Raptor Drag Race Pits Old vs. New, Big vs. Small

By Edward Snitkoff - October 16, 2019

Two burly American Raptors take on their sophisticated European counterparts, with one odd twist thrown in.

When the original F-150 SVT Raptor debuted, it was an immediate hit. Buyers flocked to the off-road oriented truck in droves. And since then, the Raptor brand has become even more synonymous with badass. The second generation F-150 outputs a truly staggering amount of horsepower, while the Ranger Raptor now exists for those markets that don’t receive Ford’s full-size powerhouse.

British automotive website CarWow recently posted a video on their YouTube channel showing what happens when all three Raptors go head-to-head. Some of the results aren’t surprising, like the drag race. Fortunately, the team decided to conduct more than one test with the trio, which made the video much more interesting.

For the purposes of their competition, carwow secured three trucks. Available in Europe, the Ranger Raptor is equipped with a 2.0 liter turbo diesel four cylinder that outputs 213 horsepower and 369 Ib-ft of torque. The Americans obviously aren’t available across the pond, but both featured trucks made their way to the U.K. and were converted to right-hand drive. Sutton Bespoke modified a current generation F-150 Raptor and dubbed their creation the “Monster Raptor.” This particular model came equipped with the company’s optional Monster Intercooler upgrade, which boosts power to an impressive 510 horsepower and 620 lb-ft of torque.

The previous generation F-150 SVT Raptor appears in stock form aside from the steering wheel conversion. It sports the optional 6.2 liter V8, rated at 411 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque. While the newer Raptors employ Ford’s 10 speed automatic transmission, the older SVT Raptor makes do with the six speed automatic.

With those specifications laid out, it’s not hard to determine who wins the straight line drag strip race. Host Mat Watson gets behind the wheel of the Monster Raptor and pits it against the other two. It isn’t even close. With a maniacal laugh, Watson instantly realizes what’s about to happen. “Now I’m destroying the others,” he exclaims. “This is quite quick! [An] easy race.”

Sutton’s Monster Raptor completes the quarter mile in 15.1 seconds. The SVT Raptor clocks a 16.7 time. Finally, the Ranger Raptor does the run in 18.7 seconds. The Ranger’s third place finish is a bit surprising, but it’s entirely possible that the truck is calibrated with fuel efficiency in mind.

If things ended there the video would’ve been a bit anticlimactic. Thankfully, the team also conducts a rolling 50 mph race and a braking competition. For the rolling race, the modified F-150 Raptor once again handily defeats the other trucks. “You can really see the difference,” says Watson. “This has way more power. It’s just noticeably quicker than just the normal V8.”

Finally, the trucks are subjected to a brake test from 70 mph. Weight is obviously a factor here, but unlike the horsepower figures, all three aren’t that far off from each other. The Monster Raptor weighs about 5,700 pounds while the SVT Raptor tips the scales at 5,900 pounds. At 5,500 pounds, the Ranger is the lightest, but not by much, especially considering its smaller external dimensions. In any event, the test is conducted and there is one clear outlier. For some reason the SVT Raptor fails to stop nearly as quickly as the other trucks.

“What is going on with that thing?” Watson asks as the older Raptor flies by. “The old F-150, it’s like he hasn’t got any brakes.” Weight certainly playS an issue, but that can’t fully explain why the truck takes so much longer to come to a complete stop. It’s likely the newer trucks are equipped with bigger brakes, which may explain things.

Regardless of who wins or loses, they’re all pretty cool trucks. And it’s especially cool that Sutton Bespoke is able to convert the F-150 Raptor for Ford enthusiasts on the other side of the Atlantic. They also convert regular F-150 and Mustangs too.