Ford Raptor

The Raptor is another in the long line of specialty F-150 pickup trucks. This one, however, was designed by the Special Vehicle Team at Ford, whose last major influence was the 500 sedan. This F-150 has the designation SVT and was built especially for off-roading. A lot of vehicles are legendary for their off-roading capability, such as Land Rovers and Hummers, but pickup trucks are usually standard with a lot of after-market products added. That is what sets the Raptor apart from the crowd. This is a pickup built to look, feel, and perform off-road.

The Raptor shares the same platform and assembly line with the standard F-150 in Michigan, but the exterior is much more aggressively designed in the looks department. It has a chiseled appearance that instantly makes a driver think, "This is one mean Big Boy." It is seven inches wider than the base model and has a wider suspension and much larger tires. Size alone makes it distinctive from the standard F-150, but there is also a unique grille with big letters F-O-R-D carved right into the front center.

Most of the Raptors are being sold in a Molten Orange color with an orange and black interior. A couple of other color combinations are available, but this blazing orange is the most distinctive. The bad-boy image continues into the inside with an extra wide dashboard and center console. My test model had terrific two-tone leather seats that almost hugged you during the drive. They were comfortable and supportive. The seats featured perforated leather inserts that helped maintain the comfort level.