So... What do you think about the new Raptor?

Shortbed said:

Just curious if you agree with me here, but I think Gen 1's differentiation (on appearance side of things) starts with the curved lines on the sheet metal - a wide truck that has no sheet metal lips or boxy angular bulges. A clamshell hood that melts into the front quarter panel. The two vents that no other truck has.

Why the Ford design team departed from the Gen 1 styling points is beyond me. But then again, maybe it's just me.

Click to expand...

I was just looking at pics of Gen 1’s and Gen 2’s and I think you may be right. My front end/side fender/hood just blend in to each other. You don’t get that with the Gen 2 “boxier” lines.

The gen 2 truck is actually 2 inches wider overal than the gen 1. That f100 is a cool truck.
It completely baffles me how companies can put out gorgeous cars like the mustang and camaro and then design the ugliest trucks like the new f series and gm trucks.

I wonder why the whole retro craze never caught on with pickups. Look at the 68 thru 72 chevrolet trucks and the mid to late 70 fords and you have the nicest looking pickups made.

beadblaster said:

The gen 2 truck is actually 2 inches wider overal than the gen 1.

Click to expand...

Yea I just read that in an online article. It sure doesn't apprear that way in the pics.....maybe in person it's a different story.

I have read on several on-line articles that the 2017 Raptor is a pre-production version. Maybe - Ford wants input from dedicated Raptor Owners (FRF) to make improvements before going on sale in late 2016. Just a thought.

I love it. The styling is great. I love the amber DRLs and the front end looks mean. I like the eco-boost 3.5L. You know its going to be tuned up for the new Raptor. I've always thought the Raptor should have come from the factory with boost. Overall, I'm excited to see them in real life and will reserve most of my judgement until I can make a side by side comparison with the Gen 1. It probably will change between now and the start of actual production. Hopefully they will add a 5.0L ecoboost option.

To be honest... I love it. This truck symbolizes Ford's desire to push past the common ideas of what makes the best off road truck, and try to make something better. Here is why i love this new truck.

1) 10 speed transmission- this is a joint venture between Chevy and Ford. More gears will give us more options to better take advantage of torque. For example gears 1-6 could be a standard gear set like we have now, 7/8 could be designed for overdrive purposes making the truck more efficient. 9/10 could be low end torque gearing to compensate for possible turbo lag or towing purposes. When it comes to racing efficient teams are fast teams, and they consistently win. This transmission will change your ideas about 10 speeds, making it more efficient and faster.

2) 3.5 turbo ecco whatever we want to call it.... guys lets be honest this is a desert racing designed truck, they literally tell you it was born in Baja. Not only does a turbo give us more to play with under the hood, but it gives us the ability to make more power with less weight. Less weight will give us better off road handling. Win and win.

3) The interior - Ford is nailing it on this one. Six up fitters roof mounted, awesome... seats, awesome... 360 camera view, awesome... paddle shifters, awesome. Make the interior so that we can wash it down after a long trip in the dirt, and Ford wins for the best designed off road interior ever made.


Now Iam not saying that with some of these new things we dont get a few cons. Not all is perfect nor will it ever be. More gears = smaller gears and they're usually weaker. Turbos have lag, and heat can take its toll on them. However overall I believe this truck will be better generation than the first, even with all the EPA restraints and new government restrictions on our trucks they're having to tackle.

First time I saw a Raptor, I had goosebumps, and knew it was something special. First time I saw the artists renderings of what the next-gen Raptor could look like, after the F-150 unveiling, I had that same feeling. Seeing the pre-production 2nd gen left me completely flat. I felt no need to scrounge up every detail and find photos from every angle. Meh... The Raptor specs sound great, and the interior looks like a nice update. But the exterior feels placid, underwhelming, and from some angles, downright awkward.The front and rear fenders feel strangely unassociated with the cab, and the narrowed 'snout' loses that wider-than-the-road 'trophy truck' character. The performance and efficiency would have to be completely over-the-top to pry my '14 out of my hands.

When looking over my last few post I realize it might come off that I don't like it. When in actuality I like the over all appearance of the truck. I love the interior design (except the white which I'm sure will not be in a production truck). The features and specs look great (engine choice not included). I hope they eventually offer a v8.

Dang, this ride is wide.

Love it. Everything is bigger and beefier than before, and I love the new look.

I am personally a big fan of the new ecoboost and 10spd transmission. Picking up a couple extra MPG is alright in my book, as long as it's got more power and torque than last time, and this thing looks like it's going to be a torque monster.

Some elements like the tailgate, dual exhaust are a little silly but there is time to improve the final product.