Ford thinks the Ranger Raptor is too powerful
The Ford Ranger Raptor makes too much power according to one executive, ruling out the launch of a more potent Raptor R.
Ford reset the bar for off-road utes when it launched the current-generation Ranger Raptor in 2022, with arguably no other dual-cab offering the same performance capability.
Powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine in a world full of turbo-diesels, the Ranger Raptor’s 292kW and 583Nm outputs in Australia put it in a class of its own, and just as fast as the full-size American pickups such as the Ram 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500.
In the US, the Ranger Raptor gets an extra 10kW, bringing its power levels up to 302kW, while the related Bronco Raptor makes 312kW, raising questions about whether Ford would consider a ‘Raptor R’ version of the mid-sized pickup.
“The Ranger Raptor already has significantly more power than any other truck in its class,” Ford Racing production vehicle chief engineer, Carl Widmann, told US publication Road and Track.
“Nothing else is even within 30 horsepower (22kW).
“If anything, the Ranger Raptor might even already have too much power.”
Ford’s US lineup includes not only the Ranger and Bronco Raptors but also the F-150 Raptor, powered by an unrelated twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6 engine, making 336kW and 691Nm.
However, the F-150 also gets a Raptor R, utilising a supercharged 5.2-litre V8 to make an eye-watering 537kW and 868Nm, becoming the second-most powerful pickup in its class behind the Ram 1500 TRX SRT.
Jordan Mulach
According to Widmann, a Raptor R version of the Ranger isn’t necessary due to the existing power outputs of the ute, however that hasn’t stopped Ford from previously offering in-house upgrades.
In 2024, Ford’s US division released a software upgrade which increased the Raptor’s outputs from 302kW of power and 583Nm of torque to 339kW and 727Nm, while delivering an “optimised shift schedule” for its 10-speed automatic transmission.
This tune was not made available to Australia.
Locally, those chasing more power can get a comprehensive Power Pack from Ford specialists Herrod Performance, which increases outputs to 380kW and 780Nm, while also adding a larger intercooler and transmission oil cooler, priced from $6480.
