A supercharged V-8 without mufflers is the type of stuff we can get behind.
The Ford F-150 Raptor R is one of the craziest passenger vehicles you can buy right now. It pairs a normal Raptor body to the 5.2-liter supercharged V-8 found in the Mustang Shelby GT500, with totally badass results. The truck sounds wonderful from the factory, but even better with its mufflers removed.
Speed Phenom on YouTube recently took delivery of its Raptor R and wasted no time taking it to a shop to have the exhaust disconnected simply out of curiosity. What was already a loud V-8 gets much, much louder, so much so that it feels almost too loud at idle.
Those reservations disappear once you hear the truck rev, though. With all 700 hp given room to breathe, we’re treated to a truly magnificent symphony of noise. Unsurprisingly, this Raptor R sounds more like our favorite muscle cars than it does a pickup truck. It’s so loud you can no longer hear the supercharger whine.
It’s unclear whether Speed Phenom plans to keep its Raptor as-is or revert it back to stock. While we suspect the stock exhaust is aggressive enough for most people, we wouldn’t blame them for keeping the truck in permanent loud mode.
Brian Silvestro Road & Track staff writer with a taste for high-mileage, rusted-out projects and amateur endurance racing.
Keyword: Straight-Piped Ford F-150 Raptor R Sounds Predictably Insane