Ford Performance has created the ultimate Ranger Raptor to kick off what it’s calling a “multi-year” Dakar Rally campaign. The Raptor will compete in the Rally Raid T1+ category in the legendary race from January 5-19, 2024, on a “finish and learn” basis.
The Raptor T1+ certainly looks cool, but our first thought might also be yours: how come it’s based on the previous model? The truck has been in development for a while, and the company says component supply issues held up the project to the extent that the “old” racer will be used while it prepares a new-shape Raptor T1+ for the 2025 event.
The cynical might also argue that having an outdated model for this first-time effort where the idea is to expect and iron out problems rather than run at the front, isn’t such a bad thing from a marketing point of view. The team can come back looking stronger with the new model for the following year.
The truck has been created by Ford, M-Sport (which also does the WRC Ford Puma) and Neil Woolridge Motorsport (NWM), a Rally Raid specialist.
"To lead the charge at one of the ultimate global off-road events – the Dakar Rally – has been a goal of ours,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “We cannot underestimate the enormity of the challenge ahead of us. We need to finish and learn first with Ranger T1+ and partners like M-Sport and NWM, who bring their expertise to bear. Together, we can do amazing things in the sand dunes of the Arabian Peninsula.”
The Raptor T1+ is powered by an EcoBoost 3.5-litre V6 engine; test races this year are expected in include Spain’s Baja España Aragón and Morocco’s Rally du Maroc rallies this month and October, respectively, before tackling the Dakar Rally next year.