Ricardo takes the mid-size Ranger and turns it into a full-blown military vehicle with cool features.
Militarized Mid-Size Pickup
The Ford Ranger has long been an incredibly popular pickup all over the globe, thanks in part to its toughness. But for some, no stock vehicle is tough enough. Those that willingly place themselves in danger on a regular basis need a vehicle that can go anywhere, haul all kinds of gear, and protect its occupants from enemy fire. UK-based Ricardo's militarized Ranger can do all that and more.
Photos: Ricardo
Toughen Up
Ricardo goes to great lengths to toughen up the Ranger with a bevy of parts, including a rollover protection system, an armored ballistic underfloor, armored glass, lightweight but heavy-duty front and rear bumpers, skid plates for the radiator, powertrain, and fuel tank, rock sliders and improved wading/fording protection, NATO IRR paint/camouflage, and 4-point seat harnesses.
Photos: Ricardo
>>Join the conversation about this military-spec Ranger right here in the Ford-Trucks forum.
Electrical Support
Ricardo also beefs up the 24V electrical system to better power the truck's components and provide EMC protection. The company worked closely with Polaris Government and Defense, in particular, for support in the areas of onboard power management and C4i (command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence) integration.
Photos: Ricardo
>>Join the conversation about this military-spec Ranger right here in the Ford-Trucks forum.
Beefed Up
Underneath, Ricardo fits the Ranger with upgraded springs, dampers, brakes, heavy-duty wheels, and all-terrain tires, offering greater ride height and more versatile towing capacity. The roll cage in the bed is also designed to accept a ring-mounted weapons system, which basically means a giant machine gun.
Photos: Ricardo
>>Join the conversation about this military-spec Ranger right here in the Ford-Trucks forum.
Diesel Power
The drivetrain is Ford's stock 2.0-liter EcoBlue bi-turbo diesel that pumps out 210 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, which is more than enough to get in and out of hairy situations. That oil-burner is backed up by the automaker's 10-speed automatic transmission, a common sight in today's Blue Oval range.
Photos: Ricardo
>>Join the conversation about this military-spec Ranger right here in the Ford-Trucks forum.
Collaborative Project
"The Ricardo relationship with Ford is great," said Paul Tarry, Ricardo's special vehicles director. "They rely upon us for our strong connections with military sector customers and our detailed knowledge of defense and security operations, and from their side, they provide proactive engineering support for our adaptation work. For example, they have been extremely helpful in adapting the controls and displays for use with night vision goggles and have also treated calibration adaptation for use on NATO standard JP8 fuel as part of their in-house alternative fuels work. These types of challenges are far from insurmountable to Ricardo, but it is far less costly, as well as more effective, to have an OEM partner that is willing to collaborate on such adaptation needs."
Photos: Ricardo
>>Join the conversation about this military-spec Ranger right here in the Ford-Trucks forum.
Bespoke Pickup
The result of that collaboration is a tough, go-anywhere, cost-effective version of the Ranger that's undoubtedly impressive, and rather attractive for those that face danger on a regular basis. And it's one seriously bespoke pickup that would look cool in our garage, too.
Photos: Ricardo
>>Join the conversation about this military-spec Ranger right here in the Ford-Trucks forum.
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