BORREGO SPRINGS, CA - Preparing to blaze new trails, the all-new 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is ready for the most challenging desert adventures. But this purpose-built, high-speed off-road truck also is engineered to be versatile enough to take on the everyday commute.

"With Raptor, we're taking the established performance of the F-150 to the next level and proving just how much Ford trucks can do," said Derrick Kuzak, Ford's group vice president for Global Product Development.  "The F-150 SVT Raptor doesn't just appear to be off-road-ready.  It is off-road-ready.  It was built with the off-road enthusiast in mind and will give consumers an off-road experience no other vehicle can."

Ford's Special Vehicle Team, known for engineering high-performance vehicles such as the Ford Shelby GT500, has outdone itself with the F-150 SVT Raptor.  Combining the SVT performance strategy with the iconic F-150 brand, it delivers the ultimate in "Built Ford Tough."

The 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor was built specifically to fulfill the desires of the highly demanding and growing off-road performance market.  High-performance off-road trucks are a market that is largely untapped, allowing SVT Raptor to set the bar for this type of vehicle.

"We found a niche - off-road performance - that no other major manufacturers have filled, and we took it as an opportunity to differentiate F-150 from other trucks on the market," said Mark Grueber, F-150 marketing manager.  "Raptor is going to perform well anywhere you use it."

F-150 SVT Raptor also has a racing-ready version - F-150 SVT Raptor R - that has established its racing pedigree and performance capability.

Noticeable exterior differences between the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor and the conventional F-150 start with a distinctive grille that has the Ford name carved into it. Additional exterior differentiation includes front bumper, front fascia and fenders, functional vented hood extractors, fender extractors with "SVT" bored out, visible FOX Racing Shox and skid plates on the underbody for protection.

Another key difference between Raptor and the base F-150 is that the SVT truck is more than seven inches wider, which was necessary to harness the wider suspension and larger tires. Designers took advantage of this difference and highlighted it with distinctive marker lamps integrated into the F-150 SVT Raptor's front end, as opposed to on top of the cab. 

The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is powered by F-150's proven 5.4L Triton V-8 three-valve engine, which delivers 320 horsepower and 390 ft.-lb. of torque to power the truck through any terrain it faces.  After launch, in early 2010 customers will have the option of a new 6.2L V-8 engine capable of an estimated 400 hp and 400 ft.-lb. of torque.

The Ford powertrain team performed extensive testing to ensure the engines would live up to the Built Ford Tough promise.  Hundreds of additional tests beyond the normal verification of truck engines, as well as vehicle testing on a 62-mile durability loop in the desert validated the performance of both engines for reliability and longevity in the harshest conditions.