We Ride With 2017 Ford Raptor in Mint 400
We've had our first chance to take a ride in the all-new 2017 Ford Raptor when it ran in the Best in the Desert off-road racing even last Saturday just outside Las Vegas. The Ford entry in the Mint 400 was driven by team members Greg Foutz and Tim Casey of Foutz Motorsports and was watched closely by a pair of Ford engineers from Dearborn, Mich. They were looking for opportunities to fine-tune the new powertrain and four-wheel-drive system. Foutz and Casey provided feedback about how the new 10-speed transmission handles the power produced by the new and more powerful 3.5-liter V-6 EcoBoost engine.
We were a passenger in the third seat through half of the race as the course wove through the mountains, dry washes and valleys of the remote Nevada desert, all the while trying to take photos and make notes at wide-open throttle. We posted some images throughout the weekend on Twitter and Facebook but will have the full report of the race and how the competition played out later this week. We may have a few videos as well.
Our Foutz Motorsports Raptor was the lone entry in the factory stock production full-size class, meaning that it runs a factory-offered powertrain and factory dash layout that must have sold at least 4,000 units in the last 36 months. Additionally, to run in this half-ton class it has to have a gross vehicle weight rating between 6,001 and 9,000 pounds, and have a minimum bed length of 4 feet. We're pretty sure our 2017 Raptor was the only entry in the race that had electric windows, air conditioning, and cruise control.
Spoiler Alert: our Foutz Motorsports entry was number 1201, and we won our class. Stay tuned.
Cars.com photos by Mark Williams
Comments
Nice military grade off road vehicle there
At least when off road in your military grade truck you won't hurt anyone but yourself when those military grade brakes fail.
@GMSRCRAP, nice try, how did that ignition problem go again in the GM's? Refresh my memory, you know the one they knew about but didnt do anything and then settled for all the deaths? Yup that one.
You mean the GM ignition problem were 90% that died were drunk, speeding and not wearing seat belts? Wait I'm pull a Ford clown move and blame the supplier, it was Delphi that made the ignition switch. Like with Fire stone that made the tires that kill people in Ford Explorer. What a bunch of morons!
Now back to the Craptor, why is the front mud flaps placed so far back? Don't make sense to me, is it some kind of rule?
@LMAO, true on that! It is funny and gets me through my day. A little stupidity from GM fans goes a long way.
Good to see it won its class in a stock production truck!!!!
Great job ford!
@Mark Williams
"Spoiler Alert: our Foutz Motorsports entry was number 1201, and we won our class. Stay tuned."
How many were racing in that class?
Great pics. Love it! Go Raptor Go.
"We posted some images throughout the weekend on Twitter and Facebook but will have the full report of the race and how the competition played out later this week. We may have a few videos as well."
Looking forward to it!
@Robert Ryan
http://images.vfl.ru/ii/1457979003/ef063e64/11869381.jpg
fagggggggggots are the 2 top posters in a a Ford article.
Posted by: LMAO or maybe the new Matthew | Mar 14, 2016 12:33:11 PM
Hey LMAO, did you get the transformation completed when you were on vacation. LAMO or maybe the new Caitlyn. And Nitro, are you just gonna sit there and do nothing about his comments.
Gmsrbad,
Im curious as to why I would be able do anything about LMAO's comments?
@Yurly
Thanks for that. Wonder what the VW was? Some were production others custom builds
Hey LMAO, did you get the transformation completed when you were on vacation. LAMO or maybe the new Caitlyn. And Nitro, are you just gonna sit there and do nothing about his comments.
Posted by: GMSRGREAT | Mar 14, 2016 1:21:04
Nope, still don't like fiat or you.
Is Ram working on an HD Hellcat pickup truck?
http://www.autoblog.com/2016/03/10/ram-hellcat-pickup-truck-spy-shots/
These childish comments suck. I feel like this is only a site for middle school kids when I read the comments.
What about the race it didn't finish due to electrical gremlins. Where is the article on that
@Csnow
Yes they had issues in that other race, but isn't it running the race to test it and found issues... isn't that the whole point? Or are they supposed to never have issues? Who cares as long as it makes it better is good for you and me.. No matter the brand!
Man, that would be a blast but I might get car sick riding in the back middle. Some people have all the fun
GMSRGREAT - I feel like a new man and made this video!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0haOUD7hxA
It was the lone entry and won it's class. Quite an achievement. Not a ford fan but I'd still like to see the raptor kick Toyotas bumper all over the desert
Glad to see the fire Extinguisher in the photo....they should make them standard in all F150s.
http://www.edmunds.com/car-news/2015-ford-f-150-recalled-for-fire-risk.html
The mud flap keeps the front tires from pelting the rear shocks , driveline, brake lines, abs lines with rocks. We removed the gas tank and installed a fuel cell leaving the brake lines and abs lines to the rear axle more exposed. It also runs the full width of the truck. It's pretty common on race trucks
@DA
You are exaclty right. I just see the bias news feed postings of this site. They all make great products and all have come a long way but it is plain to see which company they are backing
You know lmao, I'm no fan of fiat either. Sergio especially.
Mark Williams looked like he was creaming his jeans. Looks like fun.
Looks like fun.
Posted by: HEMI V8 | Mar 15, 2016 12:06:20 AM
That's the point to this story what a cool experience to have. There is not one person here that would say no to that experience. No matter what brand of truck it is. But here it always has to be about brand. Actually I stand corrected. Cobaltsrgreat probably would turn it down. He is so old he would likely break a hip getting into the truck. Who knows what would happen to him over a few jumps. His dentures would probably fly out of his mouth and start chomping at the dash board.
Winning its class and without being stripped down that is impressive.
Raptor is by far the baddest assed OEM offroad toy to ever be made and a huge sales success on top of it. Raptor has been win Win WIN for Ford.
Hey I heard Chevy rediscovered "chrome delete", black paint and stickers again...
But hey not everyone has taste and money to burn.
There is not one person here that would say no to that experience. No matter what brand of truck it is.
Posted by: LMAO or maybe the new Kalvin | Mar 15, 2016 5:41:39 AM
I say no to ford and GM. Anybody else is fine. Even Kia.
Thanks Travis for explaining the mug flap question.
$50,000 (or more?) and all you get is a V6? That's so lame, nobody cares about fuel economy when they spend that kind of money. If I were in the market for an expensive toy like that, the engine would be a deal-killer, I'd at least want the naturally aspirated 5.0 but for that price would expect a supercharger and/or some performance parts. How does the ecoboost sound? I know larger displacement V6's can sound alright with the right exhaust, but smaller ones sound farty regardless of the your choice of exhaust. I have heard both the 4.3L Vortec and the old 305 V6 in a '66 GMC piped right so they sounded deep and rumbled like a V8. I even head a BMW M20(?) 2.7L inline 6 that sounded good with not a lot more than the resonator left on.
@Ram, the reason for you saying no is called envy, whenever a truck if far superior to your beloved Ram, you can't stand it, so you try to turn a blind eye to it
Nitro, I would take a Kia over a fiat product. CR ranks them pretty high in quality. I rented one on vacation and even the rental unit was pretty nice.
"chrome delete", black paint and stickers again...
But hey not everyone has taste and money to burn.
Posted by: Clint | Mar 15, 2016 6:23:55 AM
Sounds like your describing the Raptor. Did you hit your head again? Your parents should insist you wear a helmet all the time.
LMAO, my wife had a kia optima hybrid, very nice car, but nothing but problems would not buy again
LMAO, my wife had a kia optima hybrid, very nice car, but nothing but problems would not buy again
Posted by: Nitro | Mar 15, 2016 11:39:13 AM
HaHa, you ford guys need to control your women, haha just kidding, it was a joke........geezzz......Anyway, my wife wanted to buy a 08 mustang GT convertible, but I wasn't gonna let that happen. Instead I convinced her to wait a year and I got her a real hot competing GM product. She loves it, but who can blame her, it is a GM.
Best truck on the mkt, other are meh....
@johnny doe- the mud flap is mounted that way so it cant get pushed up into, and then sucked up by the tire.
Anyway, my wife wanted to buy a 08 mustang GT convertible, but I wasn't gonna let that happen. Instead I convinced her to wait a year and I got her a real hot competing GM product. She loves it, but who can blame her, it is a GM.
Posted by: GMSRGREAT | Mar 15, 2016 12:02:03 PM
Well let's face it, the trailer park commission is not going to let a Mustang in their community. We all know the Camaro is the trailer park mascot. A Mustang is more upper class. At least your wife wanted to better herself. Please don't hold her back, she sounds rather intelligent.
@GMSGREAT,
Hey, your lady can come ride my horse anytime. Lol!
@GMSGREAT,
Hey, your lady can come ride my horse anytime. Lol!
@Frank and LAMO,
Up your nose with a rubber hose!
GM just won the TFL Truck Gold Hitch Award for Truck Of the Year!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uCMJL7vOmo&feature=youtu.be&a
Ford loses and GM wins again! Let it be written.
nobody that reads PUTC would never own one cause they are too cheap or they don't have the money.
why not run some stories on bare bones older pickups like what we own?
I would love to talk about the older F-150's with the 5.4 blowing the plugs out or the older Silverado's with the whinning noise the lockup converter makes. Or the dashboard rotting out on the older Rams
Show us some 10 to 20 year older trucks
Michigan bob, did you see the 5.0L beat out the GM girls? Heck, even the fiat 1500 beat them out. So what is your point?
the reason for you saying no is called envy, whenever a truck if far superior to your beloved Ram, you can't stand it, so you try to turn a blind eye to it
Posted by: Nitro | Mar 15, 2016 10:05:03 AM
That could be your reason., but my reason is different.
That could be your reason., but my reason is different.
Posted by: RAM | Mar 15, 2016 3:30:59 PM
Because your a big fan of the pen/nis
@LMAO
You are right. My pen/nis is big.
Well at least you have that going for you.
Guys, it is starting to get weird, now back to the trucks or at least cars.
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