The biggest car news and reviews, minus the BS
Our free daily newsletter sends the stories that really matter directly to you, every weekday.
Do you remember that viral Ford F-150 Raptor jump? While there have been others, the original stands apart as one of the all-time viral automotive clips, right up there with Eddie Griffin’s Ferrari Enzo incident. It hit all the right notes to become an internet sensation, combining a quintessential “hold my beer” moment with the perfect subject vehicle for such an attempt. Back then, Raptors were still new and somewhat mythical; this airbag-popping, frame-tweaking stunt brought the F-150 down to Earth—literally and figuratively.
As viral automotive moments go, it was a biggie. And since nobody was filming for short-form social video in 2013, we actually got a walk-around showing us just how bad the damage to the truck actually was. The force of the crash damaged virtually every piece of exterior sheet metal on the truck, including the tailgate, which partially separated on impact. There was also a growing puddle of what appeared to be washer fluid under the passenger-side front wheel, suggesting that the under-hood situation was similarly bleak.
But according to @gen1raptors on Instagram, the truck is still alive and kicking today:
The truck is currently owned by itsjust_noe, who has posted several photos and reels of the Raptor doing vaguely Raptor-ish things, albeit at a much more subdued pace than its first owner.
For having been totaled once already, the truck seems to be in reasonable driving shape, but it doesn’t look like the new owner plans to subject it to the same level of abuse, choosing instead to take a more leisurely, technical approach to off-roading—one without any 90-foot jumps. At this rate, it might have yet another 12 years left in it.
Got a news tip? Let us know at tips@thedrive.com
Byron is a contributing writer and auto reviewer with a keen eye for infrastructure, sales and regulatory stories.
