After being rumored and teased for months, the new Raptor R finally made its first official appearance. After more than a year since the standard Raptor made its debut, Ford finally decided to put a V-8 under the truck's hood - making it the most powerful Raptor ever. The model is now available to order, and deliveries will begin later this year.

What powers the new Ford Raptor R?

There used to be many rumors regarding the engine of the new Raptor R. The list of possibilities was very long and included engines like the 5.0-liter, V-8 Coyote or even the 7.3-liter, V-8 Godzilla, but Ford went with the same engine that powers the Shelby GT500: a 5.2-liter supercharged V-8. But, while in the muscle car this engine delivers a total of 760 horsepower and 625 pound-feet of torque, for the Raptor R the company recalibrated the supercharger and installed a new pulley - 74 millimeters in the truck versus 80 in the GT500 - to make it more suitable for off-road use. As a result, the Raptor R delivers only 700 horsepower, but toque went up to 640 pound-feet.

Even if the new Raptor R is the most powerful F-Series in the lineup, it is still a little under the Ram 1500 TRX. The latter is powered by a 6.2-liter, supercharged V-8 HEMI Hellcat engine that produces 702 horses and 650 pound-feet of torque. But Ford promises that the lack of power is rectified by its optimized off-roading capabilities.

The engine is mated to a 10-speed SelectShift® transmission with improved calibration - specially designed for the truck. The truck's driveline was also updated with a more robust front axle, while the extra torque is handled by a higher-strength carrier casting and an aluminum-ribbed structural transmission cover. Ford also equipped the new Raptor R with a specially tuned torque converter with a heavy-duty turbine damper and four-pinion rear output assembly to provide a smoother feel when driving both on- and off-road.

Suspension inspired by inspired by Baja off-roaders

According to Ford, the supercharged V-8 is the heart of the truck, while the suspension is its soul. And since a truck is all about its spirit, Ford equipped the Raptor R with a five-link rear suspension with extra-long trailing arms, a Panhard rod, and 24-inch coil springs. The truck is also offered with FOX Live Valve shocks tuned to balance ride quality and roll control on and off the road. The dampers are electronically controlled and use height sensors of the suspension to monitor terrain conditions and to adjust tuning accordingly. As a result, the driver will get an extra 13 inches of wheel travel in the front and 14.1 inches in the back.

The truck has four driving modes: Normal, Sport, Quiet and Baja - each of them offering the driver the possibility to customize the drive, steering, suspension modes, and others. As expected, the Baja mode offers maximum performance and control in high-speed off-roading. It rides on class-exclusive 37-inch tires that help increase the ground clearance to 13.1 inches - up from the 12 inches in the base Raptor.

The new Raptor R has an approach angle of 33.1 degrees, a departure angle of 24.9 degrees, and a breakover angle of 24.4 degrees. By comparison, for the standard Raptor the angles are: 31.0, 23.9 and 22.7, respectively, while for the Ram 1500 TRX 30.2, 23.5, and 21.9 respectively.

How different is it on the outside and the inside?

It is of course hard, but not impossible to distinguish the new Raptor R from the base Raptor model. The hood gets a larger, more aggressively styled power dome, which also sits nearly 1 inch taller. The grille, the bumpers, and fender flares are painted black, while unique Code Orange accents are applied on the R badge from the grille, the power dome, and the tailgate. There is also a special graphics package on the rear fenders inspired by the cracked desert earth.

The model will be offered in eight different exterior colors, including a new Avalanche and Azure Gray Tri-Coat finish offered for the first time.

For the interior, the Recaro seats are upholstered with black leather and Alcantara suede, with carbon fiber applied on the doors, media bin door, and upper parts of the instrument panel. The truck will be offered with a standard 12-inch infotainment screen with SYNC 4 technology, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

How much does the Ford Raptor R cost?

Ford didn't reveal the prices for the new Raptor R, but Motor1 reports it will start from $109,145, which is about $30k more than the $70,000 starting price of the TRX. The model will be built at Ford’s Dearborn Truck Plant and will arrive in dealers later this year.