Ford’s next-gen Ranger Raptor bound for Baja 1000

Ford’s Australian arm announced that the next-generation Ranger Raptor will be the latest off-roading vehicle from the Blue Oval brand to tackle the Score International Baja 1000 — one of the toughest off-road races in the world.

The company’s motorsports division — Ford Performance — worked with Australia’s Kelly Racing to build the Baja-ready Ranger Raptor.

They also worked with United States (US)-based Lovell Racing to develop and race the truck at Baja. Lovell Racing, led by multi-time off-road champion and Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Famer Brad Lovell, is one of Ford Performance’s key off-road teams.

“By entering this event, we’re building on the hundreds of thousands of kilometers of development testing and pushing the Ranger Raptor to new extremes,” said Ford Performance Off-Road Motorsports Supervisor Brian Novak.

“The Baja 1000 is a demanding event and a well-known proving ground for off-road vehicles. We are excited to compete in this extreme event with Ranger Raptor,” Novak added.

The Ranger Raptor will be powered and protected by Shell’s low-carbon biofuel blend which consists of more than 30 percent sustainably sourced bio components. The use of low-carbon biofuel demonstrates the potential of these fuels in the most demanding environments.

“Demonstrating low-carbon fuels in performance settings like the Baja 1000 can help bring biofuels and other clean energy technologies to scale more quickly, and help to make them more available and affordable for everyone,” commented Ford Global Director of Sustainability, Compliance, and Homologation Cynthia Williams.

Photos from Ford

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