20 more hp makes 2024 Raptor R the new king of desert-slaying supertrucks

Ford’s sand-shredding Raptor R supertruck just got even gnarlier. The 2024 Raptor R now produces 720 hp, a gain of 20 ponies over the outgoing model. That’s enough added shove to render it the most powerful high-performance pickup you can buy new, clipping the soon-departing Ram TRX, which delivered 702 hp. (No, we’re not counting Hennessey’s 1000-hp upgraded version of the TRX in this fight.)

The extra 20 horses come from “reduced air inlet losses coupled with an optimized calibration that also results in a wider torque curve,” according to Ford. Those air inlet losses, according to Ford spokesperson Dawn McKenzie, are the byproduct of a revised hood and body close-out that increase airflow into the intake, rather than a whole new intake system.

The Raptor R uses a revised version of the 5.2-liter supercharged Predator V-8 that debuted first on the Shelby GT500 (you can also get the engine as a crate motor). In the truck, the engine uses a smaller supercharger pulley to build boost quickly, enabling better low- and mid-range power. The 640 lb-ft torque figure remains the same as the earlier Raptor Rs, but maximum twist is now available 50 rpms higher (4300 rpm vs. 4250), which will encourage drivers to run up the tach even more.

The Predator engine pairs with a 10-speed automatic transmission, as before. When the going gets tough, 4×4 duties are handled by a two-speed automatic transfer case with a 2.64:1 4-low ratio and the ability to set the drivetrain to neutral for towing the truck behind a motorhome. The rear axle features an electronic locker and a 4.10:1 final drive ratio.

The Raptor R is Ford’s F-150 supertruck taken to the extreme. With ultra high-tech Fox Live Valve shocks helping soak up the desert whoops, absurd, 37-inch tires fitted as standard, and a honking supercharged V-8 soundtrack, this thing is all about performance excess. While we’re not sure anybody would consider the outgoing Raptor R underpowered, who looks 20 gift horsepower in the mouth?

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