Ford's Raptor gets more hard core

Although it might be alone in its niche market, Ford's not about to let their highly acclaimed Raptor pickup rest on its laurels. Having previously addressed the issues of power and space with the new crew cab configuration and a 6.2L V8, the 2013 Raptor will boast increased vision thanks to HID headlights, as well as increased traction (potentially) from the newly optional factory beadlock wheels. Consisting of an additional steel ring that sandwiches the tire bead between the wheel face and the beadlock plate, beadlocks allow hard core off-road types to lower their tire pressures without worrying about a tire spinning on the rim or a bead coming off. Finally, a new colour will be debuting next year as well, called "Terrain." Visible in the photo, it looks to be a silvery rendition on khaki. Demonstrating an increased effort on making the Raptor an equally capable trail truck as it is a dune buster, hopefully the addition of beadlocks is just the first in a long line of options that might make it more appealing to those that ply the dense and dank (and jump-free) Canadian forests.