The upcoming 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor has been touted as the "the toughest, smartest and most capable Raptor ever." Now, it looks like Ford is truly planning to make good with its promise at is has just released a new video showcasing the Raptor prototype traversing a challenging terrain.
In the one-and-a-half minute clip, which you can watch below, the F-series truck is seen dexterously navigating its way in a heavily forested trail somewhere in northern Michigan. It involves passing over logs and shallow muddy rivers.
This isn't the first time that prototype is tested in a tricky landscape. The American automaker previously shared photos of the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor wheeling its way in a desert.
The upcoming model is able to overcome those demanding tests thanks to its increased ground clearance and new 3.0-inch FOX Racing Shox which Ford confirmed in earlier statements. At this point, official specs of the new model are still scant but it's expected to feature an all-new four-wheel-drive system as well as torque-on-demand transfer case.
Furthermore, prior tests show that the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor is capable of reaching speeds of up to 100mph (or 160kph), suggesting that the new pickup truck is 25% faster than the outgoing model if lap times are to be considered.
That's possible because of the 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 engines fitted under the hood. It will deliver 450 hp, 434 lb-ft (587 Nm) of torque, and is coupled with a 10-speed automatic transmission.
Similar to other members of the present Ford F-150 range, this new Raptor model will also take advantage of the weight reduction brought about by the aluminum chassis. As such, it is expected to be about 500 pounds lighter than the previous model, which will obviously help improve fuel economy and performance.
Perhaps the only caveat to the 2017 F-150 Raptor is the sound emitted by its twice-blown V6 engines, which some car enthusiasts compared to a vacuum cleaner's noise. Nonetheless, it's a small price to pay for a heavy-duty truck that is apparently capable of withstanding almost anything its driver throws at it.
If you want to check if Ford really mean what it said, you may have to wait about one year as the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor will go on sale during next year's fall season. For now, you can watch the video below and observe how the prototype fares in rugged tracks.
