ford ranger raptor t1 plus 13 r0ba
John Mahoney5 Feb 2025
NEWS

Ford plotting extreme Ranger Raptor-based supercar

Recent Ranger-based Dakar racer could inspire road-going version with supercar pace and unbeatable off-road prowess

Ford CEO Jim Farley has announced he is considering producing an off-road supercar heavily inspired by the Ranger-based Ford Raptor T1+ that came third in the recent 2025 Dakar Rally.

Speaking to Top Gear, the Blue Oval’s boss suggested the super-ute could be sold under a new Raptor sub-brand.

Easily the most extreme take on the Ford Ranger yet, the Raptor T1+ referred to by the Ford boss featured a full carbon-fibre body based around a bespoke steel chassis, with motorsport-derived double-wishbone long-travel suspension, adjustable Fox dampers (two per wheel) and huge 37-inch tyres.

Said to have as much as 400mm of ground clearance, the Raptor T1+ was powered by a Ford Coyote 5.0-litre V8 that boasted a dry sump, high-flow oil coolers and a motorsport exhaust.

Total power was capped to 268kW, while T1+ regs also dictated the racing truck had to weigh in at 2010kg.

Helping Ford reach that target, the racing ute came with air conditioning and adjustable seats, plus a huge 520-litre fuel tank.

It’s thought the real supercar will keep the road-going ute’s Aussie-developed T6 platform but adopt the racer’s more sophisticated suspension and lightweight parts that could include a full carbon-fibre body.

Under the bonnet, a high-output V8 is almost a dead cert, with the Ford super-ute potentially in line to share the monstrous 608kW Ford Predator supercharged 5.2-litre powerplant used by the Mustang GTD hypercar.

“We’re in the middle of creating something, so we don’t have all the answers yet, but the question is should Ford make an off-road supercar? Not a version of a car, a standalone supercar.

Ford Raptor T1+
Ford Raptor T1+
Ford Mustang GTD Engine

“The reason people love the Ranger Raptor in the UK is because it’s a fun car but the damping is very compliant. People don’t understand about off-road racing how compliant the damping is and that makes it a totally different experience to being in a [Porsche 911] GT2 RS,” Farley told the British mag.

Chatting to Ford Performance’s Mark Rushbrook, the global director says that he loved that there were existing Raptor versions of the F-150, Bronco and Ranger, but said his division could “do more”.

“Yes, the Raptor T1+ at Dakar represents the ultimate Raptor in many ways, and we’re learning a lot from that both in terms of the competition but also in terms of feedback from customers, so all I can say is stay tuned…”

Neither Farley nor Rushbrook would provide a timeline for when we might see the supertruck, but it’s thought it could be rushed to production to avoid having to comply with Euro 7 emission regulations.

Tags

Ford
Ranger
Car News
Dual Cab
Ute
4x4 Offroad Cars
Performance Cars
Written byJohn Mahoney
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