Hennessey Builds America the Ranger Raptor That Ford Won't

The new 2019 Ford Ranger is an excellent truck, one that we wish Ford had brought to the U.S. years ago. But we salivate even more at the forbidden fruit that Ford won't bring to the U.S.: the Ranger Raptor, the off-road truck that Ford sells in foreign markets but not in the land where the Ranger was born. Well if Ford won't do it, says tuner shop Hennessey Performance, we'll have to do it ourselves. And they have — presenting the new 2019 Hennessey VelociRaptor Ford Ranger.

 

These are the folks who have been selling various custom limited-edition versions of the big F-150 Raptor for almost a decade now, including an SUV version and the completely nutty six-wheeled $349,000 VelociRaptor 6x6. They've turned their attention to something a little less expensive, giving the Ranger the Raptor treatment that Americans have been clamoring for. And it does indeed look sweet.

It starts with the standard turbocharged 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine that powers all American Rangers (the global Ranger Raptor is diesel-powered). Hennessey boosts the power from 270 horsepower to 350 hp, and ups the torque from 310 pounds-feet to 385. A new high-flow air induction system, stainless-steel cat-back exhaust and engine control unit tune (with increased boost) knock 1.3 seconds off the Ranger's zero-to-60-mph time — it now sprints there in 6.1 seconds.

The big Raptor is known more for its off-road prowess than its sheer grunt, and Hennessey helped the Ranger here, too. Its Ranger VelociRaptor features the company's Stage 1 off-road performance suspension upgrade with a 4-inch lift that dramatically helps ground clearance. Add in the 17-inch alloy wheels and BFGoodrich All-Terrain 285/70R17 off-road tires, and Hennessey says it's added 6 inches of ground clearance. With the stock FX4 Ranger already providing 8.9 inches of ground clearance, it's going to be one heck of a hike up into the cabin if the Hennessey VelociRaptor is packing nearly 15 inches of ground clearance.

Cosmetically, the VelociRaptor has an upgraded front bumper with LED lights and an optional winch, fender flares bulk up the wheel wells and Hennessey graphics run down the rear fenders. A roof-mounted LED light bar is optional.

The starting price of $64,950 includes the price of a new 2019 Ford Ranger. If you have your own Ranger and just want the upgrade package, it's $19,950 plus shipping costs. Hennessey is planning on making only 500 of these turnkey 2019 models, which you can buy directly from the company or at select authorized Hennessey Performance Ford dealers. Each upgrade comes with a three-year/36,000-mile warranty. We can't say whether the Ranger VelociRaptor can do what a standard Ford F-150 Raptor can — blast across the desert at astonishing speeds, emulating a Baja race truck that you can take to the grocery store — but perhaps we'll get lucky enough to get some seat time in the near future to let you know.

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