Question of the Week: With a Ranger Raptor in the works, we want to know which high-performance, off-road Ford pickup is right for you?
Yesterday we brought you the news about the new Ford Ranger Raptor. Ford Australia shocked the pickup world when they posted a video of the baby Raptor in action, confirming the rumors of a high-performance midsize pickup truck.
Discussions of the smaller version of the F-150 Raptor initially flared up this year when photographers caught what appeared to be an Aussie Ranger test truck sporting Raptor-like cues. Despite much poking around on behalf of the media, Ford had tight lips on the subject. Thankfully, an official word is out now, and all of our dreams have come true! Sort of.
Provided that the Ranger Raptor is eventually offered in the US market, would you buy it over the F-150 Raptor?
Ford’s promise of bringing 12 global performance models between 2015 and 2020 certainly looks good for us. But with the success of the F-150 Raptor in the US, the Blue Oval might think about it twice before cannibalizing its own sales.
Much like the F-150, the Ranger Raptor will be equipped with a high-performance suspension setup, a wide body, and beefy tires. The biggest question focuses on the engine, as it has been speculated that Ford will use a detuned version of the 3.5L EcoBoost from the F-150, but rumors also circulate around a smaller (yet equally impressive) EcoBoost engine.
In any case, the biggest difference between the Ranger Raptor and the F-150 Raptor aside from the actual size will likely be the price. The F-150 Raptor starts around $57,000 and quickly climbs up to $70,000 with options. We can expect that the Ranger Raptor would be less expensive, possibly starting in the $40,000 range in order to compete with the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2.
So, if you could, would you buy the Ranger or F-150 version of the mighty Raptor?
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
