The horsepower wars may be over in the world of supercars, but in Trucklandia, the numbers continue to rise. Unsatisfied with the F-150 Raptor R’s “single” 720 horsepower, Ford decided there was room for much more. This is likely a pre-emptive answer to the return of the Ram TRX, as the Blue Oval monster truck now boasts a ridiculous 900-plus horsepower.
The project vehicle is on display at SEMA this week alongside Maverick Amplifier With only a third of the production of its bigger brother. Upgraded with Ford performance parts, this “next evolution of off-road dominance” uses a 3.0-liter Whipple supercharger to extract more than 180 additional horsepower. Torque numbers haven’t been revealed, but expect a healthy bump over the stock 640 lb-ft.
There’s a problem, though. While the facelifted Maverick is headed into production next year, Dearborn has yet to commit to that limit F-150 Raptor R. For now, it’s labeled as a “Ford Performance Parts Potential” package. If it reaches production, the upgrade will come with a three-year/36,000-mile warranty, provided it is installed at a Ford dealer or by an ASE-certified technician.
Photo by: Ford
Even if the power bump remains a forbidden fruit for now, all the other goodies on offer on a SEMA truck are available. The F-150 Raptor R features a gloss carbon fiber package and a Borla cat-back exhaust with black chrome tips, along with a full set of solid off-road auxiliary lights.
As for the 1500 TRX, it will likely initially compete with the standard F-150 Raptor R. TRX Return It could happen as early as next year, higher than the six included RHO. The outgoing version has 702 hp, but knowing how Ram operates, it’s likely aiming to outperform Ford. After all, the supercharged 6.2-liter V8 makes 797 horsepower in the Challenger Hellcat Redeye and a higher 807 horsepower in the SRT Super Stock.
