Photo: Stefan Baldauf / SB-Medien
Before anything, let’s remind ourselves that Ford of Australia intended to swap the Ranger Raptor’s bi-turbo diesel with the Coyote V8 for a special edition. Yet alas, the mighty Ranger Raptor V8 failed to materialize.
The mid-size pickup with full-size power was never approved for production according to Australian automotive media, and even more worrying for potential customers, the V8 swap is actually dead since 2019.
Redesigned for the 2023 model year on the T6.2 platform of the Bronco, the Ranger is once again rumored with an eight-cylinder lump. Cars Guide reports that high-ranking officials Trevor Worthington and Mark Rushbook wish to create a Coyote V8-engined truck, yet I wouldn’t hold my breath.
The vice president of Global Product Development Operations & Vehicle Programs said, “there’s a lot of opportunity” because of the Bronco DR, a desert runner that’s not entitled to wear a license plate. The Global Director of Ford Performance Motorsports said, “I’d love to think we could do something like that. No plans at the moment, but we want to work on it.”
So let’s recap. Two bigwigs would like to see a V8-powered Ranger with Bronco DR-sourced hardware, neither confirmed the green light for the Ranger Raptor R, and the previous-generation Ranger Raptor V8 project was nipped in the bud. That said, what could go wrong?
Skepticism aside, the Ranger Raptor V8 simply isn’t commercially viable. The Blue Oval’s truck sold 50,279 units last year in Australia, which is too small of a market for a cost-intensive project and product such as the V8-swapped truck. Even in the United States, where the Ranger sold 94,755 units last year, the Coyote feels a little too much for a mid-size pickup.
In related news, the Ranger Raptor will be revealed in February with a V6, most likely a twin-turbo lump just like the Bronco Raptor’s engine. Oh, and by the way, the Ranger Raptor will be sold in the U.S. too.
Redesigned for the 2023 model year on the T6.2 platform of the Bronco, the Ranger is once again rumored with an eight-cylinder lump. Cars Guide reports that high-ranking officials Trevor Worthington and Mark Rushbook wish to create a Coyote V8-engined truck, yet I wouldn’t hold my breath.
The vice president of Global Product Development Operations & Vehicle Programs said, “there’s a lot of opportunity” because of the Bronco DR, a desert runner that’s not entitled to wear a license plate. The Global Director of Ford Performance Motorsports said, “I’d love to think we could do something like that. No plans at the moment, but we want to work on it.”
So let’s recap. Two bigwigs would like to see a V8-powered Ranger with Bronco DR-sourced hardware, neither confirmed the green light for the Ranger Raptor R, and the previous-generation Ranger Raptor V8 project was nipped in the bud. That said, what could go wrong?
Skepticism aside, the Ranger Raptor V8 simply isn’t commercially viable. The Blue Oval’s truck sold 50,279 units last year in Australia, which is too small of a market for a cost-intensive project and product such as the V8-swapped truck. Even in the United States, where the Ranger sold 94,755 units last year, the Coyote feels a little too much for a mid-size pickup.
In related news, the Ranger Raptor will be revealed in February with a V6, most likely a twin-turbo lump just like the Bronco Raptor’s engine. Oh, and by the way, the Ranger Raptor will be sold in the U.S. too.
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