Ford 2017 Super Duty trucks: redesigned aluminum body, better tow/haul,

We’ve seen more of Ford’s new Super Duty trucks before their actual unveiling than any pickup in recent memory. First there was the prototype that exploded in Death Valley during testing last August. Then there was that leaked photo of an F-250 in all its chromed out glory in March, and just a month ago, Ford wrapped one in some promotional camouflage and paraded it around a bit.

That last one made us wonder if all these incidents weren’t entirely coincidental, but that’s for another time. Right now, we’ve got our first unadulterated look at the actual, 2017 Super Duty pickups that you’ll eventually be able to buy. You just have to wait one more year!

Though a more formal unveiling event is coming later this morning at the State Fair of Texas, Ford was kind enough to pass along all the details on these new trucks and a bunch of photos in advance. There’ll be five models in the new lineup: XL, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum. Let’s dig into all the new stuff.

Redesigned aluminum body and steel frame

As was the case with the unveiling of the 2015 F-150 early last year, the main update to these redesigned Super Duty trucks, beyond a new look, is the aluminum body. Speaking of that new look, it definitely brings the Super Duty models more in line with the F-150, and it confirms that the leak from March was completely legit.

A high-strength steel frame is at the core of the truck, but Ford’s military-grade aluminum alloy makes the 2017 models the lightest yet.

The aluminum body shaves off as much as 350 pounds over previous models, to be exact. And just like they did with the F-150, Ford engineers translated those weight savings into more power. Ford says the new Super Duty pickups boast more towing and hauling capacity than all previous models. We’d share those improved specs with you now, but Ford hasn’t yet made them available.

Throw a glance at the gallery above and you’ll notice that the cabs on these new trucks are longer, too. Ford updated the interior design with the inclusion of a dual compartment glove box and overhead console-mounted auxiliary switches. Plus, in the SuperCab and Crew Cab configurations, the second-row floors are now completely flat, making loading items back there much easier.

The bed features Ford’s BoxLink system of brackets and cleats that secure cargo and a remote lock and release for the tailgate is included on the key fob.

And while the body has undergone the most change, the Super Duty steel frame has a new open-C-channel design being the cab that makes aftermarket body upfit and other modifications easier.

In addition, Ford says the new models feature a heavier-duty driveline and stronger four-wheel-drive components, axels and towing hardware.

Power

As part of taking advantage of the trucks’ lighter weight, Ford engineers beefed up the lineup of gasoline and diesel engines available for the new Super Duty models.

The second-generation, 6.7-liter Ford Power Stroke V8 diesel is available for both Super Duty pickups and chassis cabs and provides what Ford says is the highest combination of horsepower and torque ever. Ford hasn’t shared specific numbers for these new trucks, but in the 2015 Super Duty models, the 6.7-liter Power Stroke produced 440 horsepower and 860 lb.-ft. of torque.

A 6.2-liter gas V8 is available as well and is paired with Ford’s new TorqShift-G transmission on the F-250.

Chassis cabs can choose from the Power Stroke V8, a 6.8-liter gas V10 or the 6.2-liter gas V8.

Tech

Aluminum isn’t the only feature Ford wants its new trucks to be known for. Starting with the 2015 F-150 and accelerating heavily with the 2016 F-150 Limited, the automaker has made technology that increases driver comfort and safety a primary focus on its latest pickups.

Interior of the 2017 Super Duty King Ranch.

The new Super Duty models are no exception and Ford says there are 16 new tech features on these pickups that are segment-firsts.

Most notable among those is all the cameras mounted to these trucks. Depending on the configuration, your new Super Duty could have as many as seven cameras on it. The 360-degree camera system which gives a bird’s-eye view of the truck, uses four cameras. Another camera in the stop lamp, gives the driver a view into the cargo box, making hooking up gooseneck trailers easier. Another camera provides the view for trucks’ trailer reverse guidance and the final lens can be mounted to the rear of a trailer for added visibility when backing up.

Then there’s adaptive steering, a feature that reduces the amount of steering input needed to change direction at low speed, while reducing sensitivity to steering input at higher speeds. Ford says the feature comes in hand when hauling heavy loads or navigating confined jobsites and parking lots.

The new trucks also feature Ford’s latest SYNC 3 communications and entertainment system displayed on an 8-inch touchscreen in the console. SYNC 3 will eventually support Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto interfaces.

You can check out the remaining litany of tech features in the graphic from Ford below.

So capable, in fact, that Ford plans to race a virtually stock 2017 model. That's a massive vote of confidence in the performance of the new truck.

The 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor race truck gets a little air during testing. Due to liability, Ford isn't supposed to show the truck jumping at all. Take it from us: it can. Photo: Ford

Ford will enter its upcoming 2017 F-150 Raptor performance truck in the grueling Best in the Desert off-road racing series—a move that conveys an utterly insane amount of confidence in a production vehicle.

Composed of legendary races like the Mint 400, Laughlin Desert Classic, and Vegas to Reno, Best in the Desert is a six-race, off-road series that tests the mettle of purpose-built race rigs. Entering a vehicle that’s very nearly identical to the one that will hit showrooms is as ballsy a move as you’ll see from a major auto manufacturer in this age of liability concerns and economy-focused messaging. Should the truck be able to complete the races, much less score points in them, it will be an unmatched feat of endurance, toughness, and sheer speed.

The 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor is an all-new vehicle based on the thirteenth generation (or 2015 on) F-150. Like the first generation Raptor (based on the 2009-2014, twelfth generation F-150) it’s designed for one purpose: To be the fastest street-legal off-road truck you can buy from a showroom, complete with a manufacturer’s warranty.

When we say virtually stock, we really mean it. Only a handful of additions were made to the truck.

The 2017 Raptor rests on a uniquely-reinforced, fully-boxed frame that should be capable of huge off-road abuse. Click to enlarge. Photo: Ford

A steel tube roll cage has been welded into the stock cabin to satisfy safety regulations. That added a couple hundred pounds of weight, so the spring rates were increased to suit. The standard bucket seats were replaced with MasterCraft race seats (which protect the racers’ spines through big impacts) and five-point harnesses. Some of the races take place at night, necessitating aftermarket LED light bars. A fancy GPS navigator, digital dash, and data logger were also added to the cabin to allow the team to follow race-provided directions and to track their performance.

Perhaps the biggest change, though, is also the most revealing of how close this vehicle is to stock. The Raptor’s new three-inch diameter Fox Racing internal bypass shocks have been swapped for otherwise identical external bypass items. “Going external allows us to make adjustments to damping rates between each race,” Ford trucks communications manager Mike Levine explained to us. “Otherwise, they’re the same shock.”

Flashy graphics are the only visual clue that this is a race truck. Even the 17-inch beadlock wheels and BF Goodrich K02 tires come from the production vehicle. Click to enlarge. Photo: Ford

When the original F-150 Raptor debuted in 2009, it was the 2.5-inch Fox Racing internal bypass shocks that lent the truck such an unprecedented level of off-road performance. Roughly equivalent to what a $10,000 spend in the aftermarket would have netted you, the purpose-designed suspension enabled the Raptor to romp across the desert at 100 miles per hour with perfect stability and control. And the total truck only cost a a couple grand more than an equivalent “civilian” F-150 FX4.

Now weighing 500 pounds less and fitted with .5-inch larger shocks, that capability should be even better. “The suspension now has to do less with more,” says Jamal Hameedi, Ford’s global performance vehicle chief engineer. (The Raptor is his baby.)

“As much more capable than the first generation Raptor was over the regular F-150 it was based on, the 2017 Raptor will be over the first generation Raptor,” he says.

In addition to the upgraded suspension, the 2017 model (both the one you’ll be able to buy later this year and the one being raced) benefits from a new 10-speed transmission with paddle shifters, a 3.5-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 motor that shares its block with the forthcoming Ford GT supercar, a unique-to-the-Raptor frame that, like all other new F-150s is now fully boxed for strength, and a track width that’s now six inches wider than the regular F-150's.

Aside from the addition of a roll cage, racing seats and harnesses, and electronic navigation, communication and telemetry equipment, the interior remains stock, back seat and all. Click to enlarge. Photo: Ford

Just how fast will this new truck be? With the launch still several months away, Ford remains cagey. They’ve stated that it’s a full 25 percent faster than the previous Raptor around its 62-mile off-road test track in Anza Borrego, California, but the company hasn't yet released hard performance figures. So we pushed Hameedi for more information.

“You know how people were putting superchargers on the first generation Raptor? The new one can keep up with some of those,” the engineer reluctantly admitted. Both Roush and Hennessy bolted superchargers to first generation Raptors for consumers.

With the new Raptor having at least 450 bhp and 450 pound-feet of torque, which tuner truck will it keep up with? Pushed further, Hameedi said, “The Roush, the new Raptor will keep up with that.” And that should mean a 1/4-mile time in the 13 second range. That’s nearly as quick as the new Ford Mustang GT.

The Raptor’s first race is this weekend, in Parker, Arizona.