Ford Ranger Raptor conceived after-hours

While Ford didn't officially confirm the existence of the Ranger Raptor until last September, it was all but approved back in early 2014.

That was when then Ford global product development chief Raj Nair had an unscheduled drive of a very early 'X1' prototype at the You Yangs proving ground near Geelong.

Not only did he drive it, he was the second person to get behind the wheel after it had been given a preliminary shakedown.

"Raj got out and said 'you've nailed Raptor'," chief program engineer Damien Ross told motoring.com.au.

"After that, quite honestly, we were left to get it out there."

Following its world debut in Bangkok, Thailand today, Ford's first Ranger Raptor is expected on sale in Australia in the second half of 2018.

While it is inspired by the F-150 Raptor and developed in the USA with similar Fox long-travel shock absorbers, the Ranger Raptor goes its own way with a new-generation twin-turbo 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine and coil-sprung Watts Link rear suspension.

You can read our first ride review from a 2017 test session in the Aussie Outback here and check out Matt Brogan's full rundown on the production vehicle's specifications from the global reveal.

Nair was never meant to drive the X1 during his visit to the proving ground as it had only just been completed.

"We had the X1 basically just finished off," said Ross. "I think they tightened up the last bolt, drove it into a spot and Raj walked past during a visit and he said 'what is that?'.

"We told him and he said 'well I want to drive it'."

The X1 was the first real Ranger Raptor prototype. It was preceded by the 'X0' built in 2013, which had a pick-up body placed over an Everest chassis.

Engineer Simon Johnson, who became the dynamics tuning lead on Ranger Raptor, helped build the X1 and had the job of shaking it down before Nair went for his drive.

"No-one had driven it yet," confirmed Johnson. "It had just been delivered to the proving ground. I just parked it among the cars, but it hadn't had a safety check, no-one could drive it, yet Raj wanted to drive it."

"So as a safety check I took it out and thought 'this is even better than I thought'. Then we let him out in it.

"That helped get the momentum going. He had a smile from ear to ear."

Both X0 and X1 were built by the Asia-Pacific product development team in their spare time as there was no official Ranger Raptor program in those days.

"There were times when the guys put in when we didn't really have lots of budget, when you are trying to develop something up," revealed Ross.

"They created the X0 and the X1 through personal labour and an extra hour of work … just the passion of the team pumping out a prototype to prove out the product."

Ross said getting Nair, who now runs Ford North America, into X1 proved immensely helpful as the development process progressed.

"It was very important because when went into the next gateway approval, we said 'we are still fine-tuning a few things' and he let us go through, because he got the passion of the product."