer, which provided 11.2 inches up front and 12 in the rear.

Six presets (Normal, Street, Weather, Mud and Sand, Baja, and Rock) for the Terrain Management System will make the reborn Raptor capable on- and off-road. According to Ford, an available Torsen front differential “increases grip significantly for the front end of the truck and allows it to pull itself over obstacles and up steep grades – even when traction is split between the front tires.”

One thing the Blue Oval is (still!) not saying is exactly how much power the Raptor’s high-output 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 will push through its 10-speed automatic. The figures remain vaguely above those generated by the old truck’s 6.2-liter V8: 411 horsepower and 434 pound-feet of torque. Official numbers will be published closer to the arrival of the 2017 Raptor in U.S. and Canadian dealerships this fall.

The good news is that the Raptor is no longer a one-off auto show truck. We know exactly how it’s going to look when it emerges from the Dearborn Truck Plant. It’s likely I’ll get a chance to drive a pre-production model of the beast at the Texas Auto Writers Association’s 2016 Truck Rodeo in October. If so, I’ll be sure to let you all know how it drives on the highway and in the rough.

Chime in with your thoughts on the forum. >>

via [Ford]

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Derek Shiekhi

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.

In addition to writing for a variety of Internet Brands sites, including JK Forum and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, Derek also contributes to other outlets. He started There Will Be Cars on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube to get even more automotive content out to fellow enthusiasts.

He can be reached at autoeditors@internetbrands.com.

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