2023 Raptor R for Sale

Perhaps the most anticipated truck of the past few years, the 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R is about to be released into the wild. With orders for purchase opening on July 18th 2022, It's fair to assume that this 700hp beast of a Ford F-150 pickup will be a hot commodity once they begin to roll off of the production line.

Key Features

• Most powerful F-150 Raptor to date
• Standard 37" tires
• Selectable drive modes allow driver to customize their experience

Pros

• Raptor lovers rejoice, the V8 is back!
• New 5-link trailing arm rear suspension gives 14.1" of rear travel
• A finely calibrated tool to hammer baja's toughest roads
• Did we mention they put a supercharged V8 in this thing!?

Cons

• Supercharged v8 fuel economy
• Exterior changes are minimal for the price difference

We're all familiar enough with the father of the factory built desert truck, the first generation Ford F-150 Raptor. Since the introduction of these trucks in 2009, they've been a dominant force in the off-road community, each generation seemingly better than the last. The current (third generation) Raptor being no exception. Changes over the outgoing 2020 model were significant, even if they look very similar from the outside.

The new 2023 Raptor R is the pinnacle of the Raptor line. With Ford, like most manufacturers, making a shift to electric power, it's unclear what the future holds for these outrageous trucks. One thing is for certain right now. Ford is here to show the world that they've still got it when it comes to making the best-selling pickup trucks year after year.

Power And Drivetrain

Ok, enough beating around the bush here. There's an elephant in the room when it comes to the Raptor R and there's no way we can go further in this guide without addressing it. Ford put a V8 back in it! Not only that, it's a 700HP version of the supercharged 5.2 V8 found in the Shelby Mustang GT500. There are a few differences between the voodoo-based engine in the GT500 and the Raptor R powerplant. Notably, a smaller pulley on the 2.65-liter roots-style Eaton supercharger, which helps give the Raptor version a bit more torque than the Mustang. Ford also changed to a deeper oil pan, a Raptor R specific oil cooler, and a new air intake design that they claim adds 66% more volume.

The changes land the new Raptor R at a healthy power figure of 700HP and 640 lb-ft of torque. Not quite as much power as the trucks main competitor, the Ram 1500 TRX. Ford is quick to point out that the V8 version of the Raptor should only weigh about 100lbs more than a V6 Raptor with the 37" tire package, which already weighs in at significantly less than the TRX. Safe to say that the off-road truck enthusiast world will be keeping a close eye on the real world performance numbers when they start to trickle in.

Comfort And Quality

Via: Ford

Once inside, the 2023 Raptor R really looks the part of a 700HP performance oriented off-road truck. Aside from the standard Ford F-150 interior, which is nice enough on its own. The Raptor R gets some specific touches that really set it apart from the rest of the F-150 line. For example, all Raptor R's come standard with Recaro seats covered in a sporty and elegant combo of leather and suede. There's also a unique "tri-axial weave" carbon fiber on many of the interior panels, which Ford says helps convey the R's "combination of performance, toughness, and durability."

Beyond the pretty interior bits, there's plenty of new Ford tech to talk about here. New 2023 Raptors all come standard with a host of different off-road specific driving aids. One of the more notable additions is Ford's new "Trail Control" system. Which allows users to set a pre-determined speed for the truck to tackle a set of obstacles. Point your new Raptor R in the right direction, and it takes care of the rest when using Trail Control. There is also the "Trail 1-Pedal Drive" that allows the driver to control forward momentum on a slow moving trail with just the accelerator pedal. Much like one pedal driving in an EV, this should allow for very smooth transition between acceleration and braking on technical rock crawling maneuvers.

Pricing And Launch

Via: Ford

With major improvements come major price changes. The original hot-rod Raptor, the 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor 6.2L, had an MSRP of $41,995. That big 411HP 6.2L V8 was a $3,000 premium over the standard 5.4L V8. So, what does the bump from a 3.5L Ecoboost to the monster 700HP supercharged 5.2L V8 run you when the Raptor R delivers sometime in late 2022? That's actually a bit more complicated than it was in 2010.

Base MSRP on a 2022 F-150 Raptor is $70,555, although the truck is well-equipped as a base model, that's a price with ZERO options. However, the 2023 F-150 Raptor R comes standard with many features that you don't get on a base model V6 raptor. It's also quite a bit more money, starting at $109,145. That's a difference that's almost identical to the base MSRP for a 2010 5.4L Raptor at $38,590! To be fair, two of those original 5.4L powered (320HP) Raptors put together still don't make as much power as the new Raptor R. Also, once you add in the options that make the V6 Raptor a little closer in comparison to the R, like the 37" tire package and carbon interior pieces, the pricing delta gets closer to the $25,000 range. Which, for 700HP, seems like a much more fair comparison.