- Autos Selling

The Ford F-150 Raptor R serves as the dirt-covered analogue to the Porsche 911 GT3, offering a daily-drivable Baja blaster for those who prefer a truck over a sports car. Ford combined 15 years of off-road pedigree into the 2024 model, upgrading the supercharged 5.2-liter V-8 to 720 horsepower. The addition of new Fox Dual Live Valve shocks and a 20-horsepower increase mark the latest attempt to make the most raucous full-size pickup on the market even faster.

Accelerating to the front of the pack

The sensation of taking off in a vehicle that tipped our scales at 5,993 pounds was eye-widening. We beat our previous 0–60-mph time with a sprint of just 3.6 seconds, 0.1 tick quicker than our previous best. This time was also quicker than the most recent Ram 1500 TRX we tested, which needed 3.9 seconds to get the job done.

Once launched, the 2025 Ford F-150 Raptor R kept pulling. It hauled through the quarter mile in 12.1 seconds at 112.1 mph. That time tied the 2023 F-150 Raptor R’s effort but beat its trap speed of 111.8 mph. When Ram thaws its hibernating performance truck, it’ll need to bring serious performance upgrades to the table to beat Ford’s rapid Raptor.

Our efforts at the test track provided proof of the truck’s might. We managed to demolish the 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R’s lap time with a figure-eight time of just 27.6 seconds. A 2021 Ram 1500 TRX needed 28.4 seconds to get around our short circuit.

Stopping power and road manners

If only the F-150 Raptor R stopped as immediately as it accelerated. Off-road tires and the chunky curb weight were detrimental to our test truck’s 60–0-mph distance, as it came to a halt in 151 feet. The Raptor R dove, hopped, and bucked under forceful braking. The soft pedal made for more input guesswork than we would have liked, especially in rapidly decelerating freeway traffic.

For those willing to pay for the sheer spectacle of a supercharged truck, the experience offers a distinct kind of freedom. You get the comfort of a highway cruiser with the attitude of a rally racer, even if the ride quality is occasionally too soft for spirited driving. It’s a machine that demands your attention during braking and asks for a heavy wallet at the pump, yet somehow manages to feel at home in a grocery store parking lot without feeling out of place.

Driven in the real world, the 2025 Ford F-150 Raptor R is well behaved. The suspension’s compliance made for comfortable highway driving and nullified road imperfections on city streets. Subdued road and tire noise, especially for an off-road truck, made for surprising civility. The steering is well weighted and perhaps improved from before. It was certainly easier to place the full-size pickup in its lane, even when driven at a clip on a curvy road, than we remembered.