The 2021 Raptor: Trophy-Truck Performance

New looks, great sound, and a pedigree of power– Ford re-engineers its 3rd generation pick-up to beat Ram’s TRX.

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Words by Perry Mack

Photos courtesy Ford

To start with, this is the most off-road capable Raptor to date. It follows in the footsteps of the team that built the new Bronco, and they’ve broken with Ford’s traditional design philosophies and embraced the engineering inherent in competitive off-road trucks. This is a 4x4 that – straight from the factory – is designed to be driven hard off-road, including jumping and catching air.

The most significant design change to the Raptor is its new exclusive 5-link rear suspension, which Ford says is designed to deliver more control and power to the ground over rough terrain at high speeds. Some may argue that a leaf spring in the rear is tougher and more durable, and we don’t disagree that it is cheaper and easier to build and maintain. But when it comes to off-road performance, a 5-link rear suspension, as seen in Ram trucks including the new TRX, cannot be beaten. This may be the reason why Ford designed the new Raptor this way.

A 5-link suspension in the rear isn’t enough to generate big performance gains, but they allow the all-new shocks to perform at their best. The new electronically-controlled, next-gen Fox Live Valve internal bypass shocks put adjustable position sensitive damping under the truck that offers twice the damping compared to the 2nd gen shocks.

The 3.1” diameter shock bodies are the largest ever in a Raptor and filled with a new low-friction shock fluid. Add the race-proven electronically-controlled base valves, and you’ve got 1,000 lb. of damping per corner at high speeds. Sensors can change damping rates at each corner 500 times per second with a shock response time of 80 milliseconds, which is as fast as the human brain can process information visually.

The Live Valve suspension in the 2nd gen Raptor made it better off-road than the 1st gen, but comfort was sacrificed while driving on-road. Ford says the new shocks in the 2021 Raptor make it even better than the 2nd gen off-road while providing a more comfortable ride on long highway drives and around town.

The shocks are also new and so are the front suspension system with new control arms, steering knuckles, ball joints, wheel bearings, and inner CV joints. There’s even better contact with the ground thanks to 14” of wheel travel in the front and 15” in the rear while running on 35” tires. This is a 25 percent improvement from the original 2009 Raptor. What’s interesting is Program Manager Tony Greco explained the longer trailing arms and bolt-in spring seat designs are perfect for aftermarket modifications.

All of this is under the truck. It’s the stuff that we can’t really see or sometimes measure ourselves. On the other hand, the available 37” tires are an appointment we can easily measure for performance gains we can appreciate. For instance, if you opt for the Raptor’s 35” tire package, your ground clearance is 30 cm (12 in) with 31/23.9/22.7 degrees approach, breakover and departure angles. If you check the box for 37” tires, you’re clearing 33 cm (13.1 in) high obstacles with 33.1/24.9/24.4 degrees of approach, breakover, and departure angles. But like the Ginsu knife guy says – ‘That’s not all’.

When you choose the 37" tires, Ford provides a full-size, under-the-bed-mounted 37" spare and Fox shocks that are tuned to account for the taller and heavier tires. Yes, the 35” and 37” BFGoodrich tires are exclusive to the Raptor, specifically-designed, engineered, and tested to meet its performance needs. The 37” tires offer increased running clearance and improvements to all off-road geometries (approach, breakover, and departure angles). There is a choice of three different 17” wheels, but only two are beadlock capable.

The 2021 Raptor is powered by the 3rd generation twin-turbo 3.5L high output EcoBoost engine, which has had its compression ratio bumped up to 10.5:1 compared to 10.0:1 in the 2nd gen. It also features upgraded turbos, a high-pressure exhaust gas recirculation system, and delivers its torque lower in the rev range compared to the previous-generation, providing customers with more power right out of the gate. There’s no word yet on horsepower and torque, but it can only go up from the 2nd gen’s 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque. Ford has also added new high-powered fans to the cooling system for those intense desert-running days.

Ford has said the Raptor will not get a V-8, although speculation is rampant about the Raptor R, which we believe will be a response to the TRX with its 6.2L supercharged V8 Hellcat generating 702 horsepower. Ford is driven to be ‘best in class,’ and the Raptor is the flagship for its best-selling F-150 truck. At the very least, we can count on the 5.2L supercharged V-8 similar to that in the Mustang Shelby GT500, tuned to provide more than the TRX’s 702 horsepower.

This 3rd gen Raptor gets the same 10-speed transmission as in 2020, but it has improved next-gen controls and is bolted to a torque-on-demand transfer case. As in the previous Raptor, a locking rear differential is standard but there is no locking front, and the Torsen limited-slip front diff is optional.

If rock crawling is what you’re after, buy the new Bronco. However, if you need a pick-up, you’ll be glad to know that Ford has bumped the payload up from 90 kg (200 lb) to 635 kg (1,400 lb), and the towing capacity from 90 kg (200 lb) to 3,700 kg (8,200 lb). This is nowhere near the best half-ton numbers but it’s still a healthy bump to haul toys out to play.

Although seeing is believing, what we hear creates the first impression. The sound your engine makes is the most impressive thing that people identify first. Ford has figured this out and added a trombone loop to the passenger side exhaust pipe. Like a trombone, when you change the length of the slide you change the note. When two trombones are trying to play the same note but one is off it sounds weak.

On the Raptor, the mid-pipe loop before the muffler creates equal length exhaust tubes for harmonic consonance – the same exhaust ‘notes’ from both sides of the engine. As the exhaust leaves the muffler, it passes through electronically-controlled active valves that allow the driver to choose the sound mode to include Quiet, Normal, Sport, and Baja. An X-pipe placed after the muffler allows the exhaust pulses to merge at the crossover point for a smoother flowing exhaust, which results in less back pressure for more power. The new exhaust system sounds so good that a lot of automotive journalists thought the test mules had a V-8.

In the bed, the Raptor gets the 2kW version of Pro Power Onboard, which allows you to power small power tools, air compressors, or even tailgate like a ‘Pro’ by simultaneously powering a television, sound system, small heater, and fridge. Our tailgating wish list would include weatherproof speakers and a subwoofer built-into the truck bed connected to the Raptor’s B&O sound system, which can be operated by a smartphone. 

The interior has a load of old and new tech for both on- and off-road. ‘Foot-long’ describes the new visual order with a new 12-inch dash screen and 12-inch centre console screen, with many tech features introduced in the 2021 F-150. The powertrain might be fossil fuel but the evolution to electric is complete everywhere else.

Over-the-air (OTA) updates allow systems to be upgraded and enhanced long after you drive the Raptor off the lot; the FordPass mobile app can lock or unlock the vehicle from almost anywhere, check tire pressure and fuel level, and allow control of new truck-focused features like Zone Lighting, Trailer Theft Alert, Trailer Light Check, and available Pro Power Onboard.

Ford has teased us with two features that we expected to see but they say they might be installed OTA and this includes Trail Maps and Trail Turn Assist. Trail Turn Assist was first introduced in the 2021 Bronco and uses torque vectoring, which is a fancy way of saying the brakes can be applied to one rear wheel to decrease the turning radius – great for tight turns on the trail and U-turns to snag a great parking spot.

Off-road worthy features include a 360-degree camera system to help you see what can’t be seen from the cockpit. One Pedal drive is what it suggests – push on the skinny pedal and you move forward, ease off and you begin to brake. Trail Control is the off-road version of cruise control.

Both One Pedal and Trail Control are driving skills that you used to have to learn. Now, having these systems built-in means you’ll better manage advanced terrain a lot faster and easier. Learning to carefully apply throttle and brake while steering between, around, and over potentially damaging obstacles was once a rite of passage and point of pride – now it’s a button-push away.

Ford’s latest Sync 4 is standard on the Raptor and now connects wirelessly if you’re an Apple CarPlay or Android fan. It also includes the new Off-Road Assist feature and lets you check reviews and ratings for off-road parks. The Ford Co-Pilot 360 is also standard, which is Ford’s suite of driver-assist features to help you park and avoid collisions. Later on, Ford says they’ll add Active Drive Assist, which is hands-free driving on certain divided highways.

The interior design includes some new cosmetic changes, as it should. But the only two we like are the optional Recaro seats with improved bolsters to hold you in place as you blast along off-road and the less adrenalin-inspiring – but useful – lockable, under-seat rear storage.

The terrain management system is so 2019, but it is good. Select from Slippery, Tow/Haul, Sport, Normal, Off-Road, Baja, and Rock Crawl. Aftermarket devices like Hypertech’s React can simulate these drive modes by adjusting the throttle curve. However, the Raptor’s system is much more complete as drive modes adjust steering feel, transfer case behavior, stability control, active valve exhaust, active damping system, throttle mapping, and transmission shift points.

It not only customizes on- and off-road performance but also your visual and auditory experience as well. And hey, when you’re paying close to six figures for a truck, it should be more than transportation, it should be entertainment.

The exterior design is refreshed while keeping it recognizably Raptor. Examining each element can be a little like debating the finer points of the Mona Lisa. The bottom line though is the smile is on your face, not hers. The look is inspired by the F-22 fighter jet of the same name and Baja 1000 trophy truck racing. Wide, aggressive and dare we say menacing. In our opinion, keep your Mona Lisa, we’ll take the new Raptor.

According to Ford, 2021 Raptors will go on sale ‘this summer’ and will only be available in SuperCrew. The exact date and pricing have yet to be announced.

What’s your take on the new Raptor vs the planned Raptor-R? If you had the cash would you stop at the ‘regular’ Raptor or shell out the extra dough and go all the way for Raptor-R?

Check out our video for more commentary, engine sound, images, and running footage of the 2021 Raptor.