Ford to Compete in Endurance Event with New F-150 Raptor Truck

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Dearborn-based Ford Motor Co. will enter its new 2017 F-150 Raptor in the 49th running of the Score Baja 1000 off-road endurance event, to be held Nov. 16-20 in Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula. Four-time Baja 1000 winner Greg Foutz will pilot the vehicle.

The F-150 Raptor race truck features a new high-output 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine that delivers 450 horsepower and 510 lb.-ft. of torque. The Foutz Motorsports team also added a Chromalloy steel safety cage, puncture-resistant fuel cell, new six-mode Terrain Management System, racing seats and full race harness, LED lighting, and more to the vehicle to prepare it for the race.

The factory-spec Raptor springs and Fox Racing shocks were also revised to accommodate the added weight from the safety cage and fuel cell.

Foutz has run the new Raptor in several Best in the Desert events in 2016, including the most recent 645-mile General Tire Vegas to Reno race in August, which he completed in 15 hours.

“The (F-150 Raptor) stock engine, transmission and powertrain calibrations are phenomenal,” he says. “Suspension-wise, everything else – including its wheels and BFGoodrich K02 tires – is carried over from the 2017 production model.”

Ahead of the race, the Ford Performance-supported F-150 Raptor will be on display at the 2016 SEMA show in Las Vegas from Nov. 1-4.

Ford Performance engineers use the race truck program as a platform to share technology. Set to deliver 12 new vehicles by 2020, the Ford Performance lineup includes the Ford GT supercar, Shelby GT350 and Shelby GT350R Mustangs, Focus RS, Focus ST and Fiesta ST, and now the F-150 Raptor.

In related news… NNG LLC, a Hungary-based navigation software and infotainment solutions supplier with North American headquarters in downtown Birmingham, has launched a navigation solutions project with Ford.

The project, which is expected to be featured in the Ford Explorer, Expedition, and Mustang models in fall 2016, consisted of the creation of a high quality, reliable navigation solution that is tailored to complement the Ford brand in-car experiences across seven select regions around the world.

Special local features are included in the system to cater to the needs of each market, such as a Makkah finder available in Arabic regions and full off-road support in Africa. The software also handles local languages, is integrated with the vehicle’s infotainment system, and features nearby fuel station availability.