The MotorTrend Truck of the Year-winning Ram 1500 TRX’s reign as the hottest truck for the 2021 model year may soon come to an end, as Ford continues to prep its third-generation F-150 Raptor. Now, F150Gen14.com‘s forum gives us a better clue about what to expect from the next Raptor—at least in regards to its styling.
Like its forebears, the 2021 F-150 Raptor’s mug and fenders see the most notable styling differences over Ford’s run-of-the-mill half-ton pickup. An illustration of the truck’s front end—presumably from Ford’s parts catalog—shows the upcoming Raptor maintains trim-specific cues such as a grille that trades the Blue Oval badge for distinct Ford lettering. Meanwhile, a new lower fascia evolves the style of the 2020 Raptor‘s, albeit with the apparent addition of LED fog lights at each corner.
Swollen fenders replace the standard F-150’s more slab-sided pieces, while vents at the top corners of those fenders add an extra bit of style to the truck and appear to offer some sort of function, be it for aerodynamics, heat extraction, something else entirely, or some combination of these. A leaked body-in-white photo published to the same forum also shows the Raptor’s hood features a cutout for some model-specific decorative trim.
The mechanical details of the 2021 Raptor still remain a bit of a mystery. We expect basic elements of Raptor’s past—such as widened front and rear tracks, additional ground clearance, high-performance shocks and springs, and a bevy of underbody skid plates—to return to the new truck. We also anticipate the prior Raptor’s twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 engine and 10-speed automatic transmission will once again serve as the model’s main source of motivation. Some fiddling by Ford engineers may even net up to 500 horses from the turbo six.
Bigger changes, however, are rumored to come in the form of a coil-spring rear suspension setup and the possible addition of an even more powerful engine option for better battling the Ram 1500 TRX and its 702-hp supercharged 6.2-liter V-8. If Ford goes this route, we wager the company will try to fit the 760-hp supercharged 5.2-liter V-8 of the Mustang Shelby GT500 under the Raptor’s hood.
Regardless of what ultimately powers it, the 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor ought to improve notably upon its predecessor while also putting some real pressure on the Ram 1500 TRX.
