Mountain Wheels: Ford’s 37-inch-tire-equipped special edition Raptor rules the road

It is challenging to picture a a lot more rigorous, absolutely manufacturing facility-built, off-road levels of competition race truck than the exclusive version Ford F150 Raptor 37, other than … very well, that group-defying Ram TRX, with its 702 horsepower.

Which is truly the only point maintaining the completely imposing behemoth that is the 37-inch-tire-equipped Raptor from crushing the levels of competition, perhaps virtually. Inspite of the extra prosper of monster rubber and a complete Baja-deserving race wrap and lighting deal, the Raptor retains its similar 3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V-6, making just 450 horsepower.

Imagine a period of time, a number of many years in the past, exactly where 450 horsepower wasn’t sufficient to make you top rated of the heap. The Raptor 37 also someplace north of $80,000 in this configuration, also semi-standard territory in today’s pickup arms race.

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Does that make my Code Orange Metallic-colored (just about Denver Broncos Orange) ultra-off-roader any less of a hyper-capable machine when it arrives to its presumed duty of large-pace backcountry racing? No, not truly, and it even acquired 17 mpg when pushed generally on town roadways.

It is a large amount to deal with on a road like Denver’s Sheridan Boulevard, the place highway problems rival the building entire world and lane width make this infant feel like it is 40 feet huge.

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The very shocking thing is that this even more rapacious Raptor is not primarily unattainable to generate in highway or urban conditions, even with people unbelievably broad 37 x 12.5R17 all-terrain tires, the absolute major ever supplied on a showroom truck.

Even the steering is not that heavy, despite the fact that navigating into parking spots is definitely aided by front, rear and about-see cameras.

I pretty easily bounded alongside on Interstate 70, basically relishing the pre-construction ruts and grooves heading up to the tunnel, and at full pace on Interstate 25, the tires were impressively easy and the experience no even worse than everybody else’s substantial-conclusion monster truck bundle. I also took a different quick excursion up the incredibly steep Two Brothers Street north of Idaho Springs. It’ll absolutely fly alongside on the roughest gravel streets you can toss at it.

In an off-street journey, you can dial up a variety of driving method settings that transform off security handle and spike the acceleration electric power, and there is also a Trail Control cruise management setting to assistance with rock crawling or ultra-steep descents. The now booming common exhaust has 4 configurations, from a neighbor-helpful peaceful to a complete-blown Baja straight-pipe method. Very good lord.

This all results in a automobile with a weird, split character. It is indeed an intensely able off-roader with a specially tuned Fox Racing inner bypass shock program designed for rocks and ruts, 5-url rear suspension and all the functioning lights, bells and whistles you can visualize for backcountry bombing, but it operates as a very imposing each day driver.

The latter is a bit of an understatement, thinking of that Raptor 37 seems to be like a Matchbox toy that is been soaked in testosterone and uncovered to gamma radiation. The widebody seem, with excess-flared wheel nicely flares, that Subaru-ingesting grille and almost conventional-fashion entrance bumper, all conspire to make it appear to be like a cement truck when parked concerning compact crossovers.

All that extra elevate usually means an easy foot of clearance and a distinct obstacle in accessing the cabin — really do not even get me began about the troubles in sweeping snow off the truck final weekend in Breck — although Raptor’s standard black cast aluminum functioning boards make it less difficult to get aboard.

I incredibly happily utilized the Raptor 37 for the relaxation of the 7 days as I solitary-handedly completed an total condominium/storage container transfer, with the ultra-rigid spray-in bedliner and toughened box rail tops resisting scratches and dents. I did very a great deal value that goofy fold-out phase in the tail although executing so huge tiedown cleats and a tremendous-weatherized 120-volt outlet incorporate flexibility, although it is only a 5.5-foot mattress, so more time objects or motorbikes will have you likely tail-down.

A Kenworth’s worthy of of orange LED marker lighting is complemented by aspect-mirror, top-of-taxi and tail-mounted LED spotlights — no lightbar or ’70s styled roof lamps, but you know they are out there in the accent catalog.

Inside of, you could want to assume twice right before getting again in if you are actually included in Baja dust or mud after switching a tire. It’s a single of the nicest F150 interiors close to, with a genteel and substantial-conclude seem that is rounded out with provocatively rigid Recaro activity seats and lots of carbon fiber trim parts. Those people seats have plenty of grippy suede inserts, as do the edges of the notebook-sized center storage box it is leather-based just about everywhere else, with far more orange highlight stitching on approximately each surface area.

Raptor 37 will get the full enhance of modern-day F150 specifics, together with the impress-your-pals flattening change lever, an completely enormous heart touchscreen and full digital instrument panel, plus a bunch of outsized knobs for A/C, trailer-hitching and off-highway controls.

Andy Stonehouse’s column “Mountain Wheels” publishes Saturdays in the Summit Everyday Information. Stonehouse has labored as an editor and author in Colorado due to the fact 1998, focusing on automotive coverage because 2004. He lives in Golden. Call him at [email protected].