Leaked image shows Ford F-150 Raptor R to get Mustang GT500 V8 engine

The Ford F-150 Raptor R promises to be one of Blue Oval's most powerful cars, and a new image shows it could get a Mustang Shelby GT8 V500 engine. Ford did not reveal details or confirm the news, but all indications are that it will be true.

This is one of the most anticipated trucks of recent times. Rumors have been circulating for several years that Ford will deliver a monster SUV with a supercharged V8 engine. Now, a leaked assembly table suggests this could be the case, as posted by theraptorconnection on Instagram.

La Ford F-150 Raptor R with V8 engine

The Raptor R has been around for a long time. When we first heard rumors about a V8-powered model in 2020, there were rumors that there would be a powerful supercharged engine from the Mustang Shelby GT500 under the hood. Regardless, when the 150 Ford F-2021 Raptor hit the market, it had a 6-liter EcoBoost V3.5 engine with 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque under the hood.

However, now it looks like those V8 dreams are becoming a reality. According to a photo from an anonymous source, which appears to have been taken in factory configuration, the assembly sheet clearly says "5.2L". It happens to have the same displacement as the Mustang Shelby GT760's 500-horsepower engine, suggesting that the rumors could be true.

Ford will have to use an engine with the same horsepower as its Ram TRX rivals.

For the sake of argument, Ford recently used 8-liter V5.2 engines in the Mustang Shelby GT350 and GT500 models. Despite this, it is expected that the supercharged Predator engine will be in the truck. The naturally aspirated Voodoo GT350 engine is also powerful and boasts an almighty howl thanks to its flat crankshaft design. However, its 526 horsepower wouldn't be enough to keep up with the .

It may be one of the best-kept secrets in the trucking world right now, but it has sparked anticipation for the V8-powered Raptor nonetheless. Rumors have been running high since a particularly noisy test mule was spotted last year. In any case, the Raptor R order books are expected to open in the fall, based on rumors that surfaced earlier this year, and the timeline suggests it will arrive as a 2023 model.

Ford reacted to the rumors

Faced with such a revelation, the blue oval's caption stated, "We've said before that the F-150 Raptor R will have a V8 engine. We look forward to sharing more details later this year." As such, you can only expect more details on the Raptor R's engine specs in the coming months as launch approaches.

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