The off-road muscle truck war has escalated considerably thanks to the arrival of the 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R. For the first time in years, Blue Oval buyers can get a V8 stuffed into the Raptor's engine bay, and it packs one hell of a punch. Specifically, its supercharged 5.2-liter V8 makes 700 horsepower. It's easily the most powerful F-150 Ford has ever offered from the factory floor.
But in the Detroit's never-ending horsepower war, it's still second place to the Ram TRX. And Ram has already taken to social media to remind the world of that fact.
Scary powerful. 😎 The #RamTRX has best-in-class V8 horsepower.*
— Ram Trucks (@RamTrucks) July 18, 2022
*Based on the latest available competitive information. Class based on large light duty pickups. Excludes electric vehicles. pic.twitter.com/EQZOVAAAuq
We've chosen to embed Ram's Twitter post above, but you'll also find the truck company trolling Ford on Facebook and Instagram. And this is definitely a bit of trolling, as Ram is playing up Ford's Scary Fast Raptor R teaser campaign by calling the TRX Scary Powerful. Admittedly, the power advantage is exceedingly small – 702 hp in the TRX compared to 700 in the Raptor R. But it's enough for TRX to retain its title as the most powerful off-roader in the class. In the eyes of average individuals, that's where the comparison ends.
Gallery: 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R
Of course, Ford would have you look deeper to see the Raptor R is approximately 400 pounds lighter than the TRX. Also, the engine is indeed borrowed from the Mustang Shelby GT500 but it's been retuned for better low-end torque. You'll find 640 pound-feet of max twist hitting at 4,250 rpm, versus 625 lb-ft at 5,000 revs in the Shelby. However, the TRX peaks at 650 lb-ft, so any way you slice it, Ram is the undisputed king of power in the off-road muscle truck segment.
How does this all translate to real-world performance? Ford hasn't shared any statistics regarding acceleration times, but we expect the Raptor R will mirror the TRX with 60-mph sprints in the 4.5-second range. And being a Raptor, it's ready to tackle trails at speed with an upgraded front axle and revised spring rates. The Raptor R also comes standard with just about every Raptor option box ticked, including the larger 37-inch tires. You'll pay for it though – Ford says the 700-hp 2023 F-150 Raptor R starts at $109,145. That's significantly more than the TRX.
Order banks are now open for the Raptor R. Production will begin later this year.
