Ford F-150 Raptor R Drag Racing in 2023

American V8 Muscle Wins the 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R Drag Race Over the Ram 1500 TRX

After model year 2024, the V8-powered Ram 1500 TRX will become extinct, thus it's imperative that we remember how quickly this off-road vehicle truly accelerates on a prepared terrain. Stellantis estimates that it takes 4.5 seconds to accelerate from a standing start of 60 mph (97 kph) to a peak speed of 118 mph (190 kph).

Remember that the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye is a larger car with all-terrain rubber soles even though the Hellcat engine is obligated to breach the 200 mph barrier. The Ford F-150 Raptor R and Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 from the S550 generation both fit this description. Speaking of which, the Blue Oval built their Predator-powered vehicle for off-road antics, thus the R-ified Raptor lacks launch control.

The R weighs 5,950 pounds, which is a little less than Ram's all-terrain vehicle of approximately 2,700 kilos. The TRX's reported weight in its lightest configuration is 6,350 pounds (or around 2,880 kilograms).

The Ram 1500 TRX features 35-inch tires, whereas the R gave Ford's half-ton pickup truck 37-inch tires. You might be startled to see that the more powerful and torquey truck loses three out of three drag races, despite the fact that smaller tires mean less resistance under acceleration from a dig. The Ram generates 650 pound-feet (881 Nm) and 702 horsepower when it is running at full throttle.

The Raptor R has 10 pound-feet less twist and 2 less horsepower in comparison. However, curb weight may make all the difference in a quarter-mile race. The white-painted trucks were captured at Florida's Bradenton Motorsports Park and recorded fastest times of 12.503 and 12.692, respectively. Additionally, the Raptor R was faster across the quarter mile, clocking it at 109.11 mph (175.595 kph), as opposed to the TRX's commendable 106.81 mph (171.894 kph).

It should be noted that the peak speed of both vehicles is constrained by the engine control module software. You already know that the Ram 1500 TRX easily reaches 118 mph, which is 4 mph faster than the R's 114 mph (183 kph). On the other side, the V6-powered Raptor with the stock 35-inch tires is even quicker, reaching 120 mph (193 kph).

Ford just updated the F-150 for the 2024 model year, adding extra power to the Raptor R as part of this mid-cycle revamp. Sadly, the carmaker with headquarters in Dearborn hasn't yet released the output data. For the Ram 1500 TRX model year 2025, Stellantis is switching from the 6.2-liter Hellcat to a twin-turbocharged sixer.

In the Jeep Grand Wagoneer, the 3.0-liter engine, marketed as the Hurricane, produces 510 horsepower and 500 pound-feet (678 Nm). While the HurriCrate Cat3 provides 550 horsepower, the HurriCrate CatX crate engine aims for mid-1,000 horsepower. It is unknown what tuning the TRX for the 2025 model year will use, but Stellantis is likely to tweak the inline-six engine to produce 700 or so horsepower.