Ford brought two well-kept cars to SEMA: one for the road and one for the beach. With its sticky tires and turbocharged Mustang engine, the Maverick 300T is a true throwback to the days of street trucks. The F-150 Raptor R, on the other hand, has a huge 3.0-liter Whipple blower that makes it faster. You need a little style to stand out at the SEMA show every year, but that huge, shiny belt buckle better be strong. With a few cars ready to tear up the desert or the runway, Ford is putting more power behind the Blue Oval sign this year. To start, there is the Maverick 300T, as its name suggests. This Maverick’s 2.0-liter engine now has 300 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque thanks to a turbocharger from the Mustang EcoBoost’s 2.3-liter four-cylinder. There are fifty more ponies than stock, and they grunt forty pound-feet of power. Ford suggests the optional tow package (item 4K) if you want this improvement. It has engine changes and additional cooling to handle the extra power. It has a larger Mishimoto intercooler and is tuned for speed with Ford’s ProCal system. All 50 states also allow emissions. The 300T lives up to the Maverick Lobo’s promise. Along with more power, this customized street truck has 20-inch Mach-E GT wheels with 245-series Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires, as well as a number of suspension changes, some of which come from the Lobo. These stickier horseshoes should work well. Ford also suggests Pirellis in the same size. The Lobo’s Goodyears didn’t perform well when we tried them. The Raptor R is so highly turbocharged that Ford might need to change its name. It is much bigger than the rough-and-tumble Maverick. During the time of the dinosaurs, raptors were small but fierce hunters. In its natural environment, this roaring V-8 saurian is the top predator. Ram has already chosen the name TRX, so we’ll call it the Ford Gigantosaurus. This F-150 Raptor R, which comes with a full factory warranty, CARB certification, and the ability to be driven in all 50 states, is an example of a package that Ford might give. Its 5.2-liter V-8 engine can make an amazing 900 horsepower thanks to a truly impressive Whipple supercharger that moves 3.0 liters of air. Even though the regular Raptor R had a lot of power, this one will breeze through the hills. Other than that, a Borla exhaust, extra backup lights, and some cosmetic changes are the only other small improvements. People who own Raptors R can definitely expect their cars to deliver a little more chewing power.
