2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 test drive
The 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is no one-trick pony. The most powerful Ford ever is as happy on a twisty track as it is on a drag strip, Fox News Automotive Editor Gary Gastelu says.
Ford may not be giving up without a fight.
Ram
Faced with the prospect of being upstaged by Ram’s new 702 horsepower TRX pickup, Ford is reportedly planning its own supercharged off-road truck.
The Drive has new information on news, first reported last, year that says Ford will offer an F-150 Raptor powered by the 5.2-liter supercharged V8 that was introduced in the 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500.
The current raptor has a 450 hp turbocharged V6. (Ford)
The engine is nicknamed “Predator” and will be tuned to put out between 725-750 hp in the Raptor, an inside source told The Drive. The current Raptor features a 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 rated at 450 hp.
Recent sightings of disguised Raptor prototype being tested on public roads has also confirmed that Ford has been testing it with coil-spring rear suspension instead of leaf springs, which is the same setup Ram uses on its light-duty pickups. The exhaust sound heard in video of the truck driving around near a Ford development center also suggests it has a V8 under the hood.
The Ram 1500 TRX is set to be the quickest and most powerful pickup when it hits showrooms this fall at a base price of $71,690. The automaker has revealed that a limited run of 702 Launch Edition trucks priced at $92,010 were sold out within three hours of the order books opening after the truck’s reveal on Monday.
Ford did not comment on the report. It recently unveiled the redesigned 2021 Ford F-150, but has not shown a new version of the Raptor, which was last updated in 2017.