2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R Finally Gets the 700-HP Supercharged V-8 It Always Deserved

The fabled 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R is finally here. After months of waiting, the curtains have been pulled back on the most powerful Raptor ever, complete with a 700-hp supercharged V-8 sourced from the Mustang Shelby GT500, along with a host of other upgrades.

At the heart of the Raptor R is the new powertrain. For the first time since 2014, there are eight cylinders under the hood of this truck. But it's not just any V-8. It's the same 5.2-liter supercharged engine from the Mustang Shelby GT500, the car that won our Performance Car of the Year award in 2021. But power figures are a bit different: 700 hp and 640 lb-ft of torque for the Raptor R—60 fewer horses and 15 more lb-ft than the Shelby.

That's thanks to a number of changes made to the engine to ensure it would be ready for life in a pickup that also happens to double as a desert runner. The original exhaust manifolds have been swapped out for cast stainless steel units, while the air intake has grown by 66 percent thanks to a new conical air filter. There's also a new pulley for the supercharger, a bigger oil cooler, and a deeper oil pan.

Of course, the engine isn't the only thing new on the Raptor R. The rest of the drivetrain and chassis has been subsequently upgraded to handle the extra power and speed. The 10-speed automatic transmission gets a recalibration and a new heavy-duty torque converter, while the front axle has been revamped with a new, more robust casting. It's connected to a specific larger-diameter aluminum driveshaft.