MotorMouths

The 2011 Ford F-150 Raptor is a far more satisfying machine with this new engine, and easily the most entertaining product you can be in when the pavement ends.

Ford is doing all high-speed-loving truck lovers a favor by spreading the Raptor’s engineering costs over the F-150 lineup. For that we thank them. But we especially thank them for making the Raptor the first Ford truck to get the new 6.2L V-8. More power makes it a better truck.

The Raptor will take on almost anything that Mother Nature has in its arsenal. Vespa-sized boulders, tire-swallowing holes and trenches large enough to halt a blitzkrieg are all dispatched with an air of invincibility.

Compared with the base Raptor, the 6.2-liter version is a better balanced package of power and refinement on and off the pavement. There’s no doubt that the 6.2-liter V-8 gives it the extra capability it’s been demanding. It’s an incredibly good deal for only an extra $3,000.

The Ford F-150 Raptor is the Porsche 911 GT3 of pickup trucks. The 6.2 engine is a $3000 option. Worth the money? You betcha.

The Ford Raptor SuperCrew has got a lot in common with its namesake, the hypermodern F-22 fighter. Engineered within an inch of its life, loaded with computers and supremely competent.

The 2012 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor remains unlike any other truck out there. It’s uniquely capable of devouring any and all obstacles in front of it — often at speeds more often seen on the highway than off the beaten path.

The Ford Raptor’s over-the-top appeal expands with the SuperCrew, not only because you can put your family in the back seat but because it can now tow a loaded trailer with a race car or collectible project aboard.

If Popeye owned a pickup, the Raptor would be it. When you fit the 6.2 liter, 411hp engine to this 4×4’s beefy frame, you’ve got way more muscle than a tin of spinach. No other truck in our care has ever engendered so many conversations.

Big, bold, and exciting, the Raptor SuperCrew combines a plethora of off-road design cues. And it has the performance and capability to match. Yes, it’s expensive and Ford doesn’t have to release fuel economy figures because of the truck’s weight, but you know it’s going to be a crotch-grabber.

Off-road enthusiasts in search of a truck that’s versatile enough straight from the factory to function both as a thrill machine on trails and a comfortable daily driver on the street will love the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor.