Can you say "Ford Ranger Raptor?"
Now try it with an Australian accent: "No worries, mate. I'll pick you up for the barbie in me Ranger Raptor. G'day."
That's as close as Ford's legions of American truck fans may to get to the Blue Oval's latest road warrior for the foreseeable future. Ford has announced it will sell a high-performance Raptor off-road racer version of its Ranger midsize pickup in Australia and other countries around the Pacific Rim next year.
"Combining the Raptor's advanced off-road capabilities with the versatility of the Ranger is a significant accomplishment for Ford's world-class engineering and design teams," said Jamal Hameedi, chief engineer of Ford's global Performance group.
Easy, digger. That doesn't mean there are plans for a U.S. Ranger Raptor. Far from it. The Ranger Raptors built in Ford's Thai pickup plant will be very different from the midsize pickup of the same name hitting American roads next year. The U.S. Ranger has been completely reengineered for American buyers. We're not likely to learn its details until auto show season.
Ford already sells a pickup dreams are made of in the U.S. with the 450-horsepower $49,265 F-150 Raptor, a full-size truck engineered for off-road racing. The existence of a Ranger Raptor in other parts of the world is sure to conjure visions of a smaller, more affordable version in America.
Ford ducks questions about U.S. sales or production of the Ranger Raptor like an American tourist dodging a Vegemite sandwich, though.
But the very words "Ranger Raptor" will excite truck fans, and video of a camouflaged truck rocketing through the Australian Outback will stoke the fire. In addition to plumes of red Australian dust and shots of a Ranger Raptor in full flight with all four wheels airborne, the brief video features racing harnesses and close-ups of its modified off-road suspension in action.
Because it's smaller than an F-150, a Raptor based on the Ranger would have special appeal to serious off-roaders. In extreme off-road conditions, where the space between rocks, trees and other obstacles shrinks, a smaller vehicle can get in and out of places inaccessible to full-size pickups.
"Ford Ranger Raptor will offer Ranger fans a fantastic opportunity to own an authentic off-road performance version of their favorite truck for the first time," said Trevor Worthington, Ford Asia Pacific product development chief
There's no word on the Ranger Raptor's mechanical systems, and even less on the all-new Ranger Ford will shortly begin building in the Wayne assembly plant just west of company headquarters in Dearborn, Mich.
Ford North America's official statement reads: "At this point we are confirming that Ford Ranger Raptor, a high-performance variant of the Ford Ranger mid-sized pickup truck, will be available in Asia Pacific in 2018.
"While model details of the North American-spec Ford Ranger for 2019 have not been announced, the mid-size Ford truck will be tailored to the needs of customers here with unique styling, comfort and convenience appointments, engines and features."
At this point, anything beyond that is rank speculation, but here goes:
_Regular production Rangers sold in Australia have diesel engines, but it would not be shocking to see an Ecoboost gasoline engine in the Ranger Raptor. A high-output version of the F-150's 2.7-liter 325-horsepower V-6 might be a good place to start.
_The camouflage probably conceals design cues recalling the F-150 Raptor's bold grille and lights.
_In addition to increased ride height, watch for shortened front and rear bumpers to improve the Ranger Raptor's approach and departure angles on steep hills.
_The Ranger Raptor could offer a version of the F-150's terrain management system, which adapts traction and powertrain to different conditions.
_It's unlikely Ford's 10-speed automatic transmission will fit in the Asia Pacific Ranger, but if the upcoming U.S. Ranger really is all-new, it may have been engineered to accommodate the same gearbox as the F-150 Raptor.
Any questions? Alright, then. Last one to Ayers Rock buys the Foster's.
