Two and a half years before production Ford secretly tested six prototype F-150s with high-strength aluminum cargo boxes. The goal was to prove the durability of aluminum alloy through real-world extreme experiences that ensured the new F-150 could stand up to the tough work of our customers.

Now that the new 2015 Ford F-150 is ready to be released, the American automaker has turned its attention on its Raptor performance truck.

Spy photographers have caught a Ford Raptor mule testing next-generation parts, sporting a new grille and hood along with the aluminum crew cab body from the 2015 Ford F-150. Other current Raptor parts have also found their way onto the mule, but noticeably missing are the signature blue shocks in the rear wheel wells which suggests that Ford could be testing new components for the next-generation Raptor.

The new Raptor is expected to be either a 2016 or 2017 model year pickup and the spy photographers noted that when the mule accelerated, it sounded more like an EcoBoost V6 under the hood than a V8.

New details on the 2015 Ford F-150 have been released by the company, including power numbers for two engines and details on weight.

The biggest news of the day pertains to the all new 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6, which produces 325 hp and 375 lb-ft of torque. Maximum towing on this truck is pegged at 8,500 pounds according to Ford. All towing numbers on the 2015 F-150 are now certified using SAE J2807 standards.

As for the truck’s smallest engine, the new 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6 pumps out 283 hp and 255 lb-ft of torque, and towing is rated at 7,600 pounds.

That puts all three half-tons from Detroit at the same 7,600 maximum tow rating for their naturally aspirated V6 engines. As for the new 2.7-liter EcoBoost, it has no direct competitors, though its power numbers are shy of GM’s 5.3-liter V8 by about 30 hp but just 8 lb-ft of torque.

Weight savings are also huge on the 2015 truck thanks to the extensive use of aluminum, and Ford says that a 2015 F-150 Lariat weighs 732-pounds less than than a 2014 F-150 Lariat, tipping the scales with a 4,942-pound curb weight.

Information of the larger 3.5-liter V6 EcoBoost and the naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 haven’t been released.

Model will also be offered with 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 and a 5.0-liter V8

Ford has released performance specifications for two of the V6 engines in the 2015 F-150.

First up, the entry-level 3.5-liter V6 engine produces 283 bhp (211 kW) and 255 lb-ft (345 Nm) of torque. Ford says this will enable the model to have a maximum payload of 1,910 lbs (866 kg) and a class-leading maximum towing capacity of 7,600 lbs (3447 kg).

Moving up the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 rewards buyers with 325 bhp (242 kW) and 375 lb-ft (507 Nm) of torque. This will enable rear-wheel drive variants to have a maximum payload capacity of 2,250 lbs (1020 kg) and a maximum tow rating of 8,500 lbs (3855 kg).

Ford declined to release fuel economy data but they said the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 has a stop/start system that has been specially tuned for truck customers. As part of this truck-centered focus, the start/stop system is deactivated when the truck is towing or in four-wheel drive.

Ford says that a 2015 F-150 Lariat weighs 732-pounds less than than a 2014 F-150 Lariat

The eagerly anticipated Ford F-150 has had its 2015 pricing announced, adding only a small amount to the pickup's total cost, despite its weight-saving aluminum body. The XL and XLT entry level models only see a $395 boost over the heavier, current-generation, 2014 truck.

The XL starts at $26,615 while the XLT rings up at $31,890. The increase for Lariat is up a similarly negligible $895, to $39,880. Going up the ladder, meanwhile, the leather-intensive King Ranch sees the biggest jump of the F-150 family, with prices increasing $3,515, to $49,460. Finally, picking up the top-end Platinum trim will cost an extra $3,055, with prices starting at $52,155.

The higher prices are being blamed not only on the aluminum bodies, which trim up to 700 pounds of body fat, but on increased levels of standard equipment. While we were expecting a price hike, the fact that the 2015 F-150's volume trims – Ford spokesman Mike Levine told Reuters that the XL and XLT alone cover 70 percent of F-150 sales – have had less than a $400 increase is hugely impressive.

According to Reuters, dealers are able to place orders for the new trucks today, with sales slated to begin late this year.