The F-150 Raptor is the pinnacle of Ford’s off-road performance line up, but to get to the top takes a lot of hard work. Engineers from around the world put a great deal of time into making sure the vehicle passes stringent tests, such as those performed during hot weather testing.
The harsh climate of extreme heating the Middle East dictates the need for such rigorous tests, and as well as helping to determine the Gulf specification of the vehicle, information is shared from the region’s team of engineers that can help to improve the vehicle globally.
Ground clearance, approach and departure angles, and vehicle toughness with regards to the terrain are looked at closely. Have the engineers got the correct angles in place to avoid damage as the Raptor pulls off a dune, and has Ford used the right materials to withstand the vehicle punishment associated with off-roading? Answering these questions, and rectifying problems if necessary, allows Ford to validate that it has produced a vehicle that can proudly wear the ‘Built Ford Tough’ badge.
Having optimum power distribution and traction is vital for desert-driving enthusiasts and is another area where real world testing is the only way to comprehensively assess the vehicle’s capability.
Another crucial element to hot weather testing is cooling. “Equipped with the all-new 3.5-litre twin-turbo high-output EcoBoost engine, the recently announced horsepower and torque ratings* for the all-new 2017 F-150 Raptor – 421 PS and 678 Nm respectively – continue to position Ford’s ultimate high-performance off-road pickup truck in a class of its own.