2017 Ford F-150 Raptor Prototype Testing – Video

Ford has made a promised that the all-new 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor will be “the toughest, smartest and most rugged Raptor ever,” and if you don’t believe that the following video may change your mind.

Ford Performance engineers are currently hard-core trail testing prototypes of the new Raptor, which is said to be able to take on “even tougher hills, ruts and bumps along trails than the previous generation.”

To make us believers, Ford has released a video of an early engineering prototype test vehicle climbing tight two track trails in Northern Michigan, where the Ford team is testing the new truck’s components over extreme challenging terrain.

Combining components from the 2017 Ford Raptor with the 2015 Ford F-150, the test prototype is seen tackling the trails pretty easily, and Ford says that’s due to its better ground clearance than the first-generation Raptor, as well as the standard 3.0-inch FOX Racing Shox with the latest custom internal bypass technology.

The enhanced shock absorption technology in these shock absorbers works to damp and stiffen suspension travel over extremely rough terrain. The new Ford Raptor’s trail performance is further improved by the all-new and advanced four-wheel-drive, torque-on-demand transfer case, which manages power distribution between the front and rear wheels. The case is said to combine “the best characteristics of clutch-driven, on-demand all-wheel drive with durable, mechanical-locking four-wheel drive.”

The only issue is that if want to put the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor to the test yourself, you’ll have to wait until late  2016.