ford ranger raptor: party crashing the goodwood festival of speed 2019

gathering together exquisitely rare vintage vehicles, astronomically shaped sculptures and world premiers of concept cars, the goodwood festival of speed is a paradise for everything automotive. the british estate, located in sussex’s south downs, is transformed every year into a sensorial wonderland for design and, most importantly, high-speed races. in a new UK-specific toy, designboom invaded the 2019 edition of the quintessential party in the ford ‘ranger raptor’, which, just like the festival, is all fun.

all images courtesy of ford

sourcing design cues from the famed ‘F-150’ pickup, the ford ‘ranger raptor’ has typical off-road geometry, says amko leenarts, director, design ford of europe, at the drive. to start with, a unique, powerful grille and bumper imposes at the front, which is further defined by subtle lines running up the bonnet and dramatically cut edges that frame the headlamps before sculpting the side of the vehicle. functionality is reflected most in its 5374mm long side view that, with a three box proportion, concludes in an 1139mm length, 1560mm width and 561mm deep cargo bed.

at 2180mm wide, the truck’s muscular styling further emphasizes its wide, aggressive yet playful stance. however, at heart, the ford ‘ranger raptor’ has still been build for purpose. sitting on top of 17-inch alloy wheels, the car has a ground clearance of 283mm – 50mm higher than the normal ‘raptor’ model. this reaches a height of 1873mm and delivers an incredibly high viewing platform for the driver.

the interior itself unites the playfulness of its ‘raptor’ persona with the functionality of its original ‘ranger’ nature. the architecture is built for purpose with its dashboard straight, clean and upholstered in ford’s signature ebony black. the fittings are then sculpted for sportiness with the uniquely shaped steering together with metallic coated paddle shifters, and its cocooning special edition seats covered in soft suede.

following the dynamic design of the pickup, the model drifts above a race-bred, unique aluminum armed suspension with limited lateral movement. this support system ensures a driving experience that is connected to its off-road surroundings, minimizing sudden jerks, loud bangs and the need for excessive power. together with the 2.0 liter ecoblue bi-turbo diesel engine that produces 210 hp and 500 Nm, the ford smoothly rolls up and over everything in its path. its terrain management system includes six selectable modes, with ‘baja’ specially configured for the most extreme high-speed off-road races.

climbing the hills of the south downs and moving on to the roads leading to goodwood, the ford ‘ranger raptor’ harmoniously combines its off-road functionality with uncompromising road and parking capabilities. it seems natural as the truck smoothly accelerates from 0-62 mph in 10.5 seconds, transitioning through its 10-speed automatic up to a top speed of 106 mph (170 km/h). helping drivers of all abilities, its assisting technologies make the vehicle feel much smaller than it appears from the exterior. this includes autonomous emergency braking, intelligent speed assist, lane keeping system, adaptive cruise control, and active park assist.

its the balance between purposefulness and playfulness that best epitomizes the design of the ford ‘ranger raptor’. like the 2019 goodwood festival of speed, the pickup combines exhilarating speed, sound and sumptuously sporty shapes. more importantly, though, the truck is tuned-up yet still practical, and that really makes the UK-specific, american-like ‘toy’ all-out fun.