Manoli Katakis 
When the 2021 Ram 1500 TRX debuted last year with a dramatic video, the song of choice was a cover of “Mr. Sandman,” as the 702 hp Hellcat truck jumped, drifted and otherwise demonstrated dominance over desert dunes. Now it’s Ford’s turn. The 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor is debuting next week on Wednesday, February 3. And it was officially teased this afternoon via the quick video below. The song of choice? “Enter Sandman,” by Metallica. Touché, Ford.
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For now, details such as horsepower, torque, approach/departure angles, and what’s under the hood remains under the lid. But today, we can enjoy a little teaser of that imposing front fascia. Like before, cab lights are present and accounted for, arguably in a more prominent fashion than before. The design seems to blend the best elements of the standard F-150 fascia, yellow DRLs included. And, like the previous-generation Raptors, the fascia goes totally black, and we can faintly make out the “FORD” grille that the brand started doing in 2010. Other brands have since started to copy this look.
The off-road pickup truck market has seen a surge in popularity over the past five years, with new offerings seemingly popping up every year since. Which is arguably pioneered by the Ford F-150 Raptor. Brands like Jeep, Chevrolet, and Ram have attempted to capture this magic by offering off-road pickup trucks that either orbit around the Raptor’s position in the US market, or attempt to go after it directly. As it stands, the Ram 1500 TRX is the closest direct competitor to the Ford F-150 Raptor. That said, the Hellcat V8 in the Ram far and away clears whatever power offering we’ve previously seen in any production Ford truck, and its price reflects this. Jeep and Chevrolet float a little farther away from the Raptor, with both the Gladiator Mojave and Colorado ZR2 being midsize truck offerings, at a lower price point, and with less power.
Will the 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor be everything it needs to be to leapfrog the Ram TRX? Stay tuned.
You’re not gonna mention Toyota and Nissan?
We cover American brand vehicles here 🙂