We are now in the final part of the 2022 Baja 1000 race, which for this year is a peninsula run that takes participants across 1,227 miles of Mexican desert, from Ensenada to La Paz. However, you don’t need to be a motorsport fan to enjoy the Baja. That’s because both Ram and Ford are kind enough to build road-legal Baka truck tributes. We are, of course, talking about the TRX and the 2023 F-150 Raptor R, and we’ve brought along a (drag) race between the V8 behemoths.
The days when Detroit’s Big Three made road-biased performance trucks are long gone—the Dodge Viper that used to lend its glorious V10 to the Ram SRT-10 has been off the market since 2017, while Ford now uses the Lightning badge for the all-electric F-150.
The current era of desert-running factory pickups was ushered in by the original F-150 Raptor of 2009 (2010MY). And while both this and its 2017-2020 successor were pretty much in a segment of their own, the latter lost the V8 plot, becoming part of Ford’s EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 revolution together with the retiring second-gen GT supercar.
Heck, even the current, Gen III Raptor, which entered service in 2021, sticks to the newfound downsizing principle. And while it’s an impressive performance truck, the also-2021-introduced Ram TRX has been teasing it thanks to its Hellcat V8 firepower.
TRX and Raptor R specs and pricing
Fortunately, with many automakers delivering what the last hurrah for internal combustion, the Blue Oval finally decided to give that Ram a run for its money, which is how we ended up with the 2023 F-150 Raptor R.
And all is well in the world right now—just like the TRX borrows the Challenger’s supercharged 6.2L HEMI V8, the Raptor R inherited the retiring S550 Mustang Shelby GT500’s blower-aided 5.2-liter Predator V8.
So it’s 702 hp and 650 lb-ft for team Mopar against 700 hp and 640 lb-ft for the Blue Oval crew—a smaller blower pulley and calibration give the Raptor R a lower maximum output, but extra low-end torque compared to the Shelby GT500.
The Ford is pricier, though. So while TRX pricing kicks off at $83,890 and can be taken up to around $104,000 by adding a plethora of options, the Raptor R has a starting price of $109,145, but comes better equipped, as the only options are the panoramic sunroof and the color of the paint.
As with their muscle car siblings, many buyers will choose between these super-trucks based on brand loyalty, while some will compare each and every attribute before reserving a parking space.
Now, the one thing we’re here to determine is which of the two is better in a straight-line race. And, thanks to Throttle House having thrown these dinosaur-themed pickup trucks at each other, the answers are in.
Going from a standing to a rolling start will change the outcome of the Raptor R vs TRX race
Yes, there are multiple answers and. fortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any room for confusion. With its Launch Control (no such thing on the F-150), its extra torque, and perhaps its tires, the Ram TRX wins the drag race against the 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R.
The Ford, on the other hand, is a more sophisticated offering with an aluminum chassis, which deserves plenty of credit for the Raptor R being a full 400 lbs lighter than its opponent. Couple this with the upgraded ten-speed automatic (the Ram features the ubiquitous ZF 8-speed auto) and you’ll understand why the Raptor R beats the TRX in the rolling race.
Had the two bed beasts carried on, though, the Ram would’ve eventually caught up with the Raptor R. And that’s because its 118 mph top speed sits 6 mph higher than that of the Ford.
While these max velocity numbers may sound ridiculous, they’re limited by tires. And, given the mass of these pickups and their off-road suspension, that’s a good thing. If, however, you’re looking for an entire factory tire strategy to overcome such limitations, the new Porsche 911 Dakar and the almost-here Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato lifted sportscar/supercar have something for you.
There’s also an off-road race in the video, but, as the guys admit, this was done for the giggles. You see, this kind of battle is much more dependent on the surface, which is often uneven, so staging a serious race is extremely difficult and kind of irrelevant, as it can hardly be reproduced.
Now, returning to the Baja 1000, have you seen the Ford Bronco and matching trailer supporting the Bronco Raptor in the race?
