The Truth About The Ford Raptor

"MtrRider Just Wants Doritos" (MtrRider) 01/22/2014 at 07:00 • Filed to: None

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The Ford Raptor might be the most over hyped vehicle ever built- hyped by people that have no idea what it really is. It is the first of its kind, a new breed of sport off roader and people often saw it as something it isn't- a trophy truck.

The Raptor is not a race vehicle. It is the first only factory built truck designed to go off road at high speeds, and as with all firsts it was met with some misunderstanding. The Raptor is a sports truck, not a race truck. It was built to go off road racing like a Porsche Cayman is built to go to Le Mans from the factory- it wasn't. It is extremely fun to go driving off road in a sporty manner, but if you push it too hard it will break. It is advertised to jump and take rough roads at speed, like Porsches are advertised as being able to corner at high speed. If you drive a Porsche around a unfamiliar track with your foot to the floor you don't blame Porsche when you end up in the tire barrier.

The perception problem people have is that compared to everything else on the road, the Raptor is a pretty extreme prerunner. It has nice suspension components, and it is so easy to drive at speed in the desert it makes you want to go faster and faster. It never feels like it is being abused, and that is part of the problem. You never know when you're approaching the limit until you've already passed it. Another problem is when owners that are new to off road driving try to push their trucks.

The Raptor is not a long travel truck, despite advertising and journalists saying it is. It's a mid-travel truck that has been set up very well by a team of professionals from Ford and Fox. The triple bypass dampers mean the truck rides smoother the faster it is driven, and it rides smoother over large bumps than small ones. This makes it very easy for inexperienced drivers to start over driving the truck. The truck has around 12" of travel, and at rest or driving down the road it sits in the middle of that travel. This allows the wheels to fall into dips, and rise over bumps. Remember the Raptor has 34.5" tires and only 6" of uptravel available when sizing obstacles in the road.

Dirt roads are unpredictable and hard to read unless you know what you're doing. Bumps and dips hide in certain light, so knowing the course you're on is very important. The Raptor is more than capable of completing the Baja 1000 or the Dakar rally in one piece and has done both. There is a reason trophy truck teams spend a week pre running the Baja 1000 course, marking obstacles and setting up their trucks for the course and then many of them don't finish the race. Off roading is hard on vehicles, and high speed off roading compounds that abuse so knowing where you are and what you're doing is very important to safely driving a truck like the Raptor at speed.

When the Raptor hit the streets in the middle of 2009, everyone loved it. It made truck people out of people that hate trucks. Nobody can deny the cool factor of the Raptor. Two years later, the bent frame scandal began. A company that specializes in Raptor aftermarket parts organized a "Raptor Run" that owners bought into and the course went from Barstow to Las Vegas on a power line access road. The Raptor is more than capable of driving this road, as is any 4x4 truck. It is long and remote, but easy to do. It is a good road to let the Raptor stretch its legs. The organizing company, pre ran the course the week before the run at high speed and bent the frame on their truck. They also had Lawrance off road GPS in their truck and were marking the course. They did not inform the Raptor owners they damaged their truck and did not give course maps out. They ran all the trucks at racing speed and advertised running at over 100 mph. The Raptor is electronically limited to 100 mph from the factory, so these trucks had modified ECUs that allowed them to go faster. None of the owners had been on the course before and they were being led down it at high speed with no course notes, no maps, and no communication between trucks.

Since this first run, changes have been made to how they are organized and no problems have occurred since.

Many Raptor had of aftermarket leaf spring packs, which made the ride softer but also made it easier to bottom out due to the softer spring rate. All trucks running aftermarket springs during the run bent their frame, and of the ones that didn't all were stock. The stock trucks that did bend their frame were much less severe than the modified trucks.

One of the owners that went on the run had this to say about it

If Ford fixes these, I will be surprised. Why? The trucks were driven past what they are capable of. You do not buy a GT500 and expect it to drive like a race car, why would you buy a Raptor and expect it to handle and take the abuse of a trophy truck?...While it was not a challenging route we took, we caught quite a bit of air, jumped the road, hit numerous G-Outs at faster than anything sensible, hit speeds off road in excess of 125mph (I did) and had a shit load of fun doing so. How were most of the bent frames caused? inherent weakness in the frame and over driving the truck. Is there mods to fix this for those of you who are scared? Yes. Drive slower in the desert and know the road you are driving.

What more can be said than if you drive off road irresponsibly, your truck is not going to look good at the end of the day. It doesn't matter if you're in a Raptor, a Jeep or a Trophy Truck that costs half a million dollars, has three feet of suspension travel, a chromemoly chassis and a helicopter chasing it. It doesn't matter how strong the frame is if the person behind the wheel doesn't know when to lift. And the Raptor has a very strong frame. It doesn't bend easily.

Jumping the Raptor isn't what bent the frames. The Raptor can fly high and far as long as the driver knows what he is doing and makes the landing, as proven here by a pro driver on a course designed for trucks.

Done right, the Raptor will happily fly all day long and then take you home in comfort, like a Porsche after a track day. If you land the jumps properly, that is. Jumping the trucks isn't how the famous Raptor Frame Scandal began. Hitting dirt kickers at speed is what bent those trucks, and it is far harsher on the truck than jumping it where the suspension is at full droop and all the available travel is there to slow the fall. Kickers on dirt roads are sharp rises, like curbs or speed bumps, that cause your suspension to compress very quickly when taken at speed. The one on the road to Las Vegas that caused the scandal was about 8-12 inches according to people that went on the run. Best case scenario, it will demand the tire move up 8" in a fraction of a second since they were going so fast. If you have 6" of uptravel (likely less, since the trucks were carrying passengers and gear) and you need to move the wheel up 8" almost instantly while traveling at speed. The axle has nowhere to go after the suspension is fully compressed, the tire has given as much as it can and the bump stop mount has broken. The truck frame gives. The truck doesn't lose control, nor does it break in a way that strands the driver. If the frame didn't give out, the axle would have kicked the rear of the truck into the air, which could cause the truck to lose control. That's a very dangerous situation in the desert, particularly to inexperienced drivers in trucks without roll cages or safety harnesses which would be required by any racing organization which allows you to do the exact same thing but with a number and a time.

The cost to straighten the frame was around $800 at the Ford dealer. The warranty is not voided, although it doesn't cover the damage cause by irresponsible driving that causes a bent frame. The cost of a single rear Raptor shock is around $700, so breaking those instead of bending the frame would have crippled the vehicle in the desert and cost more to fix.

Is the Raptor a truck without flaws? No. The Raptor uses polyurethane bump stops, which are nothing like the hydraulic bumps stops it deserves to have. The poly bump slows the axle down too fast, too late and allows a high G load to impact the frame upon bottoming out. A hydraulic bump stop, like what professional pre runners and race trucks have, would make bending the frame much harder to do, so if there is anywhere the Raptor needs improvement it is with the bump stops.

Ford did strengthen the frame in 2013, by doubling the thickness of the frame material in the rear area. Does that mean they acknowledge the previous frames were weak? No, it is just them improving the truck, which they have done every year since it came out. They've added things like bead lock wheels and a Torsen limited slip front differential to make it better off road, and those things were no more necessary than reinforcing the frame. The Raptor's frame isn't " !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ", but it is not fool proof. Don't be a fool, and the Raptor and its frame will do anything you can reasonably expect a factory stock truck that costs $45,000 to do.

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IDROVEAPICKUPTRUCK > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 07:14

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Bravo. This needs to be on the FP immediately.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 07:25

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Great write up.

Party-vi > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 07:36

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THIS was an awesome article. I hope this is picked up on the front page, and I also hope you have a lot of patience for the commenters it will bring.

gometz > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 07:48

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What you said about the Raptor is completely true, I used to have no interest in trucks at all but good lord I love that thing.

EDIT: also, damn you. Now I am debating if selling my C63 and beater and getting a Raptor would be a good idea.

Slow4o > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 07:50

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Definitely front page material. You did a great job clearing up what sensationalist headlines (including Jalopnik's) didn't.

BREADwagon > Slow4o 01/22/2014 at 08:16

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FP NAO!

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 08:22

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Thanks for writing that! I went in expecting another typical bent-frame-article but this went more in depth than any I've read before it. I hope this article makes it to the front page and beyond. People definitely need to hear the Porsche-tire-barrier-smashing analogy, it is the best reason I've heard yet, as to why you shouldn't be upset your Raptor bent its frame.

In motor sports you have to pay to play, both by way of upgrades and by way of repairs.

Jayhawk Jake > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 08:31

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Great article.

The age of the internet has brought on a lot of the sort of issue you describe here: People do things wrong, break things, then blame it on someone else. That's been happening forever, but since 'teh internetz' has become a popular place (who knew?!), people have avenues to vent. And once one person breaks their thing and blames it on someone else, everyone else does the same...

Sinanigans > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 08:34

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Excellent piece. It's a fantastic and highly capable truck. But it was built within certain limits (price, marketability, etc.). It's like trying to take a GT3 and driving it at a continuous 10k rpm. Maybe it's able to- but not for long.

I remember when all those owners starting bending their frames and I couldn't help but think how hard they were driving to do that. I knew they were pushing the truck to ridiculous extremes and outside the engineered thresholds of what the truck was designed to do.

This leads me to this: most drivers on the road have no sense of mechanical sympathy. All cars, even extreme machines have a breaking point. If you modify your machine to cope with those limits or become more concious of your driving style, you can enjoy your machine to do what it's meant to do. However, I believe that mechanical sympathy is beyond the understanding of most drivers- which is why accidents happen and cars break.

DollaMoneyAve > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 08:38

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That was excellent, absolutely worthy of the front page. Nice work.

THOMAS5 > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 08:41

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Great article. Much more in depth than the other bent frame articles.

PS9 > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 08:46

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Every 'LOLZ TEH BEHNT FRAEMZ BRAH' comment just makes me wanna roll my eyes. As if the useability envelope on this truck should be infinite, and the manufacturer should cover you even when you engage in unreasonable usage scenarios.

Hooker > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 09:22

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Very well written. Thanks for the information. Clears a lot of questions up that I had.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 09:49

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Well said, and its good to see someone post something from one of the guys on the infamous Raptor Run that acknowledges that at least some of them knew they were running the trucks way beyond the design limits.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 10:15

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great write up.

And there's absolutely now way these people can hit speeds of 100+ mph off road and expect Ford to fix it for free.

They are lucky their warranty's aren't voided. If you took a Boss 302 Mustang to a track day and ran off the road I wouldn't expect them to fix that either.

liquid_popcorn > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 10:34

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Superbly written!

Mr. James > Slow4o 01/22/2014 at 10:46

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Agreed. Thanks for this. I'm not a truck guy, or an off road enthusiast by any means, but I learned a lot about the only truck i'd ever really consider buying, not to mention off roading in general.

Victorious Secret > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 10:47

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All the slow clap in the world.

The Raptor to me was always a slightly (very?) mad F-150 that mad engineers at SVT were allowed to create and with some extra work once you owned it was a very capable off road vehicle.

In its stock form? Its simply a comfortable truck and soaks up the bumps and is a hoot to take sideways through the dirt when you feel like it.

Trophy truck is the last thing I'd ever call it, and I'd never fault it for its weaknesses when its based off a truck that can be had for under 20 grand new. But in the age of the internet, all sensibility goes out the window.

Also, prepare for the FP butthurt that is surely incoming.

AeroEagle333 > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 11:00

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Fantastic article. Hopefully this hits the FP soon, because it certainly deserves to.

desertdog5051 > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 11:49

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Well done. Your explanation about the kickers should clear up a lot of confusion. As someone who has beat the crap out of a couple of beater Cherokees, I can attest to the way a kicker does more damage than a jump. Thanks.

CPT Speedbump > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 12:22

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" most over hyped vehicle ever built"

^hellooo

on a other note though, thanks for the read :) the Hilux is still the indestructible truck to beat as we all know but if I had the money right now for all the car parts i want, a house, and then still money left to afford a Raptor, I'd get one, a Tacoma/Hilux can't tow as good as a F150 :P

DeltawingGothamDeserves > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 13:33

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Hire this man!

Pcleez > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 13:36

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Great post. The truth about the raptor is that it is a very capable truck, that is (often but not always) owned by very big idiots such as these guys:

Blze001 > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 13:37

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I always saw the Raptor as an F-150 that comes from the factory with most of the common upgrades offroaders like to do to their trucks (mid-travel, knobby tires, etc) but with the added benefit of having been done properly and under the eyes of Ford engineers.

Also, does the Raptor really come with a 2+overload rear leaf? And it doesn't sag like mad when you load it up? *Glares at his saggy-ass Tacoma*

Saracen > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 13:37

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Excellent article. Thank you very much for sharing.

This REALLY needs to be on the Front Page.

TheWatchman > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 13:43

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Thank  You 

GV_Goat > gometz 01/22/2014 at 13:43

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I have to say, I have no desire to return to a German luxury car after owning my truck. The rugged dependability alone (read: infrequent and /or cheap trips to the dealer) is enough to keep me here. And if you are driving a C63 then you are perfectly familiar with the one downside: fuel economy.

Dr_Watson > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 13:43

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Well done... Until now I hadn't heard a reasoned response to the bent frame sensationalism. And really? $800? I would NOT complain about that repair bill for not dying at 100+ off-road.

Walfisch > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 13:44

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Grats on making it to the front! Good article all in all.

tobythesandwich > CPT Speedbump 01/22/2014 at 13:45

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It's not overhyped if it lives up to, and exceeds, expectations.

GV_Goat > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 13:45

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Written like an experienced and passionate enthusiast instead of merely a voyeur. Need more of that.

drdude > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 13:45

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good article. still dont care.

Raptors get bent frame jokes.
458s get fire jokes.
Teslas get.... fire jokes.
Miatas get gay jokes.

etc.

stirling.spera > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 13:47

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I always think it's funny when people are disappointed that the Raptor isn't a trophy truck. Nobody bats an eye when you tell them an unmodified Mustang GT couldn't survive the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

theart > Pcleez 01/22/2014 at 13:49

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And the damage to the truck probably wasn't nearly as expensive as the L5 compression fracture.

comeandgo > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 13:51

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"Pow, right in the kisser!"

MiddleAgedAngryGuy > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 13:51

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seoultrain > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 13:51

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Potentially ignorant question:

Why are the issues in the rear? Is the margin of safety simply not as high as the front? Hitting dirt kickers would be much more detrimental to the front suspension because the full momentum of the truck is impacting in a mostly-rearward direction through the front wheels. Once the fronts are over the bump and the Raptor's momentum is changed upwards, the impact on the rear (with little weight over it) would be mostly upward and not as intense. Thus, the 8-inch bump on 6-inch travel would be fully felt in front, but theoretically wouldn't challenge the rear travel as much.

JohnnyWasASchoolBoy > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 13:51

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Not sure if this will work but, I just priced a new Raptor at $70k ( Link here ). I like the Raptor but $70K for any pickup truck is absurd.

Picarso > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 13:54

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Great write up. I have more fun in my Raptor than any car I have owned and I have had everything from 911s, miatas and auto-X prepped M3s. I drive it hard in the desert all the time but with common sense. I have 66k on my 2011 and have had zero issues with anything. Thank you Ford.

Dusty Ventures > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 13:54

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You done good, kid

Ingaz > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 13:54

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Good read.

TulsaMtnBiker (OkieRising) > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 13:57

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Cause: Truck is not idiot proof.

Reaction: Double frames thickness to make idiot resistant.

Tom McParland > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 13:59

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Well done!

burro president > Slow4o 01/22/2014 at 13:59

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Amazing article. Well done. You should run for Senate.

burro president > Slow4o 01/22/2014 at 13:59

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Amazing article. Well done. You should run for Senate.

HammerheadFistpunch > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 14:03

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Very nice writeup, Its always sad to see people breaking their toys and then blaming the toy maker. That being said, Ford really sold this truck as being the beast that these people falsely believed it to be, so it shouldn't come as a surprise to see this happen. 122.2/12.1 inches sound like a lot of travel, but you are right, its not that much and given the nature of the setup, I would be more than half of that is downtravel.

ssidd47 > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 14:03

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Thumbs up times ten. This was an incredible article. Thanks for this.

I think that a lot of people tend to overestimate what their car can and can't do (myself included at times). Especially when the car has been touted as a racecar/super off road/godly vehicle. This is why we can't have nice things!

DoA77o7 > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 14:04

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Truth is, they modified the truck weather a flash or 10 grand worth of stuff. If I push a mustang to 1000 horses and twist the frame it's not Ford's fault. The raptor is a awesome truck their all over south Louisiana. Also great article had a good read.

Thisnewformatisrubbish > JohnnyWasASchoolBoy 01/22/2014 at 14:05

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12 mpg would get pretty old. You know you wouldn't drive it gently.

nezuko > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 14:06

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Ford did strengthen the frame in 2013, by doubling the thickness of the frame material in the rear area.

Thanks for clearing up this debacle. So with this strengthening, can the Raptors now handle the kind of abuse they're being subjected to? Or is it unreasonable to expect any production vehicle to handle such conditions? There is no mention of increased suspension travel.

Busslayer > Blze001 01/22/2014 at 14:07

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From where I come from, the common upgrades people put on their trucks are nowhere near the level of performance that the Raptor offers. The typical truck has a lift and relatively cheap replacement shocks. The lifts just lift the truck to increase ground clearance, but the amount of travel doesn't change. The shocks are replaced only because the stock shocks aren't long enough after the lift is installed. They aren't really speed related improvements. The Fox shocks alone on the Raptor cost more than most common lift kits. I am aware that in some places "pre-runners" are the more common kind of off roader, in which case, yes, the Raptor is a much more well tested and intergrated verson of.

Xedicon > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 14:08

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I will add some kudos to an excellent article!

I just don't get what these owners were expecting would happen. Examples of off-road ready showroom vehicles that have been seriously upgraded to deal with crazy abuse have been around for a long time, they're not hard to find, and if you're into off-roading at all (as I suspect all these owners were) then updated rigs would be in your face all the time.

Just look at Jeepspeed XJ's - it will go lots of places off-road bone stock, but no Jeepspeed racer in their right mind would expect one to survive competition without plenty of upgrades. Even the single most beast off-roader in stock trim, the Rubicon, will eventually need some upgrade help beyond a certain level of abuse.

So why would or should people expect that the Raptor could just do anything without proper running gear?

Glad to see at least one owner had their head on straight and admitted it was just plain his own silly fault.

All Motor Is Best Motor > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 14:08

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I think one problem is that Ford was advertising this truck almost like a trophy truck to people not in the know. They were taking it on courses similar to CORR as demonstration of it's abilities. Great article!

TheCraigy > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 14:13

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$800 to fix the frame? Sounds pretty reasonable to me.

AdmiralAkbar > Dr_Watson 01/22/2014 at 14:14

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That actually does sound like really good deal. What were they whining about?

Jalisurr > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 14:14

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Great article. but I want to address one thing, please:

"It is the first only factory built truck designed to go off road at high speeds"

I'd like to remind you of the Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution (mine pictured). Homologation special for the Dakar rally. I'd say it was built to go offroad at high speed. (And my frame has never bent, but I don't drive it like an idiot)

triq033 > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 14:20

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One of the best articles on Jalopnik that I've seen in a while. Kudos

StevenG > GV_Goat 01/22/2014 at 14:21

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The Raptor is a cool truck, but an F150 would be just as reliable, as would a Corolla. I am not taking anything away from it, just pointing out that most cars these days, save for some select luxury brands are damned reliable these days.

DoogieFullHouser > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 14:22

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Hear hear! From what I read I thought Ford PR did a good job of at least attempting to explain why the frames bent.

CPT Speedbump > tobythesandwich 01/22/2014 at 14:22

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It is actually, everyone sais its the best car ever. It has noooo manual transmission, thus is no where close to being the best car ever, thus is over hyped, also, it isn't even a car, its a computer, and nothing more.

fallenshell > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 14:25

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A great article that actually only makes me want one more!

tobythesandwich > CPT Speedbump 01/22/2014 at 14:27

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Oh. So you're one of those "idiots" I keep hearing about.

It is most definitely the best car ever. It outperforms cars that costs hundreds of thousands more. And beats cars like the Veyron off the line. Your petty little bias over wanting an inefficient and worse transmission is no basis to hate on the car.

Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 14:27

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OK, so you bought a $45k truck. You took it out on a undisclosed desert road and drive it at 125mph. You hit a gulch, you hear a loud harsh THUD and you keep driving. Maybe you stop right away, maybe you slow down to 85mph and finish your run and get out and see that the bed is touching the rear cab panel. Guess what? You did not NOT NOT go cartwheeling across the desert. You did not get smashed around your interior, you did not get ejected from your vehicle, you were not heli-vacced to the nearest trauma center. Guess what? FORD SAVED YOUR ASS YOU DIPSHIT! The frame bent boo-hoo. You're alive. Nothing dangerous happened. Expensive maybe, but not dangerous. Get real.

Speaking of cartwheeling. Let's just say for a that you do go head over heals for your new favorite pothole.... Is the Ford safety structure enough to keep you safe? Three point seatbelt? Single shot airbag? Tempered glass side windows? Or perhaps your speed and the ability of your truck to keep you safe in this condition do not coincide? Could happen. Just sayin'.

Eightycc > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 14:30

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In case anyone hasn't seen this raptor destroyed yet...

corner49 > Jayhawk Jake 01/22/2014 at 14:30

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MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > All Motor Is Best Motor 01/22/2014 at 14:31

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Well the Raptor can run a CORR track, just not as fast as a real race truck.

MrEvil > Dr_Watson 01/22/2014 at 14:32

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No kidding, I'd happily write a check to the body man if all the bent frame cost me was $800.

Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 14:32

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and while I'm ranting about 'Too Fast for Conditions' I'm taking a public shot at these things.

Have you seen what happens when a FIA-caged rally car hits something at 90mph? How's that little plastic elbow guard going to help out?

Manuél Ferrari > Party-vi 01/22/2014 at 14:34

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I nominate this for "Best Opponaut Written Post of 2014". I don't think that's a thing, but it should be.

Der Sportwagoner > tobythesandwich 01/22/2014 at 14:35

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I'm a manual loyalist, but I hate when people discount anything with a non-manual transmission. The GTR is amazing. What the other commenter should have said is "I personally believe this car is overhyped", stating it as fact is nonsensical.

MrEvil > Pcleez 01/22/2014 at 14:37

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At least that Raptor went out with class.

Old-Busted-Hotness > Dr_Watson 01/22/2014 at 14:40

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Take any other nearly-stock vehicle off-roading at 120 mph and see if you can get away with an $800 repair. That's very cheap. And the stockers didn't have frame damage, only the ones with aftermarket springs. So whose fault is this again?

kerryt1 > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 14:40

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Great article!

CPT Speedbump > tobythesandwich 01/22/2014 at 14:40

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so, cars are allll about track performance? lolol, and I'm the 'idiot' and I never said I hate it, good job assuming :)

Old-Busted-Hotness > TulsaMtnBiker (OkieRising) 01/22/2014 at 14:41

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Result: Idiots try harder.

CPT Speedbump > Der Sportwagoner 01/22/2014 at 14:41

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It is amazing, but still over hyped :P

Blze001 > Busslayer 01/22/2014 at 14:42

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Maybe I'm just saying "common" because I tend to gravitate towards the desert crowd.

Planeis > HammerheadFistpunch 01/22/2014 at 14:42

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I don't think they marketed them to go off road at 100+

HammerheadFistpunch > Planeis 01/22/2014 at 14:48

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No one ever markets in specifics, its ideas . No one markets their cars to go fast except on closed courses in very control situations .

Jim is one of KFCs secret ingredients > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 14:51

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Sounds like a good excuse to by hydraulic bumps.

Der Sportwagoner > CPT Speedbump 01/22/2014 at 14:51

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Opinions are great to have! I have lots of them myself...

kent-skinner > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 14:52

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I had no idea the Raptor was that competent. Holy shit! What an awesome truck.

tobythesandwich > CPT Speedbump 01/22/2014 at 14:53

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You're accusation of it being "overhyped" which would be incorrect. It lives up to all the expectations.

It's highly likely you've never even touched a GT-R, let alone driven one. They are a blast to drive, despite being automatic. Your basis for hating it is about the usual Jalopnik idiot rhetoric.

And supercars are about track performance. So yes, with this car, it is all about performance.

Shizanester > Sinanigans 01/22/2014 at 14:54

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'Mechanical sympathy'. Very well put. I've always tried to come up with a term for this and you got it spot on. I fully agree. It's like every other driver (male or female) has turned into a teenage girl as far as treating their cars goes.

themarcus > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 14:55

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It is repetitious at this point but I had to chime in. This is an outstanding article. It is really well done in all regards. Thank you.

Barbarian772 > CPT Speedbump 01/22/2014 at 14:55

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It is the only car that has supercarperformance and can be used every day without any problems. It has a decent boot and it actually has backseats of some sort. I am a big fan of manuals too, but the GTR is faster or at least as fast as a Veyron from 0-60...

It's not a supercar and I would probably never buy one, even if I could afford it, but all things considered it's a hot competitor for the title best car in the world.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 14:57

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bravo sir, fantastic read

CPT Speedbump > tobythesandwich 01/22/2014 at 14:58

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Aside from being the fastest or best track car witch many call it, when quite a few cars can out run it to 60 and post faster lap times. Theres always a better car, always, you can always say one car is the best, but someone will always be able to find a better one, so calling any car "the best" is over hyping it. And highly likely based on what? You assume farrrr to much my friend, and I'm well aware it's fun, I never said that it wasn't, I simply said that I'd rather have a manual, and it is over hyped. And not all of them, take for example the worlds fastest 'production' street legal car - the Hennessey Venom GT (yeah yeah, not officially, but it got within 2 mph of the Veyron SS in one mile rather then 5, with some sloppy gear changes). It has a stick, and it'll smoke a majority of automatic super cars to 60, and outspeed all of them on the top end.

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > seoultrain 01/22/2014 at 14:58

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Th front suspension is fully independent, so the wheel moves up and out away from the frame, which dissipates energy. The solid axle rear hits the bump stops as a single unit with much more force and a direct vertical movement.

Squid > Jalisurr 01/22/2014 at 14:58

1

You need to drive it like an idiot and get back to us on the frame damage part. . .

That is a seriously cool truck though. I wish I could see one on/off the road here in the USA.

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > nezuko 01/22/2014 at 14:59

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The frame is still not immovable, although it is stronger than before. You can still bend it if you try hard enough.

Elmo > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 15:00

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Where's Katsumoto at? Funny, nowhere to be found when facts are shoved in his face.

CPT Speedbump > Barbarian772 01/22/2014 at 15:02

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Aside from the 911 turbo and possibly the R8, and why's everyone compare to the Veyron? There are many other cars that outrun the Veyron and its not even the top dog speed wise anymore O.o I'd never buy one either, driving one? sure, hand me the keys, but owning one, no thanks. Unless I could use it solely as a winter car, in witch case I might accept it, lol

Bricks > drdude 01/22/2014 at 15:02

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well you would probably get crucified if you called the miata gay on jalopnik, but that is a given.

tobythesandwich > CPT Speedbump 01/22/2014 at 15:02

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How many of those cars cost less or even the same as the GT-R? Not many (actually I think it's none at all). And most that post faster lap times are hundreds of thousands more. Again, should I remind you how the GT-R outperforms Veyrons regularly?

Nothing about it is overhyped. Also the Hennessey Venom GT isn't a production car. It's a tuner car. Also not the fastest. You're just as well calling the custom cars doing speed runs at the Texas Mile and Bonneville Salt Flats production cars by that logic.

The GT-R is far from overhyped. You don't like the better transmission. That's fine. But to call it overhyped because you're foolish enough to hate a car for being better is wrong.

Sinanigans > Shizanester 01/22/2014 at 15:03

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reminds me of the Mayhem commercials :P

Garrett Davis > HammerheadFistpunch 01/22/2014 at 15:03

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I agree with you, other than the fact that they still electronically limited the vehicle to 100mph, which was a very smart thing to do.

Garrett Davis > Jalisurr 01/22/2014 at 15:07

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Thats fucking awesome! This could have been on the QOTD about vehicles I didn't know about until now.

Off to Google to find out more about this strange beast. I'll have my company bill you for the next hour and a half that I won't be working.

Barbarian772 > CPT Speedbump 01/22/2014 at 15:07

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911 turbo and R8 are both (a little bit) slower, more expensive and have less room... As I said, I would prefer a full on supercar and a "normal" car, not the mix the GTR is but it's the best mix available.

Oh and the only thing stock that is faster than a Veyron would be an Ariel Atom V8...

Garrett Davis > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/22/2014 at 15:08

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Nailed it.