New Ford F-150 Raptor Orders Top Expectations - VIDEO ENHANCED

• Ford already has received more than 5,300 orders for the new F-150 SVT Raptor - topping the company's initial sales expectations

• Orders are coming from across the U.S., including stronger than expected demand in the Midwest and Southeast

• The 2010 model F-150 SVT Raptor with the 5.4-liter V-8 engine is now on sale; production of an all-new 411-horsepower 6.2-liter V-8 engine begins this spring

DEARBORN, MI - February 20, 2010: Customer demand for Ford's new F-150 SVT Raptor is moving nearly as fast as the world's only production high-speed off-road performance truck. Already, more than 5,300 orders have been placed for the new performance pickup.

Click PLAY to watch the original introduction of the F-150 Raptor 6.2-liter at the SEMA Trade Show

"We couldn't be more pleased with the popularity of the F-150 SVT Raptor," said Mark Grueber, F-150 Marketing manager. "Orders have exceeded our expectations. The truck is so popular that we actually wound up building more 5.4-liter V-8 models than we had originally anticipated. The order banks are now open for the all-new 6.2-liter V-8, and the orders keep rolling in."

The F-150 Raptor is the first-ever high-speed off-road performance truck offered by any manufacturer and highlights Ford's 33 years of truck leadership by emphasizing Built Ford Tough innovation and engineering. Developed with the DNA of an off-road pre-runner, the comprehensive modifications to the truck focused on chassis and suspension.

Built alongside the best-selling F-150 at Ford's Dearborn Truck Plant, the 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor was designed for the off-road performance market, which has steadily grown in popularity over the past decade.

Raptor is powered by F-150's proven 5.4-liter Triton® V-8 three-valve engine, which delivers 320 horsepower and 390 ft.-lb. of torque. This spring, customers will have the added option of an all-new 6.2-liter V-8 engine, producing 411 horsepower and 434 ft.-lb. of torque - making Raptor the most powerful half-ton pickup on the market.

The appeal of Ford's F-150 SVT Raptor extends beyond just desert runners. While the biggest markets for orders so far are in the Southwest and Texas, demand also is high in states like Tennessee, Michigan, Colorado, Ohio and Georgia.

Customers are showing an appreciation for Raptor's unparalleled off-road performance, as well as its many features. Options such as the luxury package, moonroof and reverse camera all have take-rates of more than 79 percent. Popular F-150 utility options like touch-screen navigation with SIRIUS Travel Link(TM), trailer brake controller and Ford's tailgate step have take-rates higher than 62 percent.

The overwhelming top color choice has been Tuxedo Black, with more than 52 percent of all orders, followed by Molten Orange, Oxford White and Blue Flame.