The 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R Is a 700-HP Apex Predator

• Ford’s Raptor R returns the V8 to the Raptor lineup with a variant of the 5.2-liter supercharged mill from the Mustang Shelby GT500.

• The off-road truck features effectively the same suspension as a 3.5-liter-V6-powered Raptor that’s equipped with 37-inch tires, though it does have revised spring tuning to compensate for the engine.

• The Ford Raptor R is expected to hit dealers before the end of the year with a starting price of $109,145.

Ford’s F-150 Raptor launched back in 2010, carried SVT badging, and offered a choice of V8 engines: a 5.4-liter V8 if you didn’t want to tack on any extra charges, or a 6.2-liter V8 if you wanted the top dog Raptor. Ford’s V8 Raptor ran until 2014 before taking a short hiatus, returning in 2017 as a better truck in almost every way, but its turbocharged V6 exhaust note left a lot to be desired. While Ford has stuck with its EcoBoost for the Raptor, the company is again unleashing a V8 under its Raptor R’s hood for stepped-up performance.

Diving into the heart of Ford’s latest Raptor, the 5.2-liter V8 goes by the nickname Predator and shares most of its hardware from the potent Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, though there are some minor alterations. The supercharger is effectively the same Eaton blower from the Shelby but now sports new badging. The harmonic balancer is different than in the Shelby’s mill, as well as the blower pulley. The different supercharger pulley helped Ford engineers move the power lower in the rev range than the Shelby, which is more beneficial than high RPM performance in this application. All of this works together to send 700 hp and 640 lb-ft of torque through the 10-speed automatic transmission. That’s not bad.

Now, how does that stack up against the Raptor R’s two biggest competitors? The biggest thorn in the Raptor R’s side will probably be its EcoBoost-powered stablemate: the base F-150 Raptor. Ford’s 3.5-liter turbocharged Raptor sends 450 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque through a similar 10-speed transmission. The Raptor R’s other competition is Ram’s 1500 TRX. The Ram makes more power than the Raptor R, cranking 702 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque from its 6.2-liter supercharged V8.

With a tight race at to the top of the Baja-inspired super trucks, how does the Raptor R’s spec sheet translate to real-world performance? Well, it’s hilarious. Just like the Ram TRX, the Raptor R is as absurd a vehicle as you’re going to find. Power delivery is manageable, though that might be a challenge with the truck in its Baja exhaust mode. The Predator V8 sounds exquisite screaming through the Raptor R’s dual exhaust. Supercharge noise, too, makes its way into the cabin to remind you that your truck is ludicrous. Almost as surprising as the Raptor R’s exhaust note in Sport and Baja modes, the Quiet exhaust mode is a work of magic. On the highway, there’s almost no noise coming from the back of your Raptor, and you only hear a hint of burble and supercharger whine while you’re tipping into the throttle. All in, the exhaust of Ford’s Raptor R fixes the Raptor’s biggest problem: the exhaust note.