Ford gives fans 450 reasons to pick up the new F-150 Raptor

The 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor (The Ford Motor Company)

Over recent months Ford has been hinting that its 2017 performance pickup's figures would impress, and with 450hp and 510 lb-ft (690Nm) of torque on tap -- from just a 3.5-liter V6 engine! -- the new Raptor is bound to get a rapturous welcome.

The motor in question is a twin-turbo EcoBoost system, not unlike the one that will take pride of place in Ford's GT supercar, however in the Raptor its power gores through a 10-speed transmission and a special transfer case to all four wheels. All of which means you'd have to be a real sentimentalist to complain that the pickup no longer comes with a V8 under the hood.

"Raptor was designed to be a no-compromise, off-road performance machine," said Matt Tranter, Ford Performance engineering supervisor. "That is why we made the switch from the cast-iron V8 to the aluminum block, high-output GTDI V6 EcoBoost engine that our team tuned to add 39 horsepower and 76 lb.-ft. of torque for today's Raptor."

And because the new pickup is significantly lighter than previous Raptors, small bumps in power translate make a big difference in terms of fuel economy as well as acceleration or response -- for example it offers a 16mpg combined cycle fuel economy, that's a 23% improvement over the outgoing model.

Also helping to maximize the engine's capabilities is the lightweight close ratio 10-speed transmission. A first for Ford in that it's the first heavy duty transmission to reject any cast iron elements in favor of lightweight alloys, it actively monitors drivetrain performance and driver inputs to ensure the right gear is always the one driving the wheels. It also of course works in concert with the Raptor's six pre-set driving modes.

"The torque-on-demand transfer case and six-mode Terrain Management System is unique to Raptor in the Ford family of vehicles," Tranter said. "It gives you the benefit of a clutched all-wheel-drive system for easy around-town maneuverability in bad weather. Then, there's Baja Mode, which automatically engages a mechanically locked 4X4 high, and optimizes throttle response, shifting and boost control to provide improved off-road capability. That's definitely drawing a line in the sand."

The 2017 Ford Raptor will launch with a base MSRP of less than $50,000.