NEWS: Ford Trademarks ‘Ranger Raptor’ as Camoed Model Is Spied Testing
Spy photos catch a wider, faster, and severely beefed-up Ford Ranger roaming the Australian Outback.
Photos of a camouflaged Ford Ranger were recently published by CarAdvice, showing what seems to be an early test mule of a Ford Ranger Raptor. The elusive midsize truck is shown traversing adverse terrain, and based on the blur of the wheels and background, it was doing so at a pretty decent rate of speed.
If you think the whole “Ranger Raptor” concept is ludicrous, think again, because such name has already been trademarked by Ford in Australia, along with the Ford Ranger FX4 we previously showed you.
Right away we notice several key elements on this Raptor-fied test mule, which set it apart from the normal midsize truck. For starters, the ride height is considerably higher, the front and rear bumpers are shorter (for better approach angles, we suppose), and the truck seems to be outfitted with off-road tires. In addition, flared wheel arches similar to the ones found on its big brother, hint at a more aggressive and wider body kit.
According to the spy photographer, the truck caught testing produced an engine-sound similar to the EcoBoost V6 found in the current F-150. Perhaps the Ranger Raptor will feature a tuned version of the 2.7-liter EcoBoost? We can’t imagine Ford stuffing a 3.5-liter in there, although we certainly wouldn’t oppose!
Furthermore, it’s been confirmed that the American version of the midsize truck will feature the same T6 platform seen here. Needless to say, we hope this baby Raptor makes it stateside in the near future.
Don’t you?
Chime in with your thoughts on the forum. >>
Story via: [MotorAuthority]
Photos via: [CarAdvice]
You must be logged in to post a comment.