The Ford F-150 Raptor R is the latest off-road-capable rig to visit Jay Leno’s Garage. The muscle truck’s program manager and engineer Tony Greco joins the denim-clad comedian to offer additional insight about the pickup. Let’s see how the video compares to other recent showcases of rugged machines on his channel.
The guys spend the first 17 minutes of this video discussing the truck’s specs and development. The Raptor R packs a version of the 5.2-liter supercharged V8 from the Mustang Shelby GT500 that makes 700 horsepower and 640 pound-feet of torque. The revisions make torque more plentiful throughout the rev range.
Leno’s first statement after driving the Raptor briefly is: “Horsepower can cure any problem.” Later in the video, he grins while accelerating. There’s also a moment where he possibly hits triple-digit speeds, but he claims to be going slower.
In comparison, Leno spends roughly three-quarters of the video touring the Jeep-Gladiator-based Apocalypse Hellfire. However, he rides solo when taking the six-wheeled truck on the road, which lets him be a bit more opinionated. Leno says he feels like Tony Montana from Scarface pulling up to the disco. “Say hello to my big, giant friend,” he quips. In Leno’s opinion, it handles better than you’d expect, given the massive size and just under 6,000-pound weight.
Leno finally goes off-road while checking out the EarthRoamer LTi pickup camper. Using a Ford F-550 Super Duty with a turbodiesel 6.7-liter V8 as a starting point, this truck has a living space in the back, instead of a cargo bed. There are also extensive modifications for handling rugged terrain.
Leno gets a full tour of the interior amenities and then gets behind the wheel for some dirt trail driving. This includes going over some steep grades. Since RVs aren’t something that Leno usually experiences, he has a whole lot of questions for Earthroamer’s customer experience manager. He spends over 40 minutes with the truck camper.
