Forza Horizon 4: The meanest Ranger you can't have

While the rest of the USA delighted to the return of the Ford Ranger after almost a decade, a lot felt somewhat disappointed because while the Ranger is back where it belongs, there's one Ranger missing from its comeback list and that's none other than the meanest Ranger of all; the Ranger Raptor.



So, what's it all about the Ranger Raptor, the kind of Ranger we can't have because it's made for the overseas market where the F-150 Raptor's not available? As the only factory-built performance truck built from the Asia-Pacific region, mainly from Thailand of course, the Ranger Raptor is the true off-road truck made for the most hardcore of men who want to get through floods, rocks, and mountains without all the drama. To tell the truth, the Ranger Raptor is the main response for the speedo boys who spend their money slapping Raptor-inspired grilles on their current-generation Ford Rangers. Truly, a poor man's F-150 Raptor, I dare say.

Unlike the F-150 Raptor, which comes with the EcoBoost V6 petrol engine, the Ranger Raptor is powered by a 2.0L Bi-Turbo diesel engine producing 213PS of power and 500Nm of torque. Not as powerful as the F-150 Raptor but that torque really made it sound beefy. Like its big American brother, the Ranger Raptor is mated to a 10-speed AT.

In addition to its toughened, off-road focused chassis, brakes, and suspension capable of tackling the beaten path, the Ranger Raptor features a Terrain Management System with six modes for various driving experiences, including the Baja Mode for high-speed off-road performance.



Having first experienced the Ranger Raptor, this toughened, no-nonsense version delivered some upsides and downsides to the driving experience. First off, the diesel engine may be sound beefy but it doesn't have enough power to outrun the competition and the 10-speed AT is a bit of a letdown to this engine. Despite being less powerful, the offroad capabilities really made the Americans very jealous, so jealous, they want the Michigan men to build one if Ford says so but for now, it's a no-go for the baby Raptor to roar through America's dirtiest jobs. It's a shame, really, but I can still pretend that this is just a normal Ranger modified to go down and dirty like its would-be rival, the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2.



Having done my little talk about the Ranger Raptor, I went to Fortune Island to do some Ranger things because between you and me, this un-American Ranger wants to turn the world upside down with its clever off-road talent and its Baja-ness to go down and dirty. If this truck wants one, so be it.



Man, why can't Ford get some cool machines like the ones offered overseas?



Should Ford brought the Ranger Raptor stateside, it would be the most affordable Raptor truck sold and if they bolted this one with something more powerful than the beefy but dismal diesel engine, it would go like stink but sadly, it's too little too late and Ford has no time to bring this monster Ranger to the Home of the Brave. Tough luck, amigos, but despite not being made it stateside, the Ranger Raptor is a little brother that does all the things just like its big brother. It may have some loopholes that need to be fixed but the Ranger Raptor is Built Tough redefined for today's world.