VIDEO: All-new Ford F-150 Raptor prototype testing

As we reported earlier, the ultimate Ford pickup just has to be the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor. According to the folks at Ford back in July, the 2017 version of the will be 25% faster than the previous evolution.

It was clocked topping out at speeds of 161 km/h in desert trail testing in Southwestern United States and one can only imagine the joys of driving this vehicle with a 450hp Ecoboost V6 engine that is mated to a 10-speed automatic gearbox.

Now, Ford has released a new video of the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor on their official Youtube channel, to showcase the extensive trail testing that the toughest and most capable Raptor can easily tackle.

The company claims that this early engineering prototype that combines parts from the 2017 Raptor with components from the 2015 F-150 can tackle even tougher hills, ruts and bumps along trails than the previous models. The video shows the prototype climbing two tight trails in Northern Michigan, with its wing mirrors folded in, as the team tests the truck’s components over the challenging terrain. You can hear birds chirping in the background as the truck navigates the trail with huge aplomb.

Apparently, the 2017 F-150 Raptor will have better ground clearance than the previous model and comes standard with advanced three-inch ‘FOX Racing Shox’ with a custom internal bypass technology, that can dampen and stiffen suspension travel over rough terrain. It’s got impressive wading depth too, and it just looks overwhelmingly intimidating.

This prototype has an all-new four-wheel-drive, torque-on-demand transfer case that improves its trail performance. It seems that this new evolution of the transfer case, which manages power distribution between the front and rear wheels, brings together a fusion of clutch-driven, on-demand all-wheel drive with durable, mechanical-locking four-wheel drive.

Ford is going to be unveiling the new F-150 by Fall of 2016, and it’s definitely going to be an eagerly anticipated launch event.

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