Tweet
Ford has once again partnered with the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) to create a special-edition vehicle to be auctioned for charity. But rather than than spice up another Mustang, as they have for the past three years, Ford and EAA created a different aviation tie-in: an F-22–themed Ford F-150 Raptor. For those who haven’t paid close attention, the Ford’s Raptor is unfortunately not named after the ferociously clever hook-footed dinosaurs we all came to know and love from the Jurassic Park movies.
Its heritage is rooted in something a little less ancient and a little more airborne: the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor fighter jet. Considering that the off-road-focused F-150 already can shoot across terrain at high speeds and soar through the sky using its knobby tires as landing gear, the name seems justified. But this one-off special edition takes the connection a bit more literally. Following Mustangs with P-51D, F-16, and F-35 themes, the Raptor is the first Ford-EAA collaboration in years not to have wings of any type. Instead, Ford Performance and Ford design manager Melvin Betancourt boosted performance and added extra visual effects to draw the fighter-jet pairing closer. Thanks in large part to a Whipple intercooler, power from the Raptor’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 increases from 450 to 545 horsepower. It also has suspension, wheel, and brake upgrades to make the already supercapable truck even more so. New carbon-fiber bodywork, a special F-22 graphics package, an LED roof-mounted light bar, and a grille with a fighter-jet silhouette complete the look.
The F-22 Raptor pickup will be auctioned for charity at the Gathering of Eagles fundraising event, held on Thursday, July 27, at the EAA Aviation Museum during the AirVenture Oshkosh convention. Proceeds will be used to support the EAA’s youth aviation programs. According to EAA, this partnership and vehicle program has raised $3 million since it began years ago.
Comment