The renowned actor and film producer ordered an F-150 Raptor R and took delivery of the high-performance pickup truck right as Jim Farley was in the neighborhood. The executive is driving an F-150 Lightning on the West Coast to see what fast-charging and EV road-tripping are like today. Here's what happened.
You can't go wrong with a brand-new Ford F-150 Raptor R. The 5,960-lb pickup truck is powered by a Shelby GT500-derived supercharged V8 powerplant that puts out 700 hp and 645 lb-ft of torque. It has just two horsepower and five lb-ft of torque less than its main rival, the Ram 1500 TRX.
Such an otherworldly and thirsty truck perfectly matches Dwayne Johnson, a known Ford fan. True Blue Oval enthusiasts and followers of the charismatic public figure will remember that the Dearborn-based automaker and The Rock worked together on a paid campaign to promote servicing your Ford vehicle at… Well, Ford!
His positive attitude, unwavering optimism, spontaneity, and dedication to looking good and living healthy at 51 inspire many. But these traits also match him perfectly with the outlandish F-150 Raptor R. You don't know what's hiding underneath. Still, you sure understand, even with just a glance, that it's a good-looking vehicle and start suspecting it's capable of doing its thing.
Unlike when The Rock agreed to promote Ford's service centers, no ambassadorship-specific stuff was taking place this time. Jim Farley himself confirmed it. The retired professional wrestler just wanted to take delivery of his new F-150 Raptor R, and the timeline coincided with the CEO's visit at the Galpin Ford dealership, one of the automaker's sales champions.
Farley drove there in an all-electric F-150 Lightning. The executive is meeting with people, fans, dealers, partners, and potential customers to talk about the transition from fossil fuel-powered vehicles to zero-tailpipe emission ones and to see what challenges people face regarding emission-free motoring. So far, he has discovered that DC charging can be quite challenging.
The executive said it was great "meeting The Rock and talking about his love of Ford" and promised more to come. Maybe there's another partnership brewing!
Photo: YouTube Screenshot/Jay Leno's Garage
But until we learn more, the actor had a message prepared for everyone working to make Ford vehicles, and it's rather heartwarming. He called those on the production line "blue-collar heroes" and thanked them for all their hard work. He reiterated that he only drives Ford trucks and referred to Jim Farley as "our CEO."
That last part made some people online think that The Rock was paid for this short intervention, but Jim Farley immediately said that wasn't the case. It was probably just a slip-up because he also told Ford workers that they are "the backbone" of the US.
If you're interested in owning the same pickup truck as Dwayne Johnson, you should know that its starting cost is $109,250 – over three times more expensive than the entry-level Ford F-150 XL. Moreover, dealers might charge prospective buyers a markup because it's such an iconic and powerful vehicle.
One Raptor R we found on a popular selling car site was available for a hefty price of $159,490. That's $30,000 more than a BMW X5 M Competition, just to put it better into perspective.
For those not willing to splurge on a gas-guzzler, the friendlier V6-powered Raptor is available. It may miss two cylinders, but it has the famous trombone resonator. That makes it sound cool enough, especially when you look at the Monroney label and see that a "bare-boned" version costs just $76,775 before taxes and options. Moreover, it gets an EPA-rated fuel economy of 15 mpg in the city and 18 mpg on the highway.
Now, watch The Rock's message and do not hesitate to tell us what you think about it below.
Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one. Full profile
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