There’s so little time in the week, but so many things to remember. Meeting times, client names, directions – it’s a long list. Your mind only has so much room in it. If you’ve forgotten some of the facts about the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor over the past several months, don’t worry. We’ll refresh your memory.
We’ll remind you that its next-generation 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 will feature direct and port fuel injection – which allows the regular 2017 F-150’s new 3.5-liter EcoBoost to generate 375 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque.
Don’t forget that the next Raptor’s 10-speed automatic will also be in the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Or that the off-roader will be up to 500 pounds lighter than its predecessor.
Also, keep in mind that the 2017 Raptor will have two separate pipes coming out of the engine and out below the back bumper. In other words: a true dual exhaust.
It will have a Baja drive mode as well, which will cut back the traction control and make the throttle more responsive for blasts through the desert. Sport mode will do the same with the throttle and make the tranny hold gears longer to keep the Raptor in the meat of the powerband.
You might have lost track of those things, but we’re sure there’s one thing you’ll never forget about the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor once you experience it: how it feels to drive it off-road.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
