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From dust to glory in the latest Ford Raptor

The 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor is finally here, and it's the baddest beast in the desert.

Emme Hall
I love two-seater, RWD convertibles and own a 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata for pavement fun and a lifted 2001 Miata for pre-running. I race air-cooled Volkswagens in desert races like the Mint 400 and the Baja 1000. I have won the Rebelle Rally, seven-day navigational challenge, twice and I am the only driver to compete in an EV, the Rivian R1T.
Emme Hall
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1 of 13 Matt Scott

The long-awaited 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor is here. It's huge, it's badass and it's gonna sell like hotcakes.

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2 of 13 Emme Hall/Roadshow

The old 6.2-liter V8 has been replaced by a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine. Yup, the Raptor has gone turbo.

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3 of 13 Matt Scott

It's tough to cry about the loss of the V8, however, when power output is up. The new Raptor makes 450 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque.

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4 of 13 Emme Hall/Roadshow

The new power plant is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. Yes, 10 of the speeds.

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5 of 13 Ford

Improved 3.0 Fox shocks allow for 13 inches of travel in the front and 13.9 inches in the rear.

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6 of 13 Ford

All that travel means the Raptor is a beast in the desert, taking on terrain at speeds that would decimate a regular pickup truck.

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7 of 13 Emme Hall/Roadshow

Did I mention the Raptor is big? It's 86.3 inches wide and your choice of either 134-inch or 146-inch wheelbase.

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8 of 13 Ford

Every truck comes with Raptor-specific 35-inch BFGoodrich KO2 tires mounted on 17-inch wheels.

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9 of 13 Ford

Donuts are pretty much mandatory.

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10 of 13 Ford

The interior is spacious, as you would expect. Sync3 with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is available.

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11 of 13 Emme Hall/Roadshow

Probably the only truck with a center stripe on the steering wheel.

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12 of 13 Ford

The Raptor gets six different driving modes: Normal, Sport, Weather, Mud/Sand, Baja and Rock. Each adjusts transmission, engine, transfer case and steering parameters for optimal performance.

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All your needed info is directly in front of you in a multifunctional screen in the gauge cluster.

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