2023-05-21 07:05:00
An engine of 5.36 m and more than two meters wide, equipped with a huge dump body, and capable of accepting a payload of almost a ton: this is the description of the pick-ups, real beasts of burden whose utilitarian aims are beyond doubt. Moreover, these machines, we do not only very rarely come across town, and when they do they usually come out of a building site, the wheels smeared with mud. That sort of thing, the Ford Ranger Raptor is of course also able to do thiswith even a dumpster still offering a loading length of 1.54 m, but widened to 1.22 m just to beef up its line a little.
A sporty Ranger
Because the Raptor is indeed a “sporty” version of the Ranger, and we will see that quotation marks are important here. Frankly widened tracks highlighted with fender flares, hypertrophied grille barred with a huge FORD running from one headlight to another, and huge 285/70 R 17 wheels, this Raptor is actually much more spectacular than a “normal” Ranger. Without forgetting the XXL running boards, which are very useful for getting on board due to a ground clearance of 27 cm. Enough to pass everywhere in the paths, and accept to cross fords up to 85 cm. Beneath this wickedly bodybuilt line, impressive to the point that allhe other motorists become very nice, giving you priority even when you don’t have it according to the regulations, two engines co-exist: a very serious 2.0 turbodiesel of 210 hp for those who are still a bit reasonable, and this 3.0 V6 bi-turbo gasoline for those who want to laugh, and still have a child’s soul.
The terrible sound of the V6 twin-turbo with open valves…
Especially since Ford, in the purest American spirit, has given it a touch of happiness on the right spoke of the steering wheel. It is easy to spot, it is the one where an exhaust outlet is drawn! Yes there is a piloted exhaust on this somewhat special pickup, and it offers four modes: Quiet for early morning starts without annoying the neighbors, Normal for…I wonder, Sport for every day with a valve wide open in both exits, and finally Baja where everything is open, but with a precision displayed immediately: use prohibited on the road! What does a kid do when something is forbidden? Won…he tries. And given the devilish guttural vocalizations, how can you resist?
…not to be used in town
Bon, out of respect for other users – the sound is even louder outside than inside – we do not recommend using this setting in town. But in the countryside, or along rock walls, who will be bothered? In addition to its hoarse voice, warm to raise the hairs on the arms, this 3.0 V6 bi-turbo unleashes its 292 hp and 491 Nm of torque from 2,300 rpm with a beautiful spontaneity, almost no response time, except that required by the sweet auto box to downshift and find the right report among the 10 it has. As a result, despite the 2,554 kg announced, this Raptor scurries off like a rabbit as soon as the right pedal is annoyed, leaving behind many motorists amazed by such reminders.
Optimized and controlled suspensions…
If this Raptor retains, like the “normal” Ranger, a rigid rear axle, the latter has all the same been frankly improved. Firstly on the guidance side, with a watt parallelogram, and especially on the suspension side, here with controlled spring/shock absorber combinations instead of leaf springs, all from specialist FOX Racing. It’s much better for wheel guidance, and especially for shock absorption, but it was necessary in exchange to let go of a lot of loading capacity, limited here to 626 kg once morest 992 kg for the more rustic suspension. Well, given the fairly oriented selection criteria when opting for this Raptor, not sure that this is a real problem. In any case, Normal or Sport mode – barely firmer – engaged for the suspensions, this monster proves capable, thanks to its giant deflections, of absorbing the largest deformations with astonishing ease, whether it is holes, bumps, or even the biggest speed bumps…on which he wouldn’t even need to slow down.
…but which can be dry
On the other hand, as always with rigid axles designed to be indestructible off-road, their very high mass means that they bounce over small defects in the road surface such as bitumen fittings, manhole covers. With the key very harsh reactions, like a cudgel for the occupants, which can be five in this double-cabin. Surprising contrast typical of pick-ups, capable of softness as well as dryness on the suspension side! And which sometimes shake the body sharply laterally on badly paved roads because of the large anti-roll bars, essential elements to prevent these high and very heavy machines from turning over on a sudden steering wheel movement (avoidance). Whether the suspensions of this Raptor are heterogeneous on the road, on the other hand they provide off-road where their large deflections make the worst paths much less distorted than the eye sees them.
Mud tires…
In these conditions, the BF Goodrich All Terrain tyres, truly track-specific and very resistant to stones, offer sufficient grip to make this big guy slide progressively, if there is space, and preferably without forgetting its significant inertia. On the center console, the transmission control allows you to choose 2H, i.e. propulsion with long gears to drift a little if there is space, 4A where the system chooses between rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive on its own, 4H for four-wheel high gears, and 4L for short gears on steep slopes or sloughs where short gears are needed. The fact remains that with these very typical rubbers, and despite a sharper chassis than what pick-ups usually offer, this Raptor still behaves like a flip-flop sprinter on the road.
…who don’t like wet asphalt
Certainly with four-wheel drive it accelerates quite hard, giving the impression that the grip is quite good. But from the first slightly pronounced turn, front tires screech at unusually moderate speeds, and above all slide to remind you of the laws of physics. Must therefore keep this in mind as soon as the route is a bit winding…and much more so on wet pavement. In this case, the braking distances have nothing in common with what a normal car can do, while the grip becomes really very precarious in turns, to the point of having to play the turtle as soon as it’s a little tight or on the roundregardings. Otherwise, it’s Holiday On Ice guaranteed, with loss of the front axle as well as the rear, and really wide glides that can surprise, even worry. This integrated, and accepted, this Raptor remains a toy that is certainly useless, even a little decadent, but which will give the banana to those who have chosen it for what it is. remains that it is not cheap since displayed at €70,440. Fortunately, despite its 315 g/km of CO2 and its very heavy weight, he escapes a penalty of €35,220 thanks to an approval trick. Phew, because on the consumption side, it is difficult to go below 15 l/100 km, even with a light foot!
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#test #demonic #Ford #Ranger #Raptor #twinturbo
