Beyond the excellent styling changes and the switch to an aluminum body, the most intriguing thing about the 2017 Raptor F-150 that Ford will release later this year is its engine.
While previous generation Raptors were powered by a 6.2-liter V8, Ford decided to go with its next-generation 3.5L EcoBoost V6 for the 2017 model. And while that raised a few eyebrows, Ford was quick to add that this was the same V6 that would ship in its new GT supercar and that it would offer even more power than the V8’s 411 horsepower and 434 ft.-lbs. of torque.
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Now Ford has announced that it will bring a version of that engine to all F-150s and has invested $145 million in its Cleveland Engine Plant to support the added EcoBoost demand.
2nd gen 3.5L EcoBoost V6 is an all-new engine for *all* F-150 models. Port and direct injection. Raptor has the high output version.
— Mike Levine (@mrlevine) February 26, 2016
While the engine in the 2017 Raptor will technically be exclusive to that truck, that’s only because it’s a beefed up version of this next-gen EcoBoost. On Twitter, Ford spokesman Mike Levine clarified the situation, saying that port and direct injection from the next-gen engine would be trickling down to all F-150 models. The main difference with the Raptor’s engine is that it is the “high output version.”
Levine said that this new 3.5L EcoBoost will be available on the 2017 F-150 lineup this fall, adding that Ford has sold more than 875,000 EcoBoost engines in the F-150 since 2011.