After a preview earlier this month, the one-off Ford F-22 F-150 Raptor pickup truck hit auction and raked in a cool $300,000 for the EAA Young Eagles. In order to make the big, mean F-150 Raptor even more special, Ford added power, performance and a truly unique, jet fighter-inspired look. The F-22 Raptor F-150 is one of the coolest pickups you'll see this year ... and for $300K, it had better be.
Ford dispensed with tradition in building the F-22 F-150 Raptor for the 2017 Gathering of Eagles at EAA Airventure Oshkosh, having previously developed nine special-edition Mustangs for each event since 2008. The truck didn't skip a beat in raising money, bringing in $300,000 for the EAA's youth programs, according to Ford.
Gary Ackerman of Gaudin Ford, Las Vegas was the big auction winner. Ackerman is familiar with both Fords and F-22 Raptor planes, as he serves as honorary commander/ambassador for the United States Air Force's F-22 squadron at Nevada's Nellis Air Force Base.
Inspired by Lockheed Martin's F-22 Raptor, Ford's F-22 F-150 Raptor features a Whipple-intercooled twin-turbo 3.5-liter EcoBoost with 545 hp and 660 lb-ft of torque – 95 hp and 150 lb-ft above and beyond the "standard" F-150 Raptor. Exhaust from that powerful V6 flows through a stainless-steel Borla Cat Back with carbon fiber tips.
The truck's modified front and rear suspension helps maintain a smooth ride, and Fox bypass shocks ensure that ride feels as good on the road as off it. Upgraded brakes with Alcon six-piston painted calipers bring the Innov8 Racing custom beadlock wheels and Falken Wildpeak tires to rest.
Other additions include the KC Hilites modular off-road LED lighting system and the DeBerti two-tire holder in the Line-X-finished bed.
The F-22 F-150 Raptor looks the part of a jet-inspired one-off, wearing a special Sherwin-Williams paint job with plenty of F-22 Raptor cues, including the unique spread-wing titanium grille. The carbon fiber fender flares, hood and fender vents further enhance the performance-focused, aircraft-grade look.
"Few things are as streamlined, as gloriously intimidating as the shape, metallic color and sinister speed a fighter jet represents," says Ford design manager Melvin Betancourt. "The simple, extreme functionality of the cockpit alone proved inspiring, prompting the team to create matte finishes, purposeful gauges, controls for ready proximity and dramatic LED lighting for the instrument panel."
The driver accesses that cockpit with help from the Amp Research power-retracting steps. The custom interior includes an F-22-inspired look of its own, along with a 1,500-watt Kicker audio system.
The Gathering of Eagles Mustangs have always been compelling, but we think Ford really stepped the game up with the F-22 F-150 Raptor. Whether Ackerman plans to kick up dust in Vegas-area desert or simply display the F-22 F-150 Raptor in the dealership window, he's purchased himself quite a truck.
Source: Ford