Ford Ranger Raptor
Proof, if proof were needed, that the size of a standard British parking space hasn’t increased one iota since the Austin 7 was the country’s best-selling biffabout comes in no more assertive form than that of Ford’s Ranger Raptor.
Though still relatively modest by American pick-up standards, seen out and about amidst Mudfordshire’s burgeoning fleet of L200s, Hiluxes and Navaras the Raptor is beyond enormous, readily qualifying for ‘My GOD – it’s moving towards us’ status.
Especially when shoehorned into one of said parking bays: Pick your space with care because, with cars parked either side, you’re simply never getting out of the Ford, or back in again, until somebody moves. Which does add a somewhat interesting slant to a quick trip to the shops for cat food and corn plasters…
In truth, a standard Ranger doesn’t really stand out in the LCV (Light Commercial Vehicle) crowd, the Raptor doing so -in spades- due to the extensive chassis and undercarriage tinkering required to ensure that it’ll go like a stabbed rat when travelling off road.
A by no means comprehensive list of the fettlings involved includes a uniquely modified ladder chassis for increased strength and revised suspension geometry; a 150 mm increase in track width; a rear coilover spring conversion with new linkage -replacing the standard leaf springs; front and rear Fox Racing Shox shock absorbers; new front forged aluminium upper and cast aluminium lower suspension arms for increased suspension travel and less weight; rear disc brakes in place of standard drums; 20% larger front brake calliper pistons; 33-inch all-terrain tyres; a six-mode Terrain Management System; a new 2.3 mm high-strength steel front bash plate; diecast aluminium alloy side steps to protect the rear bodywork from flying debris, and the swollen bodywork to accommodate the lot.
And this adds up to a 5,398 mm long machine that’s 2180 mm wide, stands 1873 mm high and has a ground clearance of a whopping 283 mm. It boasts an extra 30% front and 18% rear suspension travel, and will wade up to a depth of 850 mm (still, I recall, not as deep as a Range Rover goes).
All of which leaves us ideally poised to beat the crap out of the adjacent countryside but for two small issues: Firstly, and the only thing small about this pick-up, the sole engine available is a relatively humble 4-cylinder, 2.0 litre diesel mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. Yes, it may have sequential turbocharging (one small turbo for quick response that links to a second larger unit delivering power at high revs). And, yes, it may deliver 370 lb ft of torque and boast a low range transfer case. But one can’t help feeling that a figure somewhere near double the available 210 bhp would be more appropriate for an expensive machine with this terrain-bullying potential.
Secondly, the odd ford aside, you just try off-roading at a decent lick and without a beard anywhere here in Mudfordshire and the instantaneous bellow of ‘Git orf moi laand’ is liable to be backed-up by both barrels of a 12 bore…
This is especially galling because the Ford Sync 3 infotainment system sports a sat’ nav’ with the ability to lay ‘breadcrumbs’ as you monster about in the bundu, allowing you to find your way back to your starting point no matter how far off road you may inadvertently stray. And I was really looking forward to sampling that.
So, from the confines of a surprisingly comfortable and extremely well appointed cabin, and reassured by the knowledge that others have deemed the raptor to be something of a hoot in the wild, we must confine ourselves to the tarmac.
You sit nose bleed-high in a Raptor, giving you an excellent view of the B roads down which you’re uncertain the car will fit, whilst making the running board-style side steps nigh on essential for gaining access to the cockpit. The problem with running boards, of course, remains their propensity to rub mud on the back of your trousers on egress, unless your employ them again in a somewhat ungainly dismount, or leap clear in the manner of one exiting the first floor of a burning building.
On the move, the Raptor steps smartly off the line, but rather fails to deliver thereafter. Ford quotes nine seconds to 62 mph; yup, and something big and pink just shot past the window… But the gearbox shifts swiftly and smoothly in either automatic or paddle shift manual guise, the steering has unexpected pangs of accuracy and body control has been nicely judged to allow a modicum of roll entirely appropriate to something this size.
Now, colleagues have suggested that, as well as turning it into a veritable hovercraft over rough ground, those fancy Fox Racing Shox have worked wonders for the Raptor’s on-road ride quality. I beg to differ. The replacement astern of leaf springs with something more civilised has undoubtedly improved the tarmac ride, but we are by no means dealing with a magic carpet here.
Rather, the pick-up retains the classic ride qualities -albeit gently muted- of any cabin bolted to a separate ladder chassis. Tall tyres and cabin isolation work wonders at removing a deal of the finer road surface gristle from the blancmange, and those trick dampers dismiss larger surface disruptions with admirable disdain.
But knobbly tyre tread patterns generate a deal of noise, and there’s no escaping the fact that the car is all-too prone to shuddering like a vegan dropped into a bath full of maggots at every opportunity. No big deal and no disgrace; it’s just what pick-ups with separate chassis do.
Far less forgivable is the fact that lesser Rangers equipped with this same powertrain, smaller wheels and less weight are actually faster than the range-topping Raptor. And that won’t do.
To add insult to injury, pick-ups are thicker on the ground in this part of Mudfordshire than ticks on a sheepdog, but they’re not as useful as you might think. Last time I took one to the local tip I was turned away on the basis that I was driving a commercial vehicle.
I was sorely tempted to try again with the Raptor because it actually fails to qualify as a light commercial vehicle (LCV) for benefit-in-kind (BIK) taxation purposes. That’s because the added stout of off-road alacrity raises its minimum kerbweight to 2510 kg. With a gross vehicle weight of 3130 kg, that lowers its maximum payload to only 620 kg – some way short of the 1040 kg required for qualification as a dual purpose light commercial vehicle for BIK tax purposes.
So if you want a Raptor as a company car you’ll have to pay CO2-based BIK, rather than the cheaper fixed rate offered to pick-ups that do meet the LCV standard.
None of which matters a fig if you try and take your pick-up to the tip, because the men who ride bicycles and wear nettle-dyed tank tops have ordained that you’ll be turned away no matter how much tax you pay. No wonder our hedgerows are full of jettisoned crap.
Despite all of which I rather enjoyed the Raptor. Like jumping in deep puddles, it’s good fun. Until the water gets in your wellies…