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 DETROIT – “Oh my.” Those were my words when I started reading about all the stuff that came with the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor.
In a phrase, the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is the first production vehicle built for off road speed. It’s not bad on road either.
The Raptor is a pickup truck and the one I had was powered by a 5.4-liter V8 that made 320 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox. Get this: that’s the small engine. A new 6.2-liter V-8 engine that produces 411 horsepower and 434 ft.-lb. of torque will go on sale soon.
The Raptor is built for off-road performance and racing. Still, as I drove around Dearborn, near the plant where the Raptor is produced and other areas in the Southwestern quadrant of the city one night, the low-speed manners of the Raptor weren’t bad.
 I had a four-wheel-drive model, thus, my Raptor sat pretty high off the ground. The big 35-inch tires provided a pretty smooth ride on pavement. And the off road suspension’s on road characteristics were great: firm without being too soft and no dips or sways in the turns. What’s more, handling was dead-on.
My test truck featured most of the equipment you get on a premium sedan. There was Ford’s Microsoft Sync voice controlled navigation system, satellite radio and CD player, auxiliary and USB jacks. My Raptor came with $7,000 worth of options. They included adjustable pedals, heated front seats and heated side mirrors, a rearview camera and a slamming’ orange and black paint job and interior that simulated molten lava and volcanic rock.
Ford said: “Noticeable differences between the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor and conventional F-150 include a distinctive grille that has the Ford name carved into it; front bumper, vented hood, front fascia and fenders, functional hood extractors, fender extractors with ‘SVT’ bored out, as well as visible FOX Racing Shox, the only internal bypass shocks available on a street truck.
 “Another key difference between the F-150 SVT Raptor and the base F-150 is it is more than seven inches wider. Ford designers took advantage of this difference and highlighted it with distinctive marker lamps. When turned off, the marker lamps are well-integrated into the F-150 SVT Raptor’s front end, as opposed to on top of the cab. When lit up, Raptor’s imposing stance is immediately recognizable….
“Design elements from the unique grille and front fascia have been carried through to the interior on the console and dashboard. The steering wheel is wrapped in black leather and features a molten-orange leather strip that serves as a centering sight line – which is especially useful in extreme driving maneuvers that can often cause the driver to lose perspective of the steering wheel’s center point.”
The Raptor is a real truck. My test vehicle had trailer sway control, integrated trailer brake controller, an electronic locking differential, hill descent control, an off road mode and an auxiliary switch which I found intriguing.
 At first, I couldn’t figure out what the four switches were four. Then I found that they are for aftermarket customization. Prewired, they are attached to the power distribution box. To me, that’s taking into account customer needs when you don’t even know what the needs might be.
My test vehicle had a base price of $38,020. Add on option s and the sticker came to $45,045.
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