There are loads of Ford Ranger Raptors on the highway in Australia. Whereas most of their time is spent as day by day drivers, their capabilities lengthen properly past that. In reality, they lengthen properly past what most automobiles in the marketplace are able to.
We had the chance to affix Ford on a curated drive program within the Center East to pattern not solely the Ford Ranger Raptor we get in Australia, but additionally the OG, the F-150 Raptor, together with the Ranger Raptor’s twin, the Bronco Raptor.
Earlier than we get to how that went, we have been staggered to listen to that one in each six Ford Rangers offered is a Ranger Raptor, which has no direct rival. It has exceeded even Ford’s lofty gross sales predictions and gives Ford an enormous further income stream from a product that already generates high-margin returns for the model.
It began for Ford with the F-150 Raptor 15 years in the past. The unique F-150 Raptor was constructed on Ford’s experimentation with earlier F-150s, just like the SVT Lightning within the ’90s, to create a purpose-built, Baja-ready race truck.
Whereas right now’s F-150 Raptor is lightyears forward when it comes to expertise and efficiency, it builds on the identical bones of the unique with Fox shocks, a wider monitor, lengthy journey higher and decrease management arms and large energy.
The Ranger Raptor additionally spawned the Bronco Raptor. It shares a platform with the Ranger however borrows front-end components from the F-150 Raptor and sports activities a lot bigger 37-inch tyres and a stupidly menacing extensive monitor to make its intentions recognized.
The cool half concerning the Ranger Raptor and Bronco Raptor is that each have been designed and engineered in Australia. Previous to engaged on these merchandise, the Aussie group behind them had simply wrapped up work on the final quick Falcons – the XR6 and XR8 Dash. These are passionate motorsport followers that, funnily sufficient, had already been massive into off-roading earlier than being tapped to tackle the problem.
Ford Efficiency DNA in automobiles just like the Ranger, Bronco and F-150 Raptor is all about sitting on the very fringe of the off-road efficiency envelope. You’ll discover BFGoodrich KO2 tyres on every of them which might be horrible within the moist, however wonderful off-road.
You’ll discover massive, meaty turbocharged petrol engines in every. They’re heavy on gasoline however ship neck-snapping efficiency off-road. The DNA is all about no compromise in what the automobile is purpose-built for, and on this occasion, it’s driving very quick off-road.
Anyway, let’s go over what we had the prospect to check. Throughout two days, we had entry to Ranger Raptor, Bronco Raptor and F-150 Raptor, with every automobile traversing a course suited to its core competency.
For the Ranger Raptor, it was all about quick technical sand driving with switchbacks and dune climbs. For the Bronco Raptor, it was all about mountaineering and traversing steep rocky terrain, whereas for the F-150 Raptor it was all about max pace and getting from A to B within the sand as quick as attainable.
We set off within the Ranger Raptor first. Having owned one for 2 years, I genuinely get pleasure from driving it every time I hop in. Usually, I’ll become bored with check vehicles by the point our week with them is over.
So, figuring out the automotive in addition to I do, I used to be excited to discover its limits just a little extra. Dialled over to Baja mode, the Ranger Raptor engages 4H (see our detailed explainer on the distinction between 4WD modes and the place you need to use them), holds gears for longer, places the suspension and steering into Baja mode (together with the exhaust) and engages an anti-lag function for sharper throttle response.
What I’ll by no means be capable to correctly clarify in phrases – just because it’s essential to expertise it your self – is simply how compliant and tender the suspension is if you begin choosing up the tempo alongside tough sand and whoops.
The Fox shocks function live-valve expertise that permits exact digital compression tuning. Ford additionally went to loads of effort to tune the interior shims and management valves to handle efficient fluid circulation by the damper.
Whenever you hit a bump at pace that causes the automotive to compress, unload and depart the bottom, you anticipate the touchdown to be tough and unforgiving. As a substitute, it’s a tender and cozy influence that leaves you feeling such as you’ve landed on a cloud. The dampers can soak up an enormous quantity of that power, so that you don’t really feel it by the physique of the automobile.
Compared to the Bronco and F-150, the Ranger additionally feels nimble and darty by the dunes – one thing you’d by no means describe a mainstream Ranger as. Not like the previous-gen turbo-diesel mannequin, there’s additionally no ready round for issues to get shifting – it will get on with it in a giant means.
On extensive, open sections of highway, for those who sink the boot in, it gives a pleasant torque cut up between entrance and rear. It’s not tremendous rear-biased, but it surely offers you sufficient to push the tail out if it’s essential to in 4H. The steering can also be direct and exact sufficient to get a vibe for what’s occurring.
Baja mode additionally gives added play within the ABS setting to permit a build-up of fabric beneath the entrance tyres. Sometimes, ABS tries to restrict any locking of the wheels beneath heavy braking. It’s nice throughout regular driving circumstances on sealed surfaces, however off-road it extends its braking distance as a result of the low-friction materials continuously causes the automobile to imagine the brakes are locking.
This adjusted mode then permits longer durations of brakes locking. This enables a build-up of fabric on the forefront of the tyre, which helps gradual issues down.
Subsequent up was the Bronco Raptor.
We’ve been leaping up and down about why Ford doesn’t convey the Bronco Raptor to Australia. At the moment, it’s solely engineered for left-hand drive and solely supplied in left-hand drive markets. Nonetheless, provided that it shares a platform with Ranger, it’d appear a logical addition to the Raptor lineup in Australia.
One factor I by no means correctly thought of was the value. A fast search of the Ford US web site for in-stock stock and you discover the asking value is round US$100,000. Even for those who strip away economies of scale, delivery and market-specific prices, that may make the Bronco Raptor a circa-$170,000 automobile earlier than on-road prices in Australia. It’d be fully out of attain for many – and means an excessive amount of of a stretch.
Simply on the design earlier than we get into the drive, it seems unbelievable within the metallic. The monitor is so extensive that the wheel-arch covers appear like they’ve been fabricated for a automobile that anyone has spent $30k on modifying.
It has large, uncovered restoration factors, complete underbody safety and large 37-inch tyres (the F-150 Raptor doesn’t even come commonplace with 37s). Additionally, the inside is surprisingly not what I anticipated.
The place the Ranger Raptor has a premium vibe befitting of its price ticket, the Bronco Raptor feels even considerably cheaper than the Ranger Raptor from a supplies and fit-and-finish standpoint. To suppose that it prices nearly $100,000 extra blows you away as a result of it definitely doesn’t really feel prefer it matches that price ticket contained in the automotive.
However that every one adjustments if you drive it. Each the Ranger and Bronco Raptor share the identical 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 petrol engine, however the Bronco’s outputs are barely greater. It’s additionally louder because the exhaust sits immediately beneath the cabin, injecting extra of that tinny hole exhaust sound into the automotive.
Identical to Ranger, it has various driving modes and diff locks. Whereas Ranger and Bronco each get entrance and rear diff locks, Bronco Raptor additionally picks up disconnecting sway bars.
Though it’s constructed to be as succesful as a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, the Bronco makes do with impartial entrance suspension (the place the Wrangler makes use of a dwell entrance axle). That implies that the steering really feel is considerably higher. It’s not fairly nearly as good because the Ranger, but it surely’s nowhere close to as unhealthy because the Jeep.
Our drive loop for the Bronco Raptor included some freeway driving earlier than peeling off towards rocky terrain for some slower, steeper climbing.
Regardless of packing a bit extra energy than the Ranger Raptor, the Bronco doesn’t really feel as fast on the go. It’s heavier than the Raptor, and from an aerodynamic standpoint, it seems to catch extra air because it drives, which slows it down just a little additional.
That stuff doesn’t depend for a lot if you’re rock-crawling, although. We used the sway bar disconnect, together with low-range for this impediment course, which concerned steep descents, steep climbs and lower-speed tight turns.
Whereas this wasn’t probably the most superior course on the earth, it highlighted how simply the Bronco Raptor is ready to climb terrain. Most individuals don’t go too loopy in the case of off-road driving, however the Bronco Raptor is an instance of an off-roader that provides you every part you want with out seeking to the aftermarket. It additionally helps that you just don’t want to suit extra off-road goodies, they usually don’t void your guarantee.
What it compromises on-road (with issues like wind noise and tyre noise), it makes up for it off-road with a number of ordinary four-wheel drive gear.
Lastly, we had a crack in F-150 Raptor. Whereas it wasn’t the top-shelf Raptor R, and as a substitute simply the usual Raptor, belief me, there’s nonetheless greater than sufficient engine for this truck.
Whereas the Raptor R will get a supercharged V8, the usual Raptor makes do with a 3.5-litre turbocharged petrol V6. It makes extra energy than each the Ranger and Bronco Raptor. Most significantly, it comes with the largest of the Fox shocks with live-valve expertise on each compression and rebound for added tuning variability.
Whereas this was a enjoyable little course with greater speeds, there was an superior carved-out part of whoops to check the suspension’s full capabilities.
This part of whoops had us taking off from a standstill and accelerating to round 150km/h whereas going throughout steady undulations with the throttle pinned. Regardless of its dimension, it felt supremely succesful and well-composed over the suspension torture check.
The F-150 additionally has probably the most distinctive exhaust be aware of the three. It completely bellows and has a raspy snarl because it accelerates away in Baja mode.
Once more, regardless of its dimension, it managed to carve up sand dunes with little fuss. Steep dune climbs have been dispatched with a serving to of throttle, whereas route adjustments by the dunes required a bit extra consideration as a result of automobile’s dimension.
Naturally, the F-150’s cabin feels probably the most spacious by a protracted shot. The second row has a heap of room, whereas the width of the automobile offers you greater than sufficient area to stretch out.
It’s additionally costly – once more, a part of the rationale it’s not on sale in Australia. To make it economically viable post-conversion, it’d possible be a $200,000 proposition, which might be onerous to justify given the amount numbers Ford would want for a return.
When you can’t examine the three, which must you purchase if cash is not any object? Funnily sufficient, the most cost effective one is probably the most versatile of the bunch. The Ford Ranger Raptor is (comparatively) cost-effective, stupidly good in each low- and high-speed off-road driving, and arguably feels probably the most premium when it comes to match and end and inside design.
Both means, for those who did purchase any of those, you’d be completely satisfied you made the proper selection. There’s nothing else in the marketplace that comes near delivering this type of functionality in a factory-backed package deal as these three automobiles.
It’s so good that these kind of automobiles nonetheless exist on the earth. I’m additionally very jealous of a few of the unimaginable off-road driving that may be completed within the Center East!
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