One-off Ford F-150 Raptor inspired by fighter jet

Ford has built a 1-of-1 special edition F-150 Raptor as a tribute to the fighter jet it shares a name with, the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor.

The 406kW/895Nm truck, which has been named the F-22 F-150, shares absolutely no visual similarities with its namesake, save for a jet badge on the grille and some on the mirrors.

It does, however, have a sky-high price tag. It was sold at an auction for US$300,000 (AU$378,000) to raise money for the Experimental Aircraft Association Gathering of Eagles, an event committed to aviation and encouraging youth involvement in flight.

Appropriately, the buyer is an honorary commander and ambassador for the United States Airforce’s F-22 Squadron at Nellis Airforce Base in Nevada.

The F-22 F-150 houses a Whipple-intercooled 3.5-litre twin-turbo EcoBoost, modified suspension with customisable damping, and a stainless-steel cat-back exhaust system with carbon fibre tips.

Ford design manager Melvin Betancourt says the intention of the F-122 F-150, just as the jet it’s based on, is to intimidate the opposition. That’s a big call, as we’ve seen some pretty menacing Chevrolet pre-runners.

“Few things are as streamlined, as gloriously intimidating as the shape, metallic color and sinister speed a fighter jet represents,” Betancourt adds.

“The simple, extreme functionality of the cockpit alone proved inspiring, prompting the team to create matte finishes, purposeful gauges, controls for ready proximity and dramatic LED lighting for the instrument panel.”

Drawing parallels between jets and trucks is an interesting approach, but it seems to have worked in this instance. We have to admit, the F-22 F-150 Raptor does look more like it could fly than most off-roaders.