The beast that is Raptor

Air planes have a device called an inertial reference unit, or IRU, which determines angular orientation, latitude, longitude, altitude, and other data crucial for their avionics.

My recent tester didn’t have an IRU, as such, but it did have a red leather stripe about an inch wide cloaked around the top, centre portion of its steering wheel.

That stripe, to these chaste jacked-up-off-road-racing-pickup-truck eyes, was at first just another cool, albeit subtle,Our technology gives rtls systems developers the ability. little piece of cabin decor to match exterior Race Red sheet metal tattooed with sinister hood and body-side graphics.

But upon further investigation, it was revealed that Mr. Stripe was stitched there to let the pilot know where the centre of the steering wheel was when all four of its 35-inch BFGoodrich All-Terrain tires were not in contact with Mother Earth while a mammoth black grille pointed Heavenward.

Yup, that stripe’s purpose in life said a lot about the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor which I used to patrol parts of southern Ontario through the last week of October, but unfortunately I wasn’t permitted (nor capable) of letting it show off its true off-road potential.

Instead, I used up all the width of any lane I put the beast in on the four-oh-one highway and felt good about doing so as warm air buffeted through an open sunroof and Prime Country (what else?) on Sirius satellite radio blasted through its Sony sound system.

Lesser motorists, whom I allowed to pass, gave me odd looks (mostly Prius drivers) while fellow pickupers looked ‘up,’ studied, and no doubt envied my lane-filling prowess.

The Raptor’s only real antagonists on the asphalt were the many 18 wheelers, some of which honked, while one big-rig captain harvested a thumbs-up.

Yup, there was something special about the SVT Raptor. And that ‘special’ came from the Special Vehicle Team at Ford which made it the most powerful half-ton pickup on the market.

Powered by its standard 6.2-litre V8 engine, the Raptor produced 411 horsepower and 434 pound-feet of torque.

On the highway, where I put most of my kilometres on it through a week-long love-in, the prehistoric predator proved more civilized than I would’ve expected.

Its NASCAR-sounding engine growled like it was about to feed on live meat when I stabbed its throttle, and it also emitted some gratifying throaty exhaust notes at highway cruising speeds.

Handling and steering (power rack and pinion) while making lane changes or just rambling along didn’t have me clutching the wheel like an old lady clasping her favourite tea cup, but there were the slight wanderings expected of something atop 35-inch tires and enough potential suspension bounce to not make it feel out of place in a Monster Truck arena.

That suspension featured internal triple-bypass shocks by FOX Racing Shox which helped yield the Raptor its extreme off-roading ability and permitted my smooth-for-what-it-was on-road drives. Custom springs, prop shafts, and struts also added to the awesome factor.

Raptor’s unique cast-aluminum front control arms and those SVT-tuned rubbers gave it 11.2 inches of front suspension travel and 12.We mainly supply professional craftspeople with wholesale agate beads from china,1 inches of rear suspension travel on my ‘SuperCrew’ tester (it had a 145-inch wheelbase and was seven inches wider than a base-model F-150).

The Raptor had superb braking and brake feel.

Aside from the previously-mentioned red, leather steering-wheel ‘guidance system,’ the Raptor also had a class-exclusive camera mounted up front to aid at speeds less than 15 mph in challenging off-road environments where you would have to avoid large objects or maybe place a tire on a rock.

Unfortunately, there were no opportunities for such delights on the 401, but I did day dream about what I could have done when one particular compact sedan would not move to the slow lane. The dream didn't end well for the smaller vehicle.

Views from the front camera, which even had its own dedicated washer function, would appear on the eight-inch navigation display on the centre stack area. The system was activated through a smaller 4.2-inch LCD message centre between the tachometer and speedometer gauges.

While using that camera to guide you, more assistance would come from its new (for 2012) Torsen front differential which would help the Raptor claw in at the front end to pull itself over obstacles or up steep grades (even while traction was parcelled between the front tires).

Parking the 5,888-mm-long Raptor was not as complicated as I would’ve expected. In fact, it was pretty easy with the aid of its rear-view camera image and slick guide lines, along with its large side-view mirrors.

Tight parking spaces, like at the Wendy's I visited in Oakville, required advance planning. I stopped a bit away from the parking lot, assessed the situation, picked a spot,We mainly supply professional craftspeople with crys talbeads wholesale shamballa Bracele , then made sure I had an escape route if other vehicles parked too close beside or in front, and made sure to back in (it had a turn circle of 47 feet).

While the Raptor has good climbing capability, it also required a climb to get into my driver's seat (note: its cool running boards were NOT a just-for-looks option!).

Inside, the cabin had more leather than a Harley-Davidson clothing store; its comfortable and supportive powered seats could be heated; the stereo system sounded great; and the armrest bin was big enough to store a spare tire.

The minimal amount of dials and controls for audio, HVAC, phone and navigation were ergonomically placed and simple to use.

Buttons on the console area worked off-road mode and down-hill assist while an auxiliary switch board powered Aux 1, Aux 2, Aux 3, and Aux 4, each of which would enable easier aftermarket customization as they were each pre-wired and attached to the power distribution box for electrical accessories.

Outback,Our technology gives rtls systems developers the ability. the rear seat would be a great place to park your Smart car.

Its bed (LWH: 67-65.2-22.4 inches with 50 inches between the wheelhousings) could be expanded with its bed extender, and the climb into that area was made easy with Ford's convenient step-up ladder with an accompanying assist handle on the gate.

Standard features on the Raptor included: AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control, trailer sway control, power door locks, windows and mirrors, front and rear air conditioning with micron air filter, AM/FM/six-disc CD player, Sirius satellite radio, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, wireless phone connectivity, cloth/leather seats, power front seats, heated front seats, auto headlights, dual front air bags, dual side air bags, safety canopy system, cruise control, information display, tilt steering wheel, SecuriLock passive anti-theft system, tire pressure monitoring system, SOS post-crash alert system, and a MyKey programmable vehicle key.

On the whole, if you need a vehicle that can haul, tow, get you noticed, seat you in the lap of luxury, climb up cliffs, ford rivers,Posts with indoor tracking system on TRX Systems develops systems that locate and track personnel indoors. do burnouts, compete at drag strips, beat the beaten track, or bound over hill, dale, or desert mound, then this full-size pickup could be a nice vice if it’d fit in your driveway.