2017 F-150 Raptor: a much lighter creature

Ford put on quite a display of its performance machines at the Detroit Auto Show two weeks ago, what with the Shelby GT350R muscle car, the GT supercar and the F-150 Raptor off-roader. The Blue Oval automaker, however, was reticent about much of the details, but information is now trickling out, especially about the Raptor.

Ford described the 2017 F-150 Raptor in a press statement as having the “ultimate high-performance with more aggressive styling, modernized and a higher-suspension, new exhaust system, luxurious interior and a powerful engine of course”. The old 6.2-litre V8 will be replaced by a 3.5-litre Ecoboost V6. Before you criticize the loss of two cylinders, the Ecoboost will help the engine produce 450hp; that’s 39hp more than the old Raptor. And there will be a 10-speed transmission which is supposedly more efficient than the outgoing version's six-speed transmission.

What's more, the chassis is fashioned from aluminium, which sheds a whopping 227kg in the new truck. It will only go into production in fall of 2016, though. So, if you're interested, well, wait.

image: car24news.com