You know what’s better than off-road videos on YouTube? Off-road videos of a prototype twin-turbocharged, 10-speed Ford Raptor on YouTube. That’s what. And we just happen to have exactly such a video right here in this article on this website on these interwebs.
Ford has already promised that their new 2017 Raptor will be faster off-road than the previous model. They even told us it would get 450 fire-breathing stallions out of a twin-turbocharged Ecoboost V6. But what they haven’t shown us is how well the truck will do away from its sandy home turf. But now Ford has posted a video giving us a small glimpse into how the desert runner does on muddy, low-speed off-road trails.
The trail in the video isn’t quite what I’d call “technical,” but it does show off a few of the Raptor’s good off-road qualities. The long wheelbase, coupled with a trick rear differential, really helps this truck shine at hillclimbs. It barely spins a tire up those loose, steep grades.
The approach and departure angles seem good enough to prevent the overhangs from banging on the mounds and logs, but the enormous wheelbase does make cresting hills pretty hairy. Especially with those running boards, the Raptor gets pretty close to “turtling” itself on some of those mounds.
Ground clearance looks plentiful, though, and flex from that rear axle allows for great articulation. Still, this video only shows the Raptor doing pretty mild off-roading, so it remains to be seen how it will fare on the real gnarly stuff.