The Ram TRX made quite the splash in the truck world. It came with a 700+-hp bang that shook the other performance trucks pretty good. The 2022 Ford Raptor V8, not to be outdone by some T-rex play on words Ram, is now going to come with its very own monster V8 in its newer iteration. It seems like, between the leaked imagines and the debut, things are moving fairly quickly. 

The 2022 Ford Raptor V8 will be hunting the Ram TRX

According to our friends at Gear Patrol, Ford plans to unveil the new Ford Raptor V8 at 11 am EST on February 3rd. I guess this isn’t fast per se. Obviously, Ford has been working on this for quite some time. In fact, I assume the plans for the V8 Raptor probably began the moment they heard the Ram TRX talking all that trash. 

Gear Patrol says that the new Ford F-150 Raptor will come in two different variations. The base model will have an updated version of the current 450-hp 3.5-liter V6 engine. Another option at that level may be the twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 hybrid as well. That sounds like a bucket of laughs.

The second version will, of course, be the supercharged Ford F-150 Raptor V8, possibly by the name “Raptor R.” This hot-rod Raptor will most likely get the supercharged 5.2-liter V8 from the Shelby Mustang GT500. The Jurrasic truck will hopefully keep the 760 horses from the pony car. 

What are the specs of the current Raptor

Ford has given us very little information on the new Raptor, but we can draw some context clues from other current Ford models. 

We have no clue what towing will look like on the new Raptor, but we might get close to a guess by looking at the likely engines and what currently uses them. For instance, the 2021 Ford F-150 can outhaul the previous model. The current Raptor can tow 8000 lbs and haul around 1500 in the bed. If Ford continues to follow suit, we might see an increase in these numbers. 

Something super exciting would be introducing the hybrid powerplant from the F-150 into the performance truck world. This could serve as a more eco-friendly power plant that helps assuage drivers of their guilt while ripping the desert to shreds. 

Does the new Ford -150 Raptor look different?

Probably not. I assume it will follow suit with the refreshed 2021 F-150. It may have a couple of new lines or bits of paneling and fender flares. Gear Patrol mentions that a few leaked spy shots suggest the Raptor might be switching from leaf springs to coils. And it’s about time, too!

How much will the V8 Ford Raptor cost? 

Something tells me this new reptile might cost a few more pennies than the old one. The current model starts at $53,455 and can run a fair bit north of that. We expect to see the V8 around the $65-70k mark. If everything else about this truck is meant to compete with the Ram TRX (which it is), we can assume it will be in the same neighborhood as the TRX starting price of $70k. 

We don’t know much, but we know we’ll love it

I hesitate to write that because I know better than to jinx something like this. By all accounts, the new Raptors should be incredible. This is a model that has only improved as the years have gone by. By offering customers more varied performance engine options, upgraded suspension, and transmission, this desert runner should be nearing perfection. I guess we’ll find out soon.