Automotive

Ford ramps up the Raptor for off-road Racing

Ford ramps up the Raptor for off-road Racing
The Raptor is available in four or two door bodystyles, but the off road racer in two door only
The Raptor is available in four or two door bodystyles, but the off road racer in two door only
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The Raptor's cabin is fitted out with a full cage and racing seats
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The Raptor's cabin is fitted out with a full cage and racing seats
The car has a slightly taller ground clearance than road going Raptors
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The car has a slightly taller ground clearance than road going Raptors
The chassis and motor are largely unchanged from the road-going Raptor's setup
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The chassis and motor are largely unchanged from the road-going Raptor's setup
The LED bar on the front of the car is new to the Raptor Racing Truck
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The LED bar on the front of the car is new to the Raptor Racing Truck
Tougher Fox Shox suspension has been fitted to the race truck to make sure it can soak up everything the desert can throw at it
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Tougher Fox Shox suspension has been fitted to the race truck to make sure it can soak up everything the desert can throw at it
The Raptor is available in four or two door bodystyles, but the off road racer in two door only
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The Raptor is available in four or two door bodystyles, but the off road racer in two door only
The car will be competing in desert races, backing up its tough looks with proper racing shocks
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The car will be competing in desert races, backing up its tough looks with proper racing shocks
Ford's Raptor has never been subtle, but the off road racer takes this presence to the next level
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Ford's Raptor has never been subtle, but the off road racer takes this presence to the next level
View gallery - 8 images

Ford's Raptor is about as off-road ready as trucks come, but not even the toughest pickups can necessarily cut it when it comes time to race. Luckily for any buyers with Baja-based aspirations, there's a new Race Truck version of America's favourite pickup.

Thankfully for the engineers tasked with putting the Race Truck together, the road-going Raptor's chassis provides a solid base. Changes to the car's structure are limited – in fact, there's not a heap of difference between the stock Raptor and the race version.

Drivers are treated external-bypass Fox shock absorbers to soak up bigger hits, and there's new front and rear springs to provide extra ground clearance.

The Raptor's cabin is fitted out with a full cage and racing seats
The Raptor's cabin is fitted out with a full cage and racing seats

To meet off-road racing regulations, as well as providing extra peace of mind for drivers as they fly through the desert, the Raptor Racing Truck is fitted out with a custom-made roll cage and MasterCraft racing seats with five point harnesses.

Beyond that, the fundamentals of Ford's Raptor haven't been changed. That means the car is still powered by a 411 hp (307 kW), 3.5-liter EcoBoost motor paired with a ten-speed automatic gearbox.

The car will be in action at the Best of the Desert off-road racing series' factory stock class, which kicks off on February 4th in Arizona.

Source: Ford

View gallery - 8 images
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