Ford introduced the Ranger Raptor in Australia more than a year ago before bringing it to Europe several months later. Despite being spied in North America several times, there’s still no sign of the performance truck on U.S. soil, with the official word from the Blue Oval being that it’s not coming to the United States. If there is a silver lining to be found, some Ford dealers in the U.S. have come up with Raptor-like versions of the Ranger.
Another Creation From This Dealer:
After checking out a beefy Ranger X from a dealer in Los Angeles earlier this year, another Ford dealership is taking a crack at making the Raptor meaner and more off-road competent. Long McArthur Ford from Salina, Kansas started off with an XLT trim with the 302A equipment group in the Super Crew body style and added the optional tow and FX4 off-road packages.
Gallery: Ford Ranger Baja by Long McAurthur Ford
Beginning with the most obvious changes, the standard grille has been replaced by a custom one prominently featuring the Ford lettering as you get on the official Ranger Raptor. There are some body graphics here and there to further denote it’s not a standard version of the pickup, with the fender flares at the front and rear being added for the same purpose.
Ok, but these cosmetic tweaks don’t really make the Ranger better for tackling rough terrain. Indeed, but Long McArthur Ford went further than that by implementing some actual hardware changes. A suspension lift at the front is combined with Fox 2.0 rear shocks, while Toyo 33-inch off-road tires for the custom black wheels have been installed at both axles.
The Performance Truck America Is Waiting For:
The Ford dealer also threw in the factory running boards, an aftermarket steel rack, custom exhaust, tinted front windows, and a matte black wrap on the tailgate. The Ranger pickup truck equipped with this Baja Package also comes bundled with the Ford Performance Toolkit, OEM all-weather floor mats, and a spray-in bedliner.
If you’re wondering how much it costs, we checked Long McArthur Ford’s online inventory and found two Ranger Baja trucks equipped with the standard EcoBoost four-cylinder engine. One of them costs $41,995 while the other is better equipped and consequently is slightly more expensive, at $42,590. All Bajas come with a three-year / 36,000-mile warranty.
Source: Long McArthur Ford via Muscle Cars And Trucks