The Ford F-150 Raptor is one of the most impressive off-road vehicles one can buy off a showroom floor. It’s ludicrous in all the right places and as far as trucks go it’s pretty affordable for what buyers get. So why did someone spend $300,000 on one?
It was all in the name of charity for a group out of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The Young Eagles is a program ran by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) that offers kids ages 8–12 their first free airplane ride. The hope is to peak youngster’s interests in aviation.
This largely successful charity has flown kids around since 1994. At the time of writing this, its website states that it’s flown 2,043,849 young aviation enthusiasts to date.
Ford supports the efforts of the EAA, which is why it supplied the association with a custom-build F-150 Raptor. By auctioning off the vehicle the EAA raised awareness and funds to continue its mission.
The custom Raptor sports some serious upgrades. The already impressive suspension gets an Addictive Desert Designs set of coilovers with Fox bypass shocks. Custom Innov8 Racing beadlock wheels come wrapped with Falken Wildpeak tires to make off-road driving a breeze. Also, the already solid braking system gets some larger rotors with Alcon six-piston calipers.
For those looking for the need — the need for speed — Ford also worked some magic on the 3.5L twin-turbocharged V6. A Whipple intercooler increased boost, and a free flowing Borla exhaust all work to bump up the power. As a result, this Raptor now makes an impressive 545 hp and 660 lb-ft of torque. This is a huge jump over the stock Raptor which makes do with 450 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque.
On the exterior, the Raptor gets a custom F-22 Raptor paint scheme in honor of the fighter jet it shares its name with. The grill also gets a silhouette of the F-22 to pull the look together. In addition to the fighter jet theme, Ford also added a set of beefy carbon fiber fender flares.
The roof of the truck sports KC Lights’ newest LED light bar, the Gravity6. With 18,400 lumens these lights can illuminate any danger zone. It’s probably a tad overkill though.
Gary Ackerman of Las Vegas, Nevada placed the $300,000 winning bid. Ackerman also serves as an Honorary Commander and Ambassador for the F-22 Fighter Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base.
We wish Ackerman all the best with his new rig and hope he thrashes it as much as possible in the Nevada desert.
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