London - Is the Ford Ranger Raptor the ultimate cure for a midlife crisis? Richard Hammond, of Top Gear and Grand Tour fame, seeks to find out in his latest tongue-in-cheek video, posted on YouTube by his affiliate website DriveTribe.
Given that the video was sponsored by Ford, it is not to be mistaken for an objective review (if you want that, then
for our Raptor road test), but you will get to see Hammond poke some fun at his phone-zombified teenage daughters, before using the Raptor’s technology to enact the ultimate revenge on them.
But that doesn't happen before a really extended trip to the shopping mall, where the ultra-wide Ranger Raptor actually managed to fit between the lines of a British parking bay... or did it? Look at the parking bay to the right for your answer.
Hold on to your organic smoothies and enjoy the ride...
For the record, the Ranger Raptor was launched in South Africa in May, with a price tag of R803 000.
Although it’s not an outright performance machine, the Raptor was designed to tackle rough terrain at speed. Its heart is Ford’s brand new 2-litre twin-turbodiesel engine that was recently introduced into the facelifted Ranger line-up, and which produces 157kW and 500Nm.
But what actually sets it apart is its beefed up chassis.
With a ground clearance of 283mm, the Raptor rides 46mm higher than regular Rangers, and it’s also kitted out with Fox Racing shock absorbers with Position Sensitive Damping as well as a new Watt’s linkage rear suspension with coilover springs.
The Raptor also comes with a Terrain Management System, allowing drivers to choose between six modes: ‘Normal’, ‘Sport’, ‘Grass/Gravel/Snow’, ‘Mud/Sand’, ‘Rock’ and ‘Baja’.