Ford have put the Ranger Raptor to the ultimate endurance test and vehicle dynamics lead Simon Johnson is impressed.
Johnson and his team have recently returned from an Alice Springs desert endurance test involving1600 km at full race speed.
The Ford engineers had deliberately sought out “whoops, jumps and chatter bumps” to push the Ranger Raptor to its limits.
Johnson was one of the very first to experience the Ranger Raptor’s ride and understood early on that Ford had created a special off-road ute.
“I’ve pushed the Ranger Raptor far harder than any customer is likely to push, and I’ve been absolutely stunned by how capable this vehicle is. It’s incredible to drive and so easy to place into corners. It has some fantastic technology in there,” Johnson says.
The combination of technology and high-performance off-road design gives the Ranger Raptor its driving dynamics. It includes bi-turbo diesel engine and 10-speed transmission with an all-new chassis and suspension.
An extra 150 mm of track allows more stability on high-speed corners with front aluminium arm suspension and Fox 2.5-inch shock absorbers. A red centre marker on the steering wheel ensures the driver knows which way the Goodrich tyres are pointing.
Ranger Raptor chief program engineer Damien Ross says the terrain management system’s (TMS) Baja Mode is the pinnacle of the driving experience.
“We’ve really upped the ante on the TMS with Ranger Raptor, and Baja Mode is unique to the Raptor name and its Ford performance DNA, which was inspired by the trucks used as course pre-runners in the Baja 1000 race.
“In Baja Mode, we have adjusted back some of the systems that would normally intervene, allowing the driver to become one with the vehicle and really have some fun with it,” Ross says.
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