2012 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Revealed at Chicago Auto Show

2012 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor for off-road capabilities in a production truck.

We now have a new 2012 Ford F-150 Raptor, once again demonstrating Ford’s focus on raising the bar for off-road capabilities in a production truck, offering plenty of extras and all the toughness that we’ve come to love in the F-150 SVT Raptor line. In fact, if you tend to picture the Raptor exclusively in terms of yumps and dry creekbeds, you’re not alone. Ford and SVT kind of admit they did, too. But in building this street-legal trophy truck, they’ve come to realize that they unwittingly created a vehicle that’s far more versatile than originally envisioned. Case in point: Back in 2009, a massive snowstorm crippled the ability of Ford staffers and media members trying to reach the Chicago Auto Show.

It’s exactly this sort of discovery process that led us to the foot of the smoothly picturesque red rocks seen here. We had arrived in a convoy of eight 2012 Raptors, having taken the easy hour’s drive from Grand Junction, Colorado to Moab, Utah to tackle Hell’s Revenge, a well-known 4×4 trail over this otherworldly terrain that doesn’t take kindly to larger vehicles like our full-size SuperCab pickups. Solid bets for tackling Hell’s Revenge include Jeep CJs and Wranglers, Toyota FJ Cruiser 4x4s and so on – vehicles with exceptional approach, departure and breakover angles. Even with its raised suspension and ground clearance of 11.2 inches front and 12.1 rears, we couldn’t help but feel a bit sheepish about the Raptor‘s chances. In addition to this, the 2012 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor also boasts a unique position sensitive damper system that allows its shock to become significantly stiffer as it travels, preventing the truck from bottoming out. The wheels are 17-inch cast aluminum units shod with 35-inch tires.

Beyond the Torsen, the Raptor‘s driveline remains unchanged, with the 6.2-liter V8 still delivering 411 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 434 pound-feet of torque at 4,500 rpm. Some fine-tuning, however, has yielded a couple of extra miles per gallon on the freeway, so the truck’s EPA figures now read 11 city and 16 highway, up from last year’s 11/14. We’re nonetheless confident that even if Ford eventually decides to plunk the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 under the hood, you still won’t see a Raptor infestation at your local Whole Foods. For what seems like such a narrowcast vehicle, the Raptor has been a screaming success, allowing the 2012 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor crew to justify the model’s ongoing development yearly instead of waiting for a mid-cycle refresh. Dearborn expects to move about 10,000 Raptors in 2011, and they aren’t sitting around on lots, with an average supply of just 21 days. On one had, that’s surprising volume for a niche vehicle that starts at $43,565, but on the other, it’s perhaps the most capable all-around off-road vehicle on the market – the closest thing the truck segment has ever seen to an affordable supercar. By that yardstick, the Raptor is a bargain… all that’s missing is a cape.

In case you hadn’t memorized the color palette available for the first-year Raptor, then you might not have noticed Ingot Silver Metallic joining the list of choices for the previous update. Ford also updated its graphics during the previous update to continue them to the hood of the truck. Ford says inspiration for the designs can be traced to the classic Broncos. The design features matte black accent graphics – including the F-150 SVT Raptor logo – run along the hood, which Ford points out also, happens to reduce glare. The Raptor logo inset in the graphic is done in body-color bleed-through, similar to “SVT” on the side vent, while “F-150” and “SVT” are done in dark gray.

To their eternal credit, there was nary a wince from Team SVT, who understands that minor scrapes are part and parcel of the off-road experience. Besides, a few battle scars on something like the 2012 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor just looks right – each one a tacit badge of honor that the vehicle is being used as intended. Minor scrapes aside; every Raptor made it through Hell’s Revenge, and nary was a tow rope called for. The SVT Raptor is built alongside the standard F-150 at Ford‘s Dearborn Truck Plant at the Rouge Center.

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