It may be all Ecoboost and 10-speed automatic underneath, but the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor strikes that balance of aggressive and goofy characteristics that made the outgoing model such a hit.

Oh yeah, and the off-road credentials were pretty good, too.

Unsurprisingly, like the 2015 F-150, the new Raptor is a case of same-but-different on the outside. The FORD letters on the grille are still enormous, an endearing characteristic. They've also been added to the tailgate in lieu of a blue oval. The whole look is perhaps more modern and sophisticated, but in person the Raptor still comes off as a tough thing.

Ford didn't let us pop the hood to see the 3.5-liter Ecoboost V6 that's supposed to be in there. Nor did they let us get too close to the interior, which at least doesn't stray too far from the new F-150's style. The paddle shifters inside were the first thing I noticed, though. And I'm still not convinced they look right in a truck, especially when they bear a similar appearance to the ones in the new Ford GT.

The thing about the Raptor has always been that it's a ridiculous vehicle. It's ridiculously large, ridiculously powerful for its size, ridiculously capable. But at the end of the day, the main attraction to this thing is its looks and sounds. They just make you smile.

This new one may be smarter under the skin, but it looks like it still has a sense of humor on the outside.

The fact that Ford has decided to drop V8 engines in two models that have been only offered with V8s so far (the GT supercar and the F-150 Raptor), may speak volumes about the automaker’s intentions.

If a report from Horsepower Kings citing an unnamed Ford insider is true, then the V8 engine is approaching its final days at Ford, and the fact that an iconic product like the all-new GT supercar has adopted a twin-turbocharged V6 i could be an indication of things to come. After all, if the Ford GT isn’t offered with a V8, what chances do other future models have to get a V8?

A source from Ford told the website the V8 will be gone for good after 2017. “Ford is definitely phasing out the V8 motor altogether. CAFE and EPA are working very hard discreetly to make sure of that,” the source said.

Apparently, Ford wanted to continue its V8 program, but things have recently taken a new direction, presumably because of CAFE/EPA pressure in mid to late 2013. “The future development budget for the 5.2L FPC motor has dwindled, and there is talk that this motor may continue its life exclusively in the form of sanctioned racing series, not on the street,” the unnamed Ford official added.

So does this mean we will have a Mustang GT without a V8 engine in the future? That's what the report claims, and there won’t be V8-powered F-150s either, with 2017 rumored to be the last year Ford will sell V8 models. “It would be foolish to expect to see any new V8 cars coming out of this new Performance Division. Ford Performance is going to be cranking out some very fast cars for some time, but even if the new Shelby GT500 gets the green light, it will likely be the last gasoline V8 that Ford will ever produce,” the source said.

Still, we're going to take all this with a grain of salt and wait for something more official.

Is the aluminum-bodied 2015 Ford F-150 more expensive to repair? Edmunds.com Editors hit it with a sledgehammer to find out.

We hit our new long-term 2015 Ford F-150 with a sledgehammer to test the theory that aluminum is more expensive to repair. After a week in the body shop, the repairs are done and we're breaking down the cost.

During a televised interview during the Rolex 24 at Daytona this past weekend, Ford's product development chief Raj Nair is said to have revealed that the new F-150 Raptor will offer 450 horsepower.

With parts of the northeastern United States covered by mountains of snow, Ford thought it would be a good idea to talk about the snow plow option it offers for the 2015 F-150 pickup truck.

As the only light-duty truck with an available snow plow prep kit for every cab (Regular, SuperCab and SuperCrew), the 2015 F-150 knows a thing or two about moving snow around.

Available as a $50 option on the 2015 F-150 with the 5.0-liter V8 engine and 4WD (for XL, XLT and Lariat trim levels), the snow plow prep option (plow not included) allows owners to become the saviors of their neighborhoods.

F-150 owners with snow plow prep option can be equipped with a plow at a Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifier, with the maximum recommended light-duty plow weight being over 450 pounds (204 kg). When snow plow mode is activated via the push of a button, the vehicle temporarily turns off nonessential features to provide dedicated power for the plow.

Scroll down to see a 2015 Ford F-150 equipped with a snow plow at work.