Ford’s Aussie Engineers are Working on Next Gen Ranger. So, It’s Time to Learn a Bit More About This Tough Pickup
This week’s “Throwback Thursday” segment features a promotional video from Ford of Australia, where the company is showing off the towing abilities of the Ford Ranger. This particular Ranger model isn’t offered in the U.S. and it never has been. Australians have long had their own midsized Ford pickup due to an absence of the F Series Down Under. However, with rumors that Ford’s Aussie engineers are working on the next generation Ranger, which is scheduled to be built and sold here in America, it seems fitting for us all to learn a bit about this tough midsized pickup.
The current generation Ford Ranger in Australia is offered with two diesel engine options, and while the growth of small diesel popularity in the U.S. could lead the Blue Oval to offer one of these small, powerful and efficient oil-burners Stateside, there is no guarantee that Americans will get either of the Aussie diesel powerplants. We will hopefully get at least one of them here, but engine aside, this video shows just how much work the midsized Ranger can really do.
The video begins by explaining the test. This Ford Ranger is helping out at a quarry, carrying loads of rock from the bottom to the top, 1 ton at a time. Now, just pulling 2,000 pounds of stone up a loosely-footed hill is an impressive task for a midsized pickup. But Ford wanted to make the job even harder, so rather than a wheeled trailer full of stone, the Ranger is pulling a sled with 1 ton of rock. This increases the coefficient of drag, effectively increasing the work load on the Ranger and making the job harder.
On top of that, after the Ranger pulls a few tons of stone up the hill, it starts to rain. This makes the footing even worse, but with the traction control system and the high-strength chassis of this smaller Ford truck, the Aussie Ranger shines.
The new Ford Ranger that we get in America in a few years might not look anything like the current Australian Ranger. However, this video shows that the engineers Down Under know how to build a tough midsized truck.
"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.
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