The 2017 SEMA Show is here, and as it happens every year, Ford brought a handful of modified F-150 pickup trucks to Las Vegas. Among them, there's a beefed-up version created by the folks over at RTR Vehicles. Known mostly for tuning Ford Mustangs and for providing Vaughn Gittin Jr. with vehicles for the Formula Drift series, RTR used its experience in creating race-ready pony cars to put together a performance-oriented F-150.

RTR used a Lariat SuperCrew model as a base for this souped-up truck and add some of the features seen on its Gittin-prepped Mustang, most notably the D-shaped LED lights in the grille. Of course, the F-150 got a few unique touches as well. But, unlike the Mustang RTR, there's no improvement in terms of horsepower and torque, although the truck now sports a wide range of chassis upgrades. So while it's not as quick as the Raptor, it's definitely more capable on the unbeaten path than a standard F-150.

Continue reading to learn more about the Ford F-150 RTR Muscle Truck.

What makes the Ford F-150 RTR Muscle Truck special

Fitted with a range of extra features that you can't normally get on the F-150, this pickup truck looks like a Raptor that Ford's design team built as a side project. It's just as aggressive, but with a few changes here and there.

The new grille is the first feature that catches the eye. The frame is significantly thicker than the Raptor's, while the "Ford" lettering was replaced by a wide horizontal bar with the "RTR" logo. The LED, D-shaped lights at the corners add a nice touch. The headlamps are obviously larger than the Raptor's as a result of this truck being based on the Lariat trim. Below, there's a new bumper that looks rather spartan, but it's backed by a skid plate printed with the "RTR" logo.

The fender flares seem to be similar to the Raptor's, but they're finished in matte black, which adds a bit of character to the vehicle. Underneath, we can see RTR's very own Tech 6 off-road wheels with a much more attractive twin-five-spoke design. They're also wrapped in Nitto Ridge Grappler tires for enhanced off-road capability. The rear section gained a deck lid applique in matte black, yet another "RTR" badge, and a matte black bumper.

Not much has changed inside the cabin. RTR added a few Ford Accessories, Katzkin leather, and a dash plaque signed by Vaughn Gittin Jr., but that's about it.

Under the hood, the RTR-modded truck comes with the same 5.0L V-8 engine offered in the production F-150, but there's no word as to how much output it generates. As a result, it's safe to assume that it is rated at the stock 395 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. The V-8 mates to Ford's 10-speed automatic transmission, but it also uses a Magna Flow performance exhaust instead of the usual system. RTR also added enhanced-travel coilovers and rear dampers, an extended double wishbone suspension system, a heavy-duty rear axle, and payload maximizer springs.

Okay, so maybe it's not as mean and powerful as the F-150 Raptor, but it sure looks like one.

References

Ford F-150

Read our full review on the 2018 Ford F-150.

Read more news on the 2017 SEMA Show.