Does anybody with a 292kW/583Nm twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 Ford Ranger Raptor really need over 30% more power and torque? Turns out yes. Lots of people.
Since 2023, Herrod Performance in Melbourne has been offering a “Power Pack” upgrade for the Raptor that increases outputs by 88kW/197Nm to an astonishing 380kW/780Nm. Now you can buy one here in New Zealand, through Team Hutchinson Ford in Christchurch.
It’s all done in the best possible taste. Herrod is an independent operator, but consider it part of the Ford family: it’s the official distributor for Ford Performance in Australia and has been able to develop the upgrade for the Raptor because it has access to Ford’s own backend systems and data.
Essentially, it’s been able to jailbreak the Raptor’s engine with Ford’s permission. In Australia, many Raptors are even sent direct from Ford to Herrod for the work, and the vehicle is still covered by the factory 5-year warranty - plus an additional 5 years from Herrod on its components.
The gains seem outrageous, but they’ve been achieved more with finesse than brute force. The engine internals are standard, but there's a new turbo intercooler from PWR, a larger oil cooler for the 10-speed automatic transmission and - this is the tricky bit - a recalibration of the engine management software to liberate more kW and Nm. That’s it.
The 'Power Pack' upgrade increases outputs by 88kW/197Nm to an astonishing 380kW/780Nm.
It’s one for the knowing Raptor fans and surprisingly unshowy. You’d only pick the Herrod Performance Edition from the outside by a discreet decal on the front guard and a nicely executed “Herrod” badge on the tailgate in the same script as the Raptor logo. But you do have to look hard to notice it.
We went into the Raptor Herrod Performance Edition expecting something slightly unhinged, but came away deeply impressed at how beautifully integrated the extra power and torque is.
Apparently it’s not a lot thirstier than the standard Raptor if you drive it normally, thanks to the clever calibration. But who’s going to buy this and drive it normally?
Independent testing from a variety of Australasian sources suggests the Herrod version is around half a second quicker to 100km/h than a standard Raptor. Which doesn’t sound like much, but that’s a 10% improvement. And bear in mind we’re looking at a 2.5-tonne off-road truck that can now rocket to the open-road speed limit in the 5-second bracket.
The real gain is in the broader performance sphere, with a more muscular power delivery and maximum energy from the twin-turbo V6 as the revs start to rise.
The Herrod upgrade doesn’t come cheap. At $109,980 it’s a whopping $13,490 more than a regular Raptor.
Apparently it’s not a lot thirstier than the standard Raptor if you drive it normally, thanks to the clever calibration. But who’s going to buy this and drive it normally? We averaged 20l/100km-plus during our time.
The Herrod Performance Edition is also a reminder of just how capable the Raptor chassis is on the road. It rides beautifully and the controlled compliance of the suspension telegraphs everything nicely in fast corners. It’s supple, but it can be swift in turns when you need it to be.
The Herrod upgrade doesn’t come cheap. At $109,980 it’s a whopping $13,490 more than a regular Raptor, which already seems like too much truck in some ways. But there’s a certain buyer for whom this will be a must-have upgrade.
If that’s you, our Ford NZ contact tells us you can always ask at your local dealership, but even if you’re not in Christchurch the quickest route to the Herrod experience is probably still to contact Team Hutchinson Ford directly.