Raptor Roundup Ropes in Owners and Enthusiasts for Fun in the Desert
By Sue Mead for PickupTrucks.com
Ford’s third Raptor Roundup, held recently in Albuquerque, N.M., drew a crowd of more than 550 owners, fans and potential buyers to experience first-hand the unique capabilities of the F-150 SVT Raptor in its natural habitat.
Safety, fun and education were the watchwords for the event, which started Friday evening at the Route 66 Hotel and Casino with a program for owners. Saturday morning, the group lined up their Raptors and snaked along some nearby desert roads for a day of driving and educating enthusiasts. The event, which was held at the Sandia Speedway, was sponsored by the New Mexico Ford Dealers and Quick Lane Auto Centers.
Attendees were given the opportunity to drive all-new four-door 6.2-liter Raptor SuperCrews on a 3/8-mile dirt oval and along a one-mile off-road track designed to show the SVT Raptor’s capabilities.
Run by Vegas Off-Road Experience, all activities were free including rides with professional off-road racers. VORE staff required all driving participants to attend a safety briefing, where the ride and handling characteristics of the Raptor were detailed. VORE’s instructors rode along in each.
“[The Raptor Roundup isn’t] really a class that VORE does,” said Anthony Piazza, sales zone manager for Ford’s Phoenix region. “It’s designed as a way to tell non-owners about the truck, give them pointers and tips for driving, and showcase the Raptor in a safe, educational environment. We want them to know what ‘Built Ford Tough’ means, and the guys at VORE know that and point out the one-foot of suspension travel, the great tracking ability of the Raptor in the desert sand and have them try out the downhill descent control.”
Ford had extra trucks and sales consultants on-site to answer questions.
“There’s nothing like the Raptor,” said Chuck Self of VORE. “I tell people you can go off-road and go over jumps like we had on the track here, but then take your truck to the car wash and have it valeted at the Five Crowns five-star restaurant at the end of the day. Our staff explained that it can take the abuse of driving over uneven, rough terrain at high speeds and then be your daily driver and give you a true luxury ride on the highway.”
Other VORE staff included well-known off-roader Shawn Lucero, who led the classroom training.
For Piazza and others in Ford’s Phoenix region, the love affair started when the Ford Raptor was released.
“We wanted our region to be the No. 1 sales region in the country, especially because of the Southwest terrain and the popularity of off-road motorsports in this part of the country,” Piazza said. “We set a goal, and we’re now the top-selling region in the country.”
Piazza, pointed out that Team Ford in Las Vegas has led Raptor sales in the U.S., followed by Rich Ford, where 14 buyers purchased the desert race truck over the course of a recent week; it’s been nearly impossible to keep Raptors in stock because of its popularity.
“We started doing the roundups a year ago and had one in Phoenix at the Fire Bird Raceway and one in Las Vegas. We plan to do two more before the end of the year, as well,” Piazza said.
Comments
that's neat Ford is finally teaching the customer how to drive these trucks off road this is a good thing
Did anyone bend a frame?
The lead Raptor in the top picture looks cool.
The last picture, nice lower shock mounts, hope he does not bottom out the rear and break those!
looks like a bunch of dinosours to me. A very over priced truck that gets terrible gas milage.
@oxi- Perhaps you should have gone. You probably could have taught them a thing or two. Just one look at your Yota would have been enough to get at least half of them to trade their Raptors in on an off-road corolla like yours.
looks like a bunch of dinosours to me. A very over priced truck that gets terrible gas milage. @Michigan Bob
At least their 6.2 liter V8 gets better FE than the chevy's or gm's
Here is Oxi's ride:
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f36/oxi3/013_13.jpg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f36/oxi3/016_16.jpg
Notice that there are no lower shock mounts hanging below the axle line in a vulnerable position like the Raptor.
Notice the SKID PLATES. Skid plates are the mark of a true off-road vehicle and not a poser!
@Michigan bob
I smell a hint of jealousy and it looks to me like a bunch of trucks that can walk all over any truck GM offers, not to mention notice the part in the story that says people are buying raptors? They dontbhave thebproblem GM does of having around 200 days worth of trucks stock piled up hardly moving them off the lots, Robinson smell more tax dollars? Or is that just the smell of another bankruptcy filing?
@Jake
Like those skid plates that come on the raptor?
http://www.google.com/m/search?client=ms-android-verizon&source=android-home&q=ford+raptor&site=images&ei=Ov8uTrDdL4HR8Aa7yKYg&ved=0CBgQ7AkwAQ#i=8
They should come to Los Angeles, CA!!!!!!
@Lou,
Yea, like Wally World's (Walmart) Parking lot. That's where you see them ALL!!
@ Oxi - enough already. You sound like a broken record. Your fan club showed up.
@ Jake - Oxi occasionally has some valid points, but your echolalia is disconcerting.
@Lou:
I kind of doubt any frames were bent. It doesn't sound like these people were sufficiently brain dead to intentionally hit a 12 inch obstruction at 125 mph like the imbeciles who did manage to bend their frames.
Nice try, though.
@ted,
You have a lot to learn from Lou! Stick around!!!
Dan the Man?:: does 12city 14hyw, sound better than 14city 18hyw to you?
Oxi: nice Continental Kit man, if I could show you pictures of my Dakota, you'd see some real ground clearence.
What is a Continental Kit?
I do not have a kit, I design my own with what is out there and custom designs...
@Jake, tucker, real skid plates and not those flimsy aluminum on the Raptor, if not they sure look like they are:
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f36/oxi3/DSCI0065.jpg
I will give credit to Ford for at least making an off-roader unlike anything they made before besides the Bronco...
@tucker, oxi's Tacoma has Bud Built skid plates 3/8" thick underneath from front all the way to the tranny rear yolk, 3 plates in all...
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f36/oxi3/DSCI0040.jpg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f36/oxi3/DSCI0046.jpg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f36/oxi3/DSCI0053.jpg
@ mike L is there any chance that we will se a comparo of the raptor and a ramrunner equipped dodge
@Lou, without GM'S Z-71 off road package, the Raptor and trucks like it wouldn't even exist. Ford saw the success that GM had with thier Z-71 package and COPIED it on their trucks. YES, GM had their off road package way before ford or dodge did. I am not saying that the Z-71 package is designed to compete with the raptor, I am saying that GM had an off road package first.
Now what Lou??? ford is second again....
@ Bob You compared the 6.2 raptor to a regular silverado 6.2 didnt you?
lol I guess you could do that
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8W85WjayKQ
@ Bob - whats with the "daaaaaddddd, heeeee'sssss coooppppyyyyiiiiinnnnnggggg mmmmeeee" talk?
If something is profoundly new or new technology it is covered under a patent for 17 years or up to 20 with an extension.
Trademarks are good forever.
Ford has a 6.2 are you going to say Ford copied GM there too?
How about GM's rumored twin turbo V6 for their trucks.
Is GMC copying Ford?
GMC definately needs to copy Ford or Ram when it comes to sales!
Ford didn't copy GMC in Washington!
Dan the Man?:: does 12city 14hyw, sound better than 14city 18hyw to you?
like to see a that drove them for years the best i could get is 11 my friend has one said the best he gets is 11 to 14 don't know what for world you live in up there sandman but i never heard anybody getting the FE you do and i know a lot of people who drive what you do and some use CC some don't just saying
@bobsled80: It's in the works. :-)
You have to be very gentle on the gas pedal to meet or excede EPA USA numbers. My best out of my 2010 5.4 is 15 city and 20.4 highway. The Canadian version of the EPA is way stupid. They say 29 highway for my truck. My best based on Imperial gallons is 18 city, 24.5 highway.
Lou
i agree i have no problem getting the city but the hwy is an other thing
as far as Bob and his chevy Bro's i have alot of friends who drive chevy's and have the same problems i do just don't get but the one thing i have found is the more someone likes their truck the better FE it gets
@Michigan Bob,
Have you seen the 2012 Camaro ZL1. It has a Supercharged V8.
I wonder where they got the idea to supercharge a V8 and make a Niche model line?
After getting stomped by the Mustang, I would do so too.
@ Mike Levine
Is there any chance we'll get to see the comparison between the 5.0, Ecoboost, and 6.2 towing tests?
@Ken E: I have to push that test further back in the year.
Great truck!
Looks-great!
Performance-great!
FORD BUILT TOUGH!
Enough said.
Keep dream Chevy,keep dream.....he-he :)
I hope the off-road path is carefully manicured.
I heard all entrants had to have their engine controllers downloaded with special 60mph speed governors. :)
Was the reason Chevy ditched "like a rock" to do with the fact that rocks will only move if you push them?
@ Frank
explain yourself..... Are you saying that GM copied ford by supercharging a v8? I'm not sure where you were goin with that???
not trying to defend anyone but that one didnt make sense to me..... FYI the first Turbo or supercharged engine that i'm aware of was the Pontiac 301 v8 from the late 70's.
If the comparo is to say the supercharged v8 is the bomb i personally own an 86 GN that will prove that theory totally wrong.
here's 2 pics for you all. it has been brought up lately about people talking about their rides so heres a couple of mine. the first pic is my 08 Tundra towing my 2010 Tundra back from New York, pic was takin at Niagra Falls. the second is my 86 GN right after i got it. 91k miles, built Trans, rear end, chip, injectors. after the last couple changes i hope to break into the 11.90's. i hope.
http://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy196/hemi-lol/tundras2.jpg
http://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy196/hemi-lol/DSCN0792.jpg
oh, i should state i dont own both trucks, i traded the 08 in for the new one
hemi lol
nice rides
@Hemi lol!
The GN is a Turbo V6, not Supercharged.
Turbo - a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine which is driven by an engine's exhaust gases, a supercharger is driven by a belt.
What I am trying to explain to Bob, is where did they get the idea of Supercharging (Belt driven) a V8 Muscle Car and making it a niche line.
Is this clear enough for you?
@hemi lol!
With that said, I am sure Bob will chime in and say that all V6 Turbo engines are no good. He has been dogging the Ecoboost since it's inception. I wonder what he thinks of the GN Turbo V6.
@ dan the man
Thanks!
@ frank
what i was referring to was force fed engines in general vs naturally aspirated. I simply couldnt remember the first supercharged engine so i gave reference to what i remember to be the first "force fed" engine in a mainstream production vehicle. I'm thinking the first supercharged was either the 3800 bonneville V6 or the Grand Prix GTP which was also the 3800 supercharged (both V6's) BUT they were force fed. Ford may have been the first with a supercharged 8 with the Lightning though. While Ford now has a mustang with a charger on it, GM has a charged 6.2 in a vette, cadillac CTS-V, and now the Camaro. ONLY the mustang has a supercharged V8. while both are REALLY fast neither one kicks the other ones butt.
I was probably one of the first to go on record stating i thought the twin turbo ecoboost was a bad idea on a truck, i think its a really cool engine for the SHO and they should do a mustang version IMO. only the future will tell if the ecoboost is/was a good idea in a truck. I applaud them for the guts to try it out. Michigan Bob may be like me, cool engine wrong application is what i believe. wasnt tryin to pick a fight, i was just curious what you meant by it was all.
@ frank
also i should say i didnt need a tutorial on what a turbo is. i gave reference to changing things on the car and that i hope it will do 11.90's at the track now. i assumed (and maybe i shouldnt have) that it would be of obvious nature that i knew the difference between a turbo, a roots style and a centrifugal supercharger. I will also say to anyone that may read this that can get this idea up the chain a Toyota. i wish they would build a coupe or sedan with the 5.7 Supercharged V8 in it. it would most certainly be a rocketship! and fun to have more muscle cars on the road.
@hemi lol!
Ford Supercharged the Tunderbird in 1957 with V8 312ci and a Paxton Supercharger.
Back in 1989 Ford introduced the Supercharged V6
Thunderbird.
1999 Ford Supercharged the F150 Lightning
Ford supercharged the 03 Cobra V8 and has been Supercharge ever since.
@Frank, Never said one bad word about the Eco-boost engine. I did point out that it doesn't get any better gas milage at 15 city and 21 highway 4wdr models than GM'S 5.3 liter naturally aspirated V8 engine. Spare me with the ecoboost makes more power crap because that is obvious to anyone with a brain.
Frank, you brag about fords supercharged engines, well I always said the only way you make a mustang fast is to supercharge it becuase the Camaro year in and year out would smoke the mustang in drag races. Now, fords ALL NEW 5.0 does change that but it took ford until 2011 to come out with a decent naturally aspirated engine that is competitive.
Show me one post where I said anything negative about the ecoboost??? You can't because it never happened. I did say it should be in a class all by itself. GM is up the same percentage is ford is with their trucks from last year at 9%. GM does not have a 200 day supply like many of you ford minions like to post. GM still sells almost as much as ford does in trucks despite having the oldest tech and platform. Can't wait for the Duramax to kick sand in the power joke in the shootout. You know it and I know it. It shall be done!
@ frank
I'm aware of all you posted EXCEPT: I've never heard that FORD supercharged a production model 57 T-bird. now i have, and THANKS for lettin me learn something new. i will say that that might be reaching a little bit though seein as how only 211 were ever built making it more rare than the 87 elusive Grand National GNX that was built by McLaren corp. there were 547 of those made.
in 1982 the first Grand National was released, 4.1 V6 with a hot turbo setup. wasnt built for 83 at all and then hot turbo for 84-85. the 86-87 were the intercooled cars that were much faster.
89 the grand prix got a 3.1 turbo in the limited edition. then in 95 the Supercharged Riviera 3800, 96 the Bonneville supercharged 3800 came out and 97 the grand prix 3800 supercharged. the list goes on with GM and ford for force fed engines but again i was unaware of the 211 F model T-birds.
@Bitchagan,
So now GM Supercharges the 6.2L because the N/A 5.0L stomped it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJHqbqGCCMc&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1
@ Bob and hemi lol how is the ECOBOOST not a good application for the f150 ?. I can find bashing from both of you on this . 2008 shootout f150 won with a SLUGGISH 5.4 now 3 new motors , I think 2011 will be NO CONTEST .
@Dan the Man - I see your point.
It also depends on what one defines as highway. I'm 500 miles from a freeway, so the posted speed limit is 60 mph. I've gotten my best fuel economy at speeds around 55 - 60 mph. I've talked to guys with the same truck as me. They only get 16 - 17 mpg highway. If you push for more information they will admit to speeds in the 65 - 70 mph range. Some of those guys drive like jack rabbits.
I get better mpg if I don't use cruise control because I can slowly build momentum before hitting large uphills, and allow for some loss of speed to prevent a down shift and an increase in rpm. I get my best mpg if I keep the truck in the 1,000 to 1,500 rpm range.
It is too bad that the 6.2 in the Raptor is such a pig on gas. It would severely limit ones range offroad.
I've heard of many guys hoping Ford would put the EB 3.5 in the Raptor.
I'm not sure I'd prefer that option. The dyno shootout on this site showed that the 5.0 outpulled the EB 3.5 up to 30 mph. I read another test where they felt the EB 3.5 didn't come into its own until 2,000 RPM. I spend most of my time within those numbers on or off road.
Desert guys probably don't live under 30 mph or 2,000 rpm and Ford has targeted that demographic. On second thought - why not a EB 3.5 Raptor or a 5.0 Raptor?
Let the market place decide.
@Michigan bob
Sorry I was 78 days off (which just so happens to be about the average number of days an f-series truck stays on the lot) gm's 122 day supply is significantly more than fords 79. But I like the part where GM claims they won't be having large stock piles of trucks and begin to offer trucks with huge discounts in order to move vehicles like when they had to file for bankruptcy...oh wait, GM just came out with another big discount for the silverado? I love seeing my tax dollars are paying for GM to do exactly what they did to get themselves into this mess. So now u know it. Its already been done.
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?desktop_uri=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DPT9Xy7QALW0&v=PT9Xy7QALW0&gl=US
http://www.leftlanenews.com/gms-facing-pre-bankruptcy-style-pickup-oversupply.html
@Alex
Chevy dropped that tagline after that whole 'piston slap' debacle... "Like a Knock!"
http://www.pistonslap.com
@lou
You have to be very gentle on the gas pedal to meet or excede EPA USA numbers. My best out of my 2010 5.4 is 15 city and 20.4 highway. The Canadian version of the EPA is way stupid. They say 29 highway for .my truck. My best based on Imperial gallons is 18 city, 24.5 highway.
Posted by: Lou | Jul 26, 2011 2:04:39 PM
canadian number are on imperial gallions and its a different drive cycle, us epa are more realistic
Being rich doesn't mean your stupid. If you can afford it then what's wrong with owning it.
I own a very nice F-350 lariat and a 2010 Polaris razor.
If I didn't have to haul a trailer every day then I would actually save money because I would just buy the Raptor!
The comments to this entry are closed.