Raptor to Return in 2016

[Ruger]

I have reservations about an aluminum alloy body. You cannot cold hammer aluminum much until it cracks, so body work will almost always involve replacement of body panels.

 

[BLK]

Doesn't matter to me... I love my 2013 and I can't afford another one. Keep her till she dies.

 

[mudblood]

I have reservations about an aluminum alloy body. You cannot cold hammer aluminum much until it cracks, so body work will almost always involve replacement of body panels.

I remember when Ford helped make the Shelby Cobra out of aluminium. Man you could not get near that thing without making a dent.

 

[RAPTORSV]

I have reservations about an aluminum alloy body. You cannot cold hammer aluminum much until it cracks, so body work will almost always involve replacement of body panels.

I agree, I can't help but think this will increase insurance costs. Lot of farmers and ranchers won't be happy either with an expensive fragile truck. They probably buy more F250 these days anyway.

 

[chartguy]

I suspect that the aluminum will only be for the cab. Remember, the Raptor has longer suspension arms to allow longer suspension travel, so it has a different bed and a different front clip. I seriously doubt that Ford would go to the expense of making 10 to 15 thousand of those a year in aluminum for the Raptor.

 

[WhatExit?]

2016 Ford Raptor SVT

I searched and couldn't find a thread on the 2016 Raptor so I thought I'd start this one as we get closer to Raptor Gen II which, I understand will be available about 1 year after the all-new F-150 is available.

Make no mistake, Raptor Gen II is coming and we should start seeing more information and leaked photos as we get closer to F-150 availability.


Here's an article from SEMA eNews - Spy Shots:


"The First Mule for the 2016 Ford Raptor?"

Is this the first look at a proper mule for the ’16 Ford Raptor based on the all-new ’15 F-150? Some key evidence on this test truck suggests that an all-new version of Ford's factory Baja runner could truly be in the works.

Caught heading into the joint Roush/SVT development center, this Raptor test truck was wearing an ill-fitting grille from an F-150 Platinum instead of the Raptor's usual, FORD-emblazoned grille treatment. But it's not which grille is in use that's important here, it's how that grille is incorporated into the front fascia.

More Than a Mismatched Grille

On this Raptor mule, the grille is bumped-out, sitting a couple inches forward from its normal resting place. This bumped-out grille is the key identifying feature of every mule that has been testing the all-new platform for the ’15 F-150. The same grille fitment on this Raptor suggests that the mechanicals under its skin may well be based on the all-new, ’15 F-150's platform, making it much more than any run-of-the-mill Raptor. Given that Ford has created a number of grilles that have been modified to accommodate the ’15 F-150's revised packaging, the use of an altered, non-Raptor grille makes sense in this context.

Given the success of the current Raptor, rumor is that a second-generation Raptor based on the all-new F-150 is a near certainty. If the subtle evidence on this test truck is as it appears, this might be our first confirmation that the Raptor will indeed live on, utilizing the advancements promised for the ’15 F-150. This Raptor mule appeared about 16 months after the first F-150 mules began testing, suggesting that the second-generation Raptor will appear about one year after the standard F-150 reaches the market.

Link: Spy Shots

 

[Battle Born]

Rims

I have had Aluminium rims on my truck for years beat tlsoot never broke or cracked one shredded 30 tires at least , NEXT

 

[WarSurfer]

The bed is the same as non-Raptors, just different bedsides.

 

[justvettn]

I have reservations about an aluminum alloy body. You cannot cold hammer aluminum much until it cracks, so body work will almost always involve replacement of body panels.

How many times have you had to cold hammer your Raptor panels?

 

[BAJASVT]

The SEMA article and photos that WhatExit? posted are old. There hasn't been a leaf on a tree or a green blade of grass anywhere near the Allen Park Roush/SVT building in months.

Also, the reason the grille doesn't fit properly or the same as other test mules is because the Raptor has a different hood that wraps the front end of the truck. All other F-150 hoods essentially end flat and the grill wraps the top of the hood.