In 2010, Ford unleashed its F-150 Raptor, kicking off a long line of now-legendary high-performance turnkey off-roaders. And after recently pulling the cover off of its very first Bronco Raptor, the Blue Oval has now revealed the latest addition to the Raptor family with the all-new 2023 Ford Ranger Raptor.
Based on the next-gen Ranger platform, the latest addition to the Raptor lineup has been bestowed with Ford Performance-developed FOX 2.5” Live Valve internal bypass shock absorbers with FOX’s Bottom-Out Control. Other off-road-focused upgrades include a full-length 2.3mm high-strength steel skid plate, twin-rated tow hooks fore and aft, flared fenders that now accommodate the pickup’s 17” alloy wheels, a “F-O-R-D” script grille design (a la the F-150 Raptor), LED taillights and a C-clamp headlight setup with Matrix LED beams, custom front and rear bumpers designed to maximize approach, departure, and break-over angles, grippy cast-aluminum side steps, a myriad of functional vents and scoops, and a high-mounted class-exclusive electronically-controlled active exhaust system with four different modes.
At the heart of the Ranger Raptor is an all-new twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 engine that’s been tuned by Ford Performance to generate 285hp and 362ft-lbs of torque. What’s more, the V6 also sports a compacted graphite-iron cylinder block and an advanced anti-lag setup that’s similar to the systems used on Ford’s GT and Focus ST models. In addition to an all‑new electronically‑controlled on-demand two-speed transfer case and front and rear locking differentials, the Ranger Raptor also gets a trio of on-road drive modes — normal, sport, and slippery — plus four dedicated off-road modes —rock crawl, sand, mud/ruts, and Baja, the latter of which is essentially an off-road race mode that unleashes the model’s full-capabilities. Inside, the pickup truck’s cabin has been treated to all-new, jet fighter-inspired sports seats, Code Orange accents, ambient glow lighting, a leather sports heated steering wheel with cast-magnesium paddle shifters, a 12.4” all-digital cluster, a 12” central touchscreen and infotainment system, and a super-premium Bang & Olufsen sound system.
Expected to begin deliveries later this summer, the 2023 Ford Ranger Raptor will be exclusive to the European market — at least for the time being. And while the Michigan marque has yet to reveal pricing information, based on the latest Raptor-spec F-150 costing more than twice that of the base model, we anticipate the Ranger Raptor to be priced at around the $50,000 mark.
