Far from extinct

In these righteously eco-conscientious times, it takes a certain audacity to introduce a vehicle like the SVT Raptor.

Politically correct as a fur coat at a Greenpeace rally—it doesn’t take long for it to receive the first one-finger salute in my cottage-country centred, artistically diverse university town. Bright screaming orange, flanks and haunches tattooed with digital gouges, its grille a gaping maw, subtlety isn’t part of the Raptor’s repertoire.

But like the secret enjoyment of a horrendously un-PC but terribly funny joke, the Raptor’s like the ultimate childhood fantasy—a giant Tonka toy come to life.

The hype preceding its release reached near-frenzy, with You Tube clips and photos of the purpose-built off-roader flinging itself over sand dunes and gullies, exposing its steel skid-plate clad underbelly.

This is the first time that Ford’s SVT (Special Vehicle Team) has focused its talents on a truck since the supercharged street-racer Lightning. Far from a mere appearance package - the SVT Raptor is a radically modified F-150 that not only competed, but finished on the podium in the gruelling Baja 1000 race against hand-built prototype race trucks.

Starting with an ordinary Ford F-150 frame, Ford engineers threw away all the stock suspension bits and created a setup capable of devouring the most rugged terrain. Teaming up with off-road damping specialists Fox Shox, the Ford team developed a shock able to absorb huge bumps and even small jumps thanks to almost a foot of suspension travel. Unlike regular shocks which overheat and become limp, the triple bypass Fox dampers have extra chambers of highly pressurized fluid to ensure stiffness and prevent the Raptor’s bottoming out.

The track was widened by seven inches, with beefy cast-aluminum lower and forged-steel upper control arms. Its underside is protected from rocks, stumps or what have you by thick steel skid plates.

Coupled with huge 35 inch BF Goodrich tires - there’s enough bump absorption to suit the princess of the proverbial pea. Surprisingly, despite the huge cleat-like tread, there’s little road noise and the Raptor’s as well behaved on the highway as any Ford F-150. However, those steroidal pumped fenders and haunches present an outline eight inches wider than a base F-150, so wide in fact, that there’s a row of additional marker lights on grille, roof and tail in order to comply with DOT regulations.

Feeling slightly ridiculous driving such an over-the-top macho trophy truck in town, I nonetheless can’t suppress a goofy grin. It doesn’t hurt that the Raptor is a huge head-turning magnet for outdoorsy-looking men of all ages.

Navigating a crowded parking lot is a bit of a challenge, but the backup camera is an immense help. Inside, the “molten orange” paint scheme is continued on dash and console. The beefy black leather-wrapped steering wheel has an orange centering mark to help with tricky manoeuvring. Black and orange leather seats are comfortable with extra side bolstering, and the floors are protected by thick rubber mats. Taking it off the pavement, the driver can select either 4 Hi, or 4 Lo by turning console located dial. Pulling the dial out locks the centre differential, and an “Off Road Mode” button recalibrates and firms up shift points. Activate the hill descent mode, and the Raptor crawls downhill, feathering the throttle and brakes when needed—no footwork required.

Roughly $3,000 more than an F150 SX4, and the same functional practicality - the Raptor has a 6,000 lb. towing capacity.

It’s a guilty pleasure that can almost be justified.