2021 Ford Raptor V8
2021 Ford Raptor V8 According to a new report by the Australian publication Which Car, the Raptor is set to inherit V8 power for 2021 in the form of a 5.0-liter Coyote engine from the current Ford Mustang GT.
The report claims that the V8-powered Ranger Raptor will be developed in Australia in a project sanctioned by Ford Australia and conducted by an “external engineering company”.
At present, the Mustang GT’s Coyote V8 produces 339 kW of power and 556 Nm of torque. This is a healthy step up from the 157kW/500Nm of the current Ranger Raptor, although of course it has not been confirmed how much power the Raptor is set to achieve.
In fact, the Raptor’s current engine is not particularly fast (especially on asphalt roads) and is in some ways relatively comparable to the 3.2-liter turbo-diesel engine that is present elsewhere in the Ranger line. But, what it does is play useful support in off-road situations.
The bi-turbo format means torque and power are always at your fingertips despite the shifting surfaces and slopes, and its off-road skills are something we praised both at its off-road launch in Darwin, Australia, and on home soil.
The exchange of diesel with a V8 will, therefore, require set-up of heavier front-end suspension; Although it’s worth noting that the Coyote engine is relatively light for a V8 – tipping the scales at just over 200kg.
Read next: 2021 Ford Raptor Ranger
It’s early days, but perhaps now is the best time for those who want a 2021 Ford Raptor V8 to offer a V8-powered ute to ussies and Kiwis back to cross their narrow fingers.
This pixel work depicts visible style changes, although without also showing the back of the bed handle. Even so, the headlight design complements the style of the front grille – we’ll have to thank digital artist Mo Aoun for these pixels. Oh, and you can easily compare this digital work with the current car, which is depicted in the picture gallery above.
However, the most important changes for the updated Raptor should land on the technological front. For one thing, spy shots showed prototypes without the leaf spring configuration of the current model, albeit with the Blue Oval having yet to confirm the transition to reel sources.
Even if the Raptor switches to the latter, the standard F-150 should keep its leafy springs, with Ford betting on assets such as better towing stability and load leveling for the latter – the automaker has introduced a similar scheme for the Ranger and Ranger Raptor, with the latter featuring a reel spring setup that improves handling, unlike its core brethren.
Entering the rumor mill land, I must say that some rumors speak of V8 architecture making a return. So while the current Raptor has worked hard to convince die-hard enthusiasts that six-cylinder and turbocharged are enough, 2021 Ford Raptor V8 could borrow the 5.2-liter supercharged V8 of the Mustang Shelby GT500 2020 for the 2021 F-150 Raptor.
Aside from the desire to think, with the end of the life cycle of the current model approaching, a blown V8 Raptor could do for a suitable swan song.
However, we must keep in mind that while the 2020 release of the redesigned F-150 is almost certain, the revised Raptor could make us wait until next year.
Read next: 2021 Ford Raptor News
