Ford Hid Some Homages In Their Graphics Packages
The 2021 Ford Raptor has a few available graphics packages, and two of them come with some sneaky design choices that could easily go overlooked. Once you dig into the history of them, their inspiration becomes clear. These, along with a few design elements that are easy to overlook, make the new Ford Raptor a basket full of easter eggs.
Paying Tribute to the Ford Pickup Truck's Racing History
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One of the graphics packages for the 2021 Ford Raptor looks a little curious at first. The color is a dark burnt orange with a small topographical map on the side. A series of dots track along the ridges, and a racing number is present just past the rear wheel well.
Unless you follow trophy truck racing, you've probably missed some important history on the Ford Raptor. Nothing quite says high-performance off-road trucking like desert racing, and the most iconic desert race in the Americas is the Baja 1000. The annual off-road race through the scorching desert in the Baja peninsula has been dominated by Ford in the last decade. In the past ten years, Ford has won eight times. Perhaps even more impressive is that a nearly stock version of the previous generation of Raptor pickup truck took third in its class back in 2017.
2021 looks like it won't be any different, and this Ford Raptor pickup truck is a beautiful homage to the race of races. Over fifty years of racing history are represented by a topographical map of the famed California peninsula and a nice rendering of the race route. It's a subtle homage to racing history wrapped into a killer, forward-thinking design.
The 2021 Ford Raptor Goes Supersonic
There's another aspect to the Ford Raptor design that may go overlooked, but Ford developed a graphics package to make sure that it won't. A sleek metallic gray paint job stretches from fender to fender, cutting across the 2021 Ford Raptor's unique domed hood design. Black lines streak down the Ford Raptor side panel before breaking out and dissipating into a diamond pattern gradient, giving the pickup truck a distinct look that makes it look like it was pulled right out of the sky.
For good reason. This graphics package pays respect to another kind of raptor: the fighter jet. The F-22 Raptor by Lockheed Martin served as inspiration for the 2021 Ford Raptor design overall, influencing its characteristics throughout the planning process. So, naturally, they made a graphics package out of respect. The black lines down the side, along with the diamond gradient, are Easter eggs to represent the F-22 Raptor's fuselage and twin afterburners. The headlight design wraps from one fender to the other, coupled with a domed hood that creates several aerodynamic lines across its bodywork.
Ford's Other Sneaky Secrets
Ford didn't stop there on its 2021 Raptor design. While the graphics packages pay tribute to key aspects of the Ford Raptor's design and history, other elements are hidden in plain sight across the pickup truck's interior and exterior. The ones that have been spotted so far include:
- A hidden QR code that takes users to the Ford Performance website
- American flags subtly molded into the dashboard and tail light designs in tribute to Ford's American tradition
- New side vents along the edge of the fender for increased airflow
- A blackout grille with a new mesh profile
- The Ford Raptor badge embossed into the headlights
The 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor Is Bigger, Badder And Better Than Ever
While the base model has the same 3.5L V6 EcoBoost engine as the previous generation of Raptor truck, Ford has already confirmed that they will bring a V8-powered Raptor into existence. The peakiest of peak performance, the V8 version is likely going to use some version of the Mustang Shelby GT500 engine, which just so happens to pull out 760 horses whenever it wants.
Additionally, the 2021 Ford Raptor will offer 37" tires direct from the factory. That's monumental. This is the first light-duty production truck with tires that big. On top of that, the Raptor pickup truck is already taller than the previous generation, coming in at a lean six and a half feet (or just a shade over, depending on tire choice). Add in a completely redesigned coil spring rear suspension — another first in F-150 history — and the clearance and ride height of the third generation Ford Raptor design is stepping out in a big way and we are here for it. Given everything we know about the easter eggs to the overall design, it's hard to see how you could do better for a factory-direct off-road truck than the Ford Raptor. 2021 is an exciting time for high-performance truck enthusiasts.
