Ford’s F-150 Raptor stands as a benchmark for factory off-road performance, but how does it stack up against its ultimate evolution – a purpose-built, million-dollar Dakar Rally race truck? A recent video comparison staged in California’s Johnson Valley desert put the production Raptor head-to-head against the specialized Raptor T1+ to find out. The familiar stock F-150 Raptor brought its potent 450-horsepower 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 and advanced Fox Live Valve suspension to the table. Its competitor, the Raptor T1+, represents a ground-up race build by Ford Performance partner M Sport.

Designed specifically “to conquer the toughest race on planet Earth, the Dakar Rally,” the T1+ uses a custom-tuned Ford V8 selected for “raw power and simplicity,” long-travel suspension with dual dampers per corner, and weighs roughly 1,800 pounds less than the street truck. Professional off-road racer Mitch Guthrie Jr. handled driving duties for the T1+ during performance tests.

The comparison involved several demanding tests. In acceleration runs, the stock Raptor actually achieved a slightly higher top speed on dirt (113 mph vs. the T1+’s 110 mph), though the lighter T1+ reached 60 mph quicker. A short side-by-side drag race saw the stock Raptor get a better launch as the T1+ spun its tires initially.

However, when facing rough terrain, the T1+’s pedigree shone through. Through punishing whoop sections, Guthrie kept his “foot down the whole time” in the T1+, the truck appearing to float across bumps that visibly worked the stock Raptor’s suspension much harder.

Mitch noted that with the T1+, “the faster you go the better it is.” Both trucks handled jumps, but the T1+’s landing proved dramatically smoother and more controlled. Braking tests from 60 mph showed the T1+ stopping drastically shorter, benefiting hugely from its lower weight and upgraded six-piston calipers.

A timed handling loop through technical, rocky terrain further cemented the T1+’s superiority in speed and composure, leaving the narrator passenger calling the ride “insane.”Both drivers demonstrated the difference between an incredibly capable production truck and a purpose-built racing weapon developed with a seven-figure budget. The stock Raptor remains one of the most competent off-roaders anyone can buy off a showroom floor, ready for weekend adventures. The Dakar Rally race truck, however, operates on a completely different level of performance and engineering, designed solely for survival and speed in the world’s toughest rally raid conditions. It’s a fascinating look at the evolution from street trucks to extreme competition machines.