Ford Driving School Is Rocky Ride for Raptor Owners

Motor Trend says F-150 is so good, it will scare new owners.

The Ford F-150 Raptor, as everyone knows by now, has been around since 2010. While the first-gen Raptor was a purpose-built off-roader, Ford didn’t offer a performance school for the truck until the release of the new, second-gen vehicle. Motor Trend attended the Ford Performance Racing School in Utah and found that the Raptor is so good that it will scare new owners.

The Raptor section started with the outlet climbing a steep 30-degree hill meant to showcase just how good the truck’s rock crawl mode is. “The gauge showed we were at a 30-degree angle, enough tilt that I would have fallen out the open window if not for my seatbelt,”says Motor Trend. “The exercise is designed to scare the owner a bit while showing that the Raptor does not slip even at outrageous angles.”

Going up hills that have drivers being scared from falling out the window? Yeah, that might just be the best way to show how much performance the Raptor has.

After climbing other steep hills, Motor Trend, took the pickup on a 15-mile drive where an off-road course was laid out to see how the Raptor fairs when doing ridiculous things. “It was a chance to prove itself during a slow climb over boulders where all you can see is sky and while going fast on a high-speed spring across a bumpy and rutted desert path,” says Motor Trend.

‘The exercise is designed to scare the owner a bit while showing that the Raptor does not slip even at outrageous angles.’

The program, as Motor Trend points out, does a fantastic job of displaying the Raptor’s different personalities. The “performance off-road truck was showcased in its ability to go 15 mph in rock crawl mode, in sixth gear and 4-low, on a rock-littered trail at an elevation of 6,100 feet, and not even appear winded.”

Don’t for an instance think that Ford forgot about letting drivers explore the Raptor when in Baja mode, either, as there was some of that, as well. “Switch to Baja mode (4-high) for instant throttle as the truck flies over a hardened sand path,” states Motor Trend.

Clearly Motor Trend had a ball at Ford’s Performance School and any new owner will, too. Just be prepared to get a little scared.

Photos: Motor Trend