The South African Rally Raid Championship is starting this month. And with that, Ford Performance has entered a special Ranger into the mix. No it’s not the Ford Ranger Raptor, but something much more extreme. Simply called the Rally Ranger, this race truck will take on other global manufacturers in its first race at the end of this month under the direction of Neil Woolridge Motorsports.
The Rally Ranger was created for the Ford Castrol team to run in the SARRC this season which starts March 26th and runs until November. This isn’t the first time the Ranger has been used in this championship run, last year was its debut and it was solid enough to pull off a second-place overall finish and comes into this year with numerous improvements. Some of the modifications to the Ranger include high-tech carbon-fiber and an aramid weave for the body work all the way around. The Ranger also sports unique butterfly doors, a signature design cue from the guys a NWM.
Technically speaking, the truck is almost a foot (11.8 inches) wider than before and sports massive 37-inch tires to get it through every type of terrain expected in its racing trials. Those tires are the same size found on the Bronco Raptor which made its debut earlier this year and can currently be configured online. The larger tires make it easier to accommodate upgraded suspension and braking components. The NWM Ranger features 1-inch bigger disc brakes all the way around that are air cooled as well as water cooled, but only in the rear. Wheel travel increases tremendously with the help of new upper and lower control arms and a longer drive shaft. Total travel improves from 11-inches to 13.7-inches.
The Rally Ranger also features a race-proven 3.5L EcoBoost V6 engine producing 402 horsepower which is quite similar to the Ford Bronco Raptor and the recently revealed Ranger Raptor. By comparison the Ranger Raptor pushes out 392 horsepower via the 3.0L EcoBoost V6 while the Bronco Raptor can produce an estimated 400 horsepower with the same engine.
