The Ford Ranger is quickly growing from an Australasian sensation to a vehicle making waves in the US. As previously reported, the new-to-the-US double-cab has so far exceeded sales expectations, with around 300,000 people said to be in line to pick up a Ranger of their own.
It's only natural therefore that, like New Zealand and Australia, America's aftermarket scene latch onto the Ranger. And the latest company to do so is Hennessey Performance.
Hennessey of course has gained equal portions of praise and notoriety in the US; the former for its power-crazed projects like the 1000hp Exorcist Camaro, and the latter for their reputation for ... err ... sketchy business sense.
Their latest creation is this raised and blackened Ranger, called the VelociRaptor. And don't assume this is simply a lift-kit with mud tyres.
Read more: Deep dive — rare 808hp Hennessey Mustang monster lands in NZ
As per Hennessey tradition, the centre of the VelociRaptor's core changes are a suite of power increases for the American Ranger's four-cylinder 2.3-litre turbocharged EcoBoost engine. Note that this is a unit that Rangers don't come fitted with in New Zealand.
Out of the box, the EcoBoost comes with 200kW of power and 420Nm of torque — numbers that see it sit at the pointy end of America's double-cab segment. But changes to the Hennessey VelociRaptor boost those numbers to 261kW and 521Nm respectively.
Acceleration from a standstill to 60mp/h (or 96km/h) is a brisk 6.1 seconds. That's about four seconds quicker than the Ford Ranger Raptor.
These improvements come via a more forgiving catback exhaust, a replacement high-flow air-induction system, and chances in the ECU tune.
Complimenting the engine upgrades are changes to the Ranger's suspension. The VelociRaptor comes with a 'Stage 1' off-road suspension upgrade, which namely features a ride height lift of four inches or around 100mm. The raised stance gains additional off-road credibility (plus a bucket of visual toughness) through a set of BF Goodrich off-road tyres and new Hennessey 17-inch wheels.
All up, the Ranger VelociRaptor will set American buyers back US$64,950 — or approximately $96,000 in Kiwi currency. That's a fair bit more than the $84,990 Ranger Raptor, but buyers get the added bonus of rarity. Just 500 VelociRaptors will be made for 2019, with that allocation split between buyers who order fully made vehicles and others who order the Hennessey package as a US$19,995 kit.
A three-year, 58,000km warranty comes standard too — perfect for testing the changes on the dunes or through mountain tracks.
