This could indicate that the Ranger high-performance ranger is finally making its way to America.
Ford took its sweet way to bring the Ranger to America, after many years of launching the midsize truck in countries like Europe and Australia. The high performance Raptor derivative of the Ranger is not yet available in the United States. It’s also unlikely that it will happen this generation, as the pickup truck will soon transition to the next-gen model.
The majority of encounters with the Ranger Raptor’s revamped Ranger Raptor were right-hand-drive prototypes. However, this is the rare occasion when the truck can be seen in North America with an LHD configuration. This could be a sign that we are finally getting it. It looks great, with its chunky tires and dual exhaust tips. The vehicle also has plenty of ground clearance.
Ford owned the manufacturer license plate that identified the double-cab prototype, which had a soft bed topper and a dual-cab design. The camouflage conceals a mesh-like front grille, familiar LED daytime running lamps with C-shaped LEDs and this “C” motif is visible at the back. It even had the spare tire under the bed, so it appeared almost ready to shed the camouflage.
The Ranger Raptor’s outgoing model was equipped with a twin-turbodiesel engine. However, the new (hopefully?) will be fitted with a gasoline engine. We are told it will be a twin turbo 3.0-liter V6 EcoBoost engine. This engine can produce as much as 400 horsepower and 415 lbft (563 Nm in the Explorer ST). According to reports, the platform will be transferred from the Ranger with some modifications and the use of a 10-speed automatic transmission.
The Raptor version will take a while to arrive, as Ford is likely to unveil it after the regular Ranger. As part of a stronger tie-up between Dearborn and Wolfsburg, the new truck will also be used as the foundation for the next-generation Amarok. We have heard that the German ute could be remodeled to look like a Raptor, but we doubt VW will use the “R” badge.