Ford F-150 Raptor Could Get Mustang Supercharged V8 or 7.3-Liter Super Duty Engine: Report
These amped-up engines wouldn’t replace the powerful 3.5-liter EcoBoost, but would be available options for those wanting more power.
Fans of the V8-powered F-150 Raptor of yore may have a new reason to celebrate: the Blue Oval will reportedly revive the V8 Raptor sometime in the near future if anonymous sources are to be believed.
With its return in 2017, the second-generation F-150 Raptor adopted EcoBoost power in the form of a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 "EcoBoost." Though the V6's performance beat the old V8 by a country mile, Raptor fanatics mounted the loss of their favorite power plant, and some have even swapped V8s into their new Raptors. But those swaps may soon become a thing of the past, as Ford Authority claims that Ford is planning a return of the V8 Raptor.
The outlet alleges that " anonymous sources familiar with Ford product plans" confirmed the existence of V8 Raptor prototypes supposedly undergoing testing right now. One candidate for the V8 powering said test mule includes the 700-horsepower supercharged 5.2-liter engine from the Mustang Shelby GT500, which Car and Driver said would power the truck earlier this year. An alternative could reportedly be Ford's upcoming 7.3-liter truck engine destined to appear in its Super Duty line of heavy-duty pickups.
Ford has confirmed that the heavy-duty 7.3-liter will be "the most powerful gas V8 in its class," meaning more than 385 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. If the 7.3 truly is the engine powering the supposed V8 Raptor, its power figures—at least in performance guise—are likely far north of the EcoBoost V6's 450 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque. It'll have to make up for its cast-iron block's extra weight, after all.
If the V8 Raptor is real, it'll be the market's only competitor to the upcoming Ram TRX, a Hellcat-powered Ram truck that stands to be the most extreme off-roader ever built by the Big Three.
The Drive contacted Ford for comment on its plans for the F-150 Raptor's powertrain and will update when we receive comment.
