• The 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor is a truck for sports car drivers
• Ford’s new Raptor serves as a 450 hp hype machine for the new Bronco Raptor
• My loaner was 100% worth the $82,000 sticker price

On the surface, it’s hard to even know where to start with the 2021 Ford Raptor. Let’s be honest, not a lot of construction foremen are using the vice grip mounts on the tailgate of an $82,080 supertruck. Not them then, despite what the ruler etched into that very same tailgate will tell you. So who the hell is it for? I think the Raptor and by extension, the gigantic Ford Bronco Raptor, are built for people like me.

The 2022 Ford Raptor is exactly what the Ford Bronco Raptor should be

Dad says I like talking about myself, so I’ll keep it brief. I drive a sports car every day, came out of the womb Lego Lamborghini in hand. That pretty much tells you all you need to know. Obviously, that means I won’t be caught dead in something like the 2021 Ford Raptor. Except, I really, really, want one. Honestly- and I’m not sure how the folks at Ford will feel about this- the Ford F-150 Raptor is the dumbest thing I’ve ever driven.

I mean that genuinely, in all the best ways, and as a compliment. I love a ridiculous thing that’s actually quite usable. That’s why I drive my E46 BMW M3. It looks and sounds like a silly sports car, but it’s shockingly practical. And my Ford F-150 Raptor pickup truck scratched that itch very well. It’s orange and makes 450 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque thanks to the loudest twin-turbo Ecoboost V6 this side of a Ford GT. Obviously, that creates an experience (at least philosophically) not unlike driving my little BMW. And I like my dumb little BMW.

The new F-150 Raptor interior makes dune jumping cushy

So, before I get to what all this has to do with the Bronco Raptor, let’s talk about what the 2021 Ford Raptor is like to drive. My loaner came with the optional $7,500 37 Performance Package. That means (you guessed it) 37″ tires, as well as beadlockable 17-inch wheels, upgraded Fox shocks (for better yumps), and more ground clearance as a result of those tires. Obviously, being all-terrain tires, they handle all terrains well. You can’t get a Raptor 37 stuck. Thankfully, highway noise is at a minimum and the cameras help immensely with parking this monster. The interior is very nice, blue, and has Carplay and Android Auto. Finally, I have realized I will simply die if I go through another winter without a heated steering wheel and remote start.

But really, the Raptor experience is dominated by its, well, Raptor-ness. And that’s why I’m so excited for the Ford Bronco Raptor. The fun attitude of the fully-loaded Bronco experience is unmatched in the segment, and the new go-fast changes on the Braptor will only make it more fun. I cannot wait to hear the Nissan GT-R-like warble of that Ecoboost V6 with no roof or doors. Frankly, Ford ought to be Raptor-ing all the things it can, and both these trucks are proof.

Is the new Raptor worth $82,000?

While the Ford Bronco Raptor promises to be much more my type of car than even the F-150 Raptor, I loved my time in the pickup truck nonetheless. In short, the 2021 Ford Raptor absolutely worth $82,050. It’s superbly comfortable when you tell it to be. But when you tell it to misbehave, it does so willingly, and in such a way that makes you laugh like a three-year-old. The Raptor is a reminder of why I love cars and the culture surrounding them. The Ford Bronco Raptor promises to amplify all of those sensations, and I want one yesterday.