Ford is not working on a Raptor R version of the Bronco or the Ranger. Carl Widmann, Chief Engineer of Ford Racing Production Vehicles, shut down those rumours in an interview with Road & Track, saying he was not aware of any plans in that direction. He went even further, arguing that the Ranger Raptor may already have “too much power” for the segment in which it competes.
Ford says no to Bronco Raptor R and Ranger Raptor R
The numbers partly support this view. The Ranger Raptor’s 3.0-litre EcoBoost V6 produces 405 hp and 582 Nm of torque, figures that stand well above most American midsize trucks. For reference, the Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon and Nissan Frontier stop at 310 hp, the Toyota Tacoma reaches 326 hp and the Jeep Gladiator sits at 285 hp. The Ranger Raptor already plays in a class of its own, and the Blue Oval seems to consider its performance balance close to the reasonable limit.
The Bronco case looks more complex. In this segment, its direct rival is the Jeep Wrangler Moab 392, powered by a 6.4-litre HEMI V8 delivering 470 hp and 637 Nm of torque. The Bronco Raptor, by contrast, produces 418 hp and 596 Nm from its EcoBoost V6. Dynamically, the gap narrows, because Ford’s package relies on wider tracks, dedicated suspension and a setup designed for fast off-road driving. In the American off-road imagination, however, the presence of a V8 still carries an emotional weight that few technical arguments can fully offset.
Pricing does not help separate the two positions. Both the Bronco Raptor and the Wrangler Moab 392 start at around $79,995, excluding destination charges. The difference therefore shifts almost entirely to the engine and product identity.
The picture could change soon. Dodge has confirmed the arrival of a new Dakota SRT, although it remains unclear whether it will follow the road-focused philosophy of the future Ram 1500 Rumble Bee or the extreme off-road approach of the discontinued TRX. In either case, the brand’s return to the performance pick-up segment could increase pressure on Ford.
For now, Widmann’s words seem to close the door on Raptor R versions of the smaller models in the range. From a commercial point of view, Ford prefers to defend the technical balance of the Bronco Raptor and Ranger Raptor, temporarily leaving Jeep with the V8 monopoly among compact off-roaders.
