Ford has teased a petrol-electric hybrid “super vehicle” that is “equally capable” on-road as it is off-road, as it looks to become the “Porsche of off-road”.
Ford has considered building a showroom-ready, road-legal version of its podium-finishing Dakar Rally racer, as part of plans to build a supercar that is as fast off-road as it is on tarmac.
CEO Jim Farley told Australian media including Drive that the brand views motorsport as more than a marketing exercise, and instead “a core part of [its] engineering” and “cycle of excellence”.
“That includes off-road as well, like Dakar, you know, like that T1+ [rally racer] – that should be a product we sell,” the executive said.
Asked directly if Ford has considered building a production version of its Dakar Rally entrant, Farley replied: “Yeah.”
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Farley’s desire to build an off-road-capable supercar is not new, revealing a wish last year to produce a 746kW (1000hp), partially-electrified vehicle with adjustable suspension that can make Ford the “Porsche of off-road”.
The top Ford executive told Australian media this week such a vehicle would “break the rules”.
“I don’t want to go into it too much, other than to say Kumar [Galhotra, Ford chief operating officer] and the team really understand that the invisible line between off-road and on-road supercars is blurring.
“And with partially-electric powertrains and digitally controlled damping and torque vectoring, you can now imagine a digitally-enabled super vehicle that, on-road and off-road, is equally capable.
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“What the silhouette looks like, all the details, we’ll continue to look at. But if there’s a company in the world that would break the rules and do something like that, I think it should be Ford.”
The Ford Raptor T1+ bears the name and styling of the Ranger Raptor ute in Australian showrooms, but it is a purpose-built race car designed for the undulating terrain of the Dakar Rally.
It is powered by a 5.0-litre V8 engine derived from the Coyote unit in production Mustang GTs, and sits on a bespoke steel spaceframe chassis with carbon-fibre body panels.
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Fox coil-over suspension with external dampers draws a link back to the Fox-branded shock absorbers in road-going Raptors, but unlocks up to 350mm of wheel travel and 400mm of ground clearance in the race car.
Also fitted are 37-inch off-road tyres, 355mm ventilated racing brake discs, and double-wishbone front and rear suspension.
Farley was speaking to media at the Australian Grand Prix, where Ford is debuting as an engine development partner for the Red Bull Racing team.
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“In our industry, we don’t make shampoo, we make cars. And this [F1] is like the ultimate of that promise of competing every weekend around the globe against the best and the brightest in all technology.
“Our commitment is to take that and make our vehicles – and I wouldn’t even say road cars, because really the most important enthusiast products at Ford are off-road vehicles now.
“There is no Porsche of off-road, and that’s what Ford can be.”
The post Ford Raptor V8 Dakar rally racer could spawn a production version appeared first on Drive.
