Not content with the Mustang GTD and Bronco Desert Racer, Ford is looking to combine both into one vehicle.
The company’s car-loving boss, Jim Farley, has doubled down on his goal of building the world’s first “off-road supercar” to sit alongside his other ‘passion project’ vehicles. Farley has personally green lit the development of the low-volume, high-performance models like the Mustang GTD and Bronco Desert Racer to tap into the enthusiast market.
Having first revealed his vision of an off-road supercar back in February, shortly after the new Ford Raptor T1+ took on the Dakar Rally, Farley gave an update on Bloomberg’s ‘Hot Pursuit’ podcast.
According to quotes published on Automotive News, Farley is pushing ahead with the plans and has asked his engineers and designers to come up with a 1000hp (745kW) hybrid off-road supercar.
“No one’s ever built a supercar for gravel, high-speed sand, dirt,” Farley said. “I’m thinking really deeply about it, and usually that turns into something.”
He said he has been inspired by the success of not only the race-style Bronco Desert Racer, but also the on-going success of the F-150 Raptor in the US market.
“These Raptor people are telling us something,” Farley said. “They’re not stupid. They’re really smart people. They spent $120,000 on an 800-horsepower pickup truck.”
It’s not clear if Farley plans to use the F-150 has a starting point, like the company did with the Mustang GTD, or if it would be a bespoke vehicle, like the GT supercar. The fact that the Dakar Rally entry is no longer referred to as a ‘Ranger Raptor’ and instead just ‘Raptor’ could be a clue as to what the company is thinking in terms of a name for this new beast.
The GTD is likely to serve as a blueprint for what this new ultimate Raptor could be. Ford used the Mustang GT3 race car as a starting off point to create its most potent pony car ever. The Mustang GTD features a unique supercharged 5.2-litre V8 engine, eight-speed dual-clutch transaxle, bespoke adjustable suspension and a carbon fibre body.
The Bronco Desert Racer (DR) was another low-volume project that turned the standard four-door SUV into a 300kW, race-ready off-road performance car.
Ford will likely turn to Multimatic, its partner for the GT, GTD and DR, as it specialises in these limited edition specials with race-bred performance.
What do you think? Should Ford build an off-road supercar or is that a stupid idea?
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