Ford SVT Raptor with… six doors?! Only in the UAE
Filed under: Aftermarket, Truck, Etc., Videos, Ford, Middle East
The United Arab Emirates is a land that continually breathes new life into the phrase "More money than sense." The new prime example of this is a custom-built Ford SVT Raptor that believes the prime number of doors is six. Said to hail from the UAE, it's quite clear that anything goes in the Land Of The Burning
We're not going to completely hate on this thing, of course, as the idea of a six-door Raptor puts visions of a seriously great camping trip in mind. Still, we're not even sure if this thing is actually real or if someone with solid skills spent too much time playing around on their computer. Judge for yourself by clicking past the jump and watching the video.
Continue reading Ford SVT Raptor with... six doors?! Only in the UAE
Ford SVT Raptor with... six doors?! Only in the UAE originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 20:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsSVT boss goes on record about Ford Raptor frame damage claims [w/video]
Filed under: Performance, Wagon, Safety, Ford, Off-Road
Over the last several weeks, there have been a number of reports on web forums of frame damage incidents involving the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor. Thanks to a number of reader tips, Autoblog was the first news outlet to inquire with Ford about the matter. After launching its own investigation into the claims centering around one particular organized Raptor Run in Nevada with 14 participating vehicles and 10 bent frames, Jamal Hameedi, a 20-year Ford veteran and SVT's Chief Nameplate Engineer, agreed to talk exclusively with Autoblog.
AB: When did you first become aware of these Raptor frame claims?Hameedi: We monitor all the blogs - I think there are three or four different versions of Raptor online forums. We saw that there was one particular run where several Raptors bent their frames on the same obstacle.
AB: How many Raptors have been reported with frame damage?
Hameedi: We have four nationwide since the beginning of production.
AB: It sounded like there were more than four vehicles damaged in this individual run alone - are these not included in that total?
Hameedi: I think we've been reading that there are ten trucks in question [in that run].
"We have a pretty firm understanding of what's going on."
AB: So the four trucks you mentioned - those are just the ones that have been directly reported to Ford dealers?
Jamal Hameedi, SVT Chief Nameplate Engineer
Hameedi: Yes.
AB: Have they all been bent in more-or-less in the same way?
Hameedi: The ones on the run, I think there are varying degrees of how [badly] they are tweaked, but generally we have a pretty firm understanding of what's going on.
Continue reading SVT boss goes on record about Ford Raptor frame damage claims [w/video]
SVT boss goes on record about Ford Raptor frame damage claims [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Jul 2011 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsOfficially Official: Ford F-150 SVT Raptor gains SuperCrew, loses 5.4L V8 for 2011
Filed under: Truck, Ford, Off-Road
2011 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor SuperCrew - Click above for high-res image gallery
Ford's off-road beast, the F-150 SVT Raptor, has only been on sale for a year, but it's already getting a few upgrades for the 2011 model year.
Many reports and a few spy shots indicated that Ford had been prepping a four-door SuperCrew version of the Raptor (you know, for when the family wants to do the Baja run with you), and the automaker has officially confirmed the details (again). The SuperCrew's wheelbase is a full 12 inches longer than the standard Raptor, meaning it should provide a more comfortable ride along the way, and the 5.5-foot box can still haul everything you need when you get there.
Speaking of capability, all Raptors now come standard with more power on tap - the 6.2-liter V8 will be the only available powertrain for 2011 (sad trombone for the people who rushed out to get the 5.4). As we reported earlier, it stands to reason that the 2011 Raptor will get a price increase to account for the larger mill, but it's a small price to pay for an extra 101 horsepower and 69 pound-feet of torque over the 5.4-liter V8.
From there, the other enhancements for 2011 are purely cosmetic. Raptors can now be had in a new color - Ingot Silver Metallic (pictured) - and matte black accent graphics are available on the hood. These new graphics can be ordered separately from the box side decals, too. Inside the cabin, Ford now offers a standard 4.2-inch LCD display (called the "productivity screen") in the center of the revised instrument gauges, similar to what was introduced on the 2011 Super Duty.
Dealers will start taking orders for 2011 Raptors as you read this with the first examples hitting dealerships later this year. Ford's detailed press release is available after the jump.
[Source: Ford]
Continue reading Officially Official: Ford F-150 SVT Raptor gains SuperCrew, loses 5.4L V8 for 2011
Officially Official: Ford F-150 SVT Raptor gains SuperCrew, loses 5.4L V8 for 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsAutomobile checks in for border control duty with Ford F-150 Raptor
Filed under: Performance, Truck, Etc., Government/Legal, Ford, Off-Road
Ford F-150 SVT Raptor serves and protects
Aside from the recent dust-up over immigration law in Arizona, we've heard very little about America's efforts on border patrol lately. Where once we heard all about fences, militia parties and night-vision, now the collective media consciousness is focused elsewhere. That doesn't mean that the challenges facing border patrol have exactly evaporated, of course. The men and women charged with keeping an eye on the line between the U.S. and Mexico still face mile upon mile of some of the most grueling terrain on the planet, which is exactly why the Yuma Sheriff went ahead and ordered up a Ford F-150 SVT Raptor before the official government-issue fleet arrives.
Automobile Magazine's Eszra Dyer decided to tag along with Major Leon Wilmot to see how the truck handles itself in an official capacity and just what this border patrol business is all about. As it turns out, the majority of the operation is concerned with large expanses of sand, moon dust, non-exploded ordinance and the cleverness of a people who want nothing more to outwit American law enforcement. If you've got a hot second, click over to Automobile for a quick read.
[Source: Automobile Magazine]
Automobile checks in for border control duty with Ford F-150 Raptor originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsHennessey slaps a pair of turbos on Ford’s Raptor 6.2 [w/Video]
Filed under: Aftermarket, Performance, Truck, Ford, Off-Road
Hennessey VelociRaptor 600 - Click above to watch the video after the jump
Well of course they did. If John Hennessey is known for anything, it's strictly adhering to the "Needs more power!" motif. This guy could watch a shuttle launch and return to his lab plotting a third booster. So yes, Hennessey has slapped two turbochargers onto Ford's batty-yet-burly F150-mutant Raptor 6.2 and produced the VelociRaptor 600 and 800, two products that will nicely compliment the existing Hennessey VelociRaptor 500, a supercharged version of the Raptor 5.4.
Through the magic of forced induction, power grows from the 6.2-liter V8 Raptor's stock 411 horsepower and 434 pound-feet of torque to a slightly-goofy 602 hp and 622 lb-ft of twist in the V-Rap 600. Not enough for you? Hennessey either, which is why he's also selling the VelociRaptor 800. Get all the liquids out of your mouth now, as the engine stonks it up to the Texas-sized tune of 810 hp and 745 lb-ft of torque. Can we borrow an exclamation point?
We know what you're thinking -- the Bentley Mulsane's twin-turbo V8 makes 752 pound-feet of torque, besting the Hennessey 800 by seven pounds of twisting force. However, the Hennessey VelociRaptor 800 makes 305 more ponies than the British thoroughbred, weighs less (what doesn't?) and can keep up with the hounds no matter the fox hunt. That said, the Muslanne has a nicer interior. Think we're being silly? We are, because engines like this bend our minds a bit. Remember, 810 hp is nearly 100 hp more than a Ferrari 599XX.
But what if you already have a Raptor 6.2, want more power but don't want two turbochargers? Again, no problem, as Hennessey is also announcing the VelociRaptor 475, that through better breathing and some reprogramming, ups the big V8's output to 475 hp and 485 lb-ft of torque. Dang. Watch the video after the jump.
[Source: Hennessey]
Continue reading Hennessey slaps a pair of turbos on Ford's Raptor 6.2 [w/Video]
Hennessey slaps a pair of turbos on Ford's Raptor 6.2 [w/Video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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