With the Ranger set to roll into dealer showrooms soon, Ford will show off some modified versions of the truck at SEMA.
Off-road fans of the Blue Oval were essentially sent to bed without their supper this week, as the company delivered news they will not be bringing the Ranger Raptor to these shores. These Rangers bound for SEMA are like a midnight snack brought up to our room by an apologetic parent.
Kicking things off is the Ranger Pre-Runner. Taking an FX4-equipped Ranger, the company installed a 3.73 electronic locking rear diff, a Fox/BDS Suspension three-inch leveling kit, off-road shocks, and a set of 285/70 BFGoodrich KO2s mounted to 17-inch Ford Performance wheels. Other gear includes a tasty Desert Racer front bumper with integrated skid plate and illuminated (!) rock-slider side steps. A Rotopax fuel can system with twin 3.5-gallon cans plus a swing case from Undercover provide added back-country range.
The Ranger Base Camp ladles on the same leveling kit from Fox/BDS while installing a couple of extra skid plates and camping items. Those front and rear bumpers are by Warn Industries and, naturally, have space for a winch. That is indeed a snorkel you see lashed to the A-pillar, joining Chevy and Toyota with their air periscopes. These KO2 tires are sized 285/65/18. Props to Ford for showing a couple of different tire sizes.
Despite being laden with gaming gear, the Xbox Ranger looks quite ready to tackle some tough trails, given its mega six-inch lift with Fox coil-over front suspension kit. Massive Goodrich KM3s sized 315/70/R17 have been shoehorned underneath, along with diff covers and skid plates. And, yes, there are Xbox gaming systems on board. Gamers can pipe Forza Horizon 4 gameplay to screens in the bed of the truck.
Project Nightfall – too cool for a Ranger suffix, apparently – is billed as being “an adventurer that’s equally at home in the city.” I’ll leave you to interpret that on your own. The Fox 3-inch levelling kit appears once again, this time with 20-inch Rhino wheels and 305/55 Cooper Discoverers. That’s a Revo cap and Bushwacker fender flares, in case you’re wondering.
Also joining the six-inch lift crew is the Project Ranger X. In addition to the lift, off-roaders will appreciate the Fox 2.5 Factory Series DSC coil-overs and AirLift rear airbag suspension. No, your eyes are not deceiving you – this truck has been stretched to a 136-inch wheelbase, allowing for a custom long bed, shown here as a Knapheide utility box with custom-built rack system for tools, supplies and recovery gear.
This army green Baja-Forged Ranger rides on 35-inch KM3 mud tires, suspended by an Icon Vehicle Dynamics front suspension system with 2.5 Series remote reservoir coil-overs. Remote reservoir secondary shocks join a lower A-arm skid plate with secondary shock mounts and a rear suspension with 3.0 Series bypass shocks.
Capping off this ‘Roided Ranger Roundup is the Airdesign USA Ranger earns a beefy body kit, Fox 2.5 Factory Series DSC coil-overs with 2.0 rear shocks, and a set of 33-inch Nitto Grapplers. That hood scoop looks good and is apparently a Ford licensed accessory by Airdesign. By the way, all the trucks shown here are powered by the 2.3-liter EcoBoost and ten-speed automatic.
See, Ford? Gonzo off-road Rangers are cool. Now can we please have our supper?