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Prerunner, definition: an off-road desert truck made to go fast over bumps and jumps. If you didn't already know, it's basically a street legal trophy truck. The Raptor is really the first factory built vehicle for this type of driving. Jeeps are made for climbing rocks, and other pickups (even the first Raptor) mostly just have skid plates and knobby tires. This one has specialized suspension, massive fender flares, and even an extra strong frame to handle jumps.
Because of this, the Raptor drives differently from any other truck. Most pickups designed for towing feel pretty stiff without hundreds of pounds to pull. But the Ford has fluid, comfortable suspension that makes a washboard road feel like more of a challenge than an inconvenience. It really doesn't seem like a heavy machine in general. Although the Ecoboost motor gets a lot of hate, it does make the truck feel lighter than most. On top of that the V6 makes more power than the outgoing V8 as well.
Inside the truck feels a lot like a standard F-150, which is to say simple but comfortable. Besides the couple sporty touches such as the classic orange stripe at the top of the wheel and overhead auxiliary switches, it's just a nice place to sit.
Arguably the best thing about the current Raptor are its looks. I saw a well modified one of these parked next to our older diesel F-250 when it first came out and it made my truck look small. It sounds good, looks great, and has ample performance on, and off-road. After all, there is a reason this is the most desirable model of the best selling truck on the market.
Photos shot with Canon 1d Mark 3. Big thanks to Paul for letting us film his truck.