Beast off to bigger markets

The 6.2-litre V8-powered Raptor is capable of high speed off-road driving. Photo / Supplied

Ford's performance vehicles in New Zealand and Australia are topped off with the go-fast Falcons and special-edition RS Focus - but the US market calls for something bigger.

Even the new Mustang can't cut it, not for American buyers who worship at the altar of pick-up trucks.

So Ford US came up with the Raptor, a 6.2-litre V8-powered beast based on Ford's big-selling F-150 truck.

As well as providing plenty of power to all four wheels, the Raptor features custom-developed Fox Racing dampers which can cope with high-speed off-road driving, including landings from sizeable jumps.

For the 2011 model year, the firm has added a double cab SuperCrew model to the line-up, which adds a second row of seats and 300mm to the wheelbase, and joins the already-launched standard cab version.

The Raptor was originally launched with a 5.4-litre V8.

But that has now been ditched, with all trucks coming with the 6.2-litre V8, which generates 302kW and 588Nm - 75kW and 94Nm more than the smaller unit.

As well as offering buyers the choice of two bodystyles, Ford has created a new colour, called Ingot Silver metallic, which can be personalised with additional, contrasting matte black decals.

On the inside, Ford now includes a 10cm LCD display called the "Productivity Screen", which shows data on off-road and towing performance.

The super-sized Raptor is only available in the US.