Upgrading the F-150 Raptor: Roush Versus Hennessey
Roush focuses on altering the appearance of the Raptor while Hennessey focuses on improved overall performance.
The current Ford F-150 Raptor is an incredible machine. In fact, it is the most powerful and the most off-road capable half-ton truck sold in America, but some owners need more performance than what is offered from the factory. For those folks, there is a long list of shops that will upgrade the new Raptor and in a recent thread “Leonardo Agueci” asked owners for input on whether other owners would turn to Roush Performance or Hennessey Performance to increase the abilities of their Raptor.
The Introduction
When the OP first posted his question in the SVT Raptor F-150 section, he was seeking some general owner input, along with details on upgrade packages from Roush and Hennessey.
Hello, I’m interested in buying a Raptor, the question I ask, for those who already have raptor, its off-road driving is excellent, but on paved roads, that is, on-road, how is the steering? On highways, at high speeds such as its handling, its stability, compared to an FX2, for example. If you want more performance but with reliability and durability, what do you recommend Roush or Hennessey?
Unfortunately, no owners have chimed in to answer this initial questions and since we don’t have a new Raptor, we can’t answer those questions, but if you own one of the high performance EcoBoost-powered F-150s, click here to help this potential Ford buyer.
However, we did some research on the available packages from Roush and Hennessey and below, we have put together a quick rundown of what each aftermarket outfitter offers for the F-150 Raptor.
Roush Raptor
Roush Performance offers one package for the current F-150 Raptor, focusing on appearance with a slight improvement in off-road capabilities.
The upgrades of the Roush Raptor that offer some functional improvements include a set of 20-inch beadlock wheels wrapped in BFGoodrich 35″ All-Terrain T/A KO2 tires and an axle-back dual exhaust system with five-inch black tips.
Exterior upgrades include the chase rack mounted in the bed, a Roush hitch plug, a Roush license plate frame, a locking lug nut set and an elaborate array of graphics on the hood, windshield, bedsides and tailgate. On the inside, the Roush Raptor package adds a custom gauge cluster, embroidered headrests, a serialized console badge and some more unique graphics.
Optional features of this package include an off-road lighting package by Rigid, an off-road utility kit, a console vault and even more graphics.
The Roush Raptor package has a base price of $13,000, not including any of the optional items. The off-road lighting package adds $850, the extra graphics add $660, the console vault adds $390 and the off-road utility kit adds $195 to the bottom line. If you check every optional box, the Roush Raptor package tops out at $15,095, obviously not including the base price of the truck.
Hennessey Packages
Hennessey takes a different approach to modifying the new F-150 Raptor, offering a range of packages that begin with basic upgrades and finishes off with the unique VelociRaptor 6×6 with a pair of tuned EcoBoost models and a V8 version in the middle. However, unlike the Roush package, every Hennessey package offers significant functional improvements.
The simplest kit for the Raptor from Hennessey is the Off-Road Stage 1 Package. This setup costs $9,995 and it includes the VelociRaptor front bumper with custom LED lighting, the VelociRaptor rear bumper, unique 20-inch wheels wrapped in 35-inch Toyo tires, a front suspension leveling kit that effectively lifts the truck by about three inches and a collection of Hennessey & VelociRaptor exterior badges.
Next, we have the VelociRaptor 500 Twin Turbo package, which includes a high flow air induction setup, a stainless steel exhaust system and an engine tune that all work together to lift the out to 500 horsepower and 522 lb-ft of torque. The VelociRaptor 600 follows a similar path, starting with the components of the 500 package and adding a new air-to-air intercooler, unique intercooler piping and a unique engine tune that lifts the output to 600 horsepower and 622 lb-ft of torque.
Hennessey doesn’t readily list the pricing for these packages and while we were unable to find pricing for the 500 horsepower package, we found in an online search the 600 horsepower package costs $22,500 installed. Also, the aforementioned off-road package can be added to either of these packages.
The first big jump is to the VelociRaptor V8, which replaces the twin turbo EcoBoost V6 with a supercharged 5.0-liter V8. With the help of a 2.9-liter supercharger, this engine offers 758 horsepower, while the 10-speed automatic transmission sends 570 of those ponies to the rear wheels. This package is said to cost $147,950, but that includes the price of the truck itself, so when you remove the $53,000 base cost, the package itself has an installed price of roughly $94,950.
Finally, the King of All Aftermarket Raptors is Hennessey’s VelociRaptor 6×6. This machine is powered by Hennessey’s 600 horsepower EcoBoost V6 package, but the key here is the fact that the Texas tuner adds a second rear axle, two more rear wheels and a considerable amount of overall vehicle length.
This package has an MSRP of $349,000, including the cost of the base Raptor, but with a package price nearing $300,000, this is not an upgrade for the average F-150 owner.
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