Since the V8-powered 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R debuted, we’ve seen the muscular pickup garner universally positive reviews, which isn’t a huge surprise given the fact that, well, it’s an off-road-focused truck with 700 horsepower. Turns out, even though it’s quite heavy, the Raptor R is also rather quick in a straight line, taking down everything from a C6 Corvette to the Ram TRX and Cadillac Escalade-V. YouTuber Cleetus McFarland also just so happens to own a 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R, and has already pitted it against a TRX and taken it drifting, and now, he has lined the pickup up against another indirect foe – a Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat.
While the Durango is an SUV and the Raptor R is a pickup, these two vehicles do share some things in common, at least. For starters, both have supercharged V8s under the hood – the SRT Hellcat pumping out 710 horsepower – and both are pretty heavy, with the SUV tipping the scales at 5,710 pounds versus the Raptor R’s curb weight of 5,960 pounds. Thus, at least on paper, it might just seem like the Durango SRT Hellcat has some sort of advantage, as it’s slightly more powerful and a bit lighter.
After competing in a tug of war – which the Raptor R wins – the two head on down to the drag strip, where the Dodge takes home the win with an 11.7-second pass at 116 mph versus the pickup’s 12.3 at 112 mph. Most notably, it’s the very first stock vehicle McFarland has lost to in his Raptor R, which was previously undefeated.
Regardless, McFarland reiterates – multiple times – that the 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R is still his favorite vehicle, and the perfect daily driver. After all, while the Durango SRT Hellcat is a bit quicker, it doesn’t have a bed, nor the Raptor’s cushy suspension, even if it does have a bit more room for passengers inside.
We’ll have more on the Raptor R soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford F-150 news, Ford F-150 Raptor news, and comprehensive Ford news coverage.
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