That’s right folks, after quite a lot of leaked information and speculation, Ford has now confirmed the Raptor Ranger is coming to Australian shores.
Like that chip packet you used to whack into the oven to make a key ring, this unit is going to be a boiled-down version of the F-150 Raptor. So think revvy, powerful turbocharged V6 petrol motor, running through a gearbox with more ratios than Pythagoras. There will be plenty of corrugation-soaking suspension droop, complemented by fairly high-end shock absorbers.
The engine is probably going to be the 2.7L ‘Ecoboost’ V6, which is no slouch. Twin turbos help develop 242kW @ 5,000rpm, and 542Nm @ 2,750rpm. So no, it’s not a low-rev lugger. But it’ll propel the Ranger Raptor from 0-100km/h in exactly notverybloodylong.
The front suspension will be a long-travel iteration of the IFS Ranger, with longer arms pushing the wheel track wider. In the rear, the Watts Linkage setup from the Everest will replace the leaf packs.
Big flares will help accommodate the wider track, plus 33-ish-inch tyres. We aren’t sure when it’s coming, or how much it’s going to sting the hip pocket. But we do know it’s coming to Australia. And we reckon that’s pretty damn cool.
