FOR a brief period I was behind the wheel of a time machine. That’s right, a time machine. And it took me not just on roads I don’t usually take but also brought me to joyrides some 30 years in the past.
Now I get it if you won’t believe me. But time machines do exist. What else would you call a machine that can rekindle feelings you’ve not had since you were a teen? And no, I am talking about a machine. Not some little blue pill.
And the time machine has a name too. It's called a Ford Ranger Raptor.
The Raptor was such a thrill to drive it reminded me of the times when I, together with nine of my high school buddies, would sneak off with our parents’ cars in the dead of night to drive on deserted city streets till early morning. We were always excited and always bickering on who got to ride shotgun because, next to the driver, the front passenger seat was closest to the steering wheel. Whoever got to seat out front was sure to be next behind the wheel. So being in the front seat always made us pregnant with expectations.
It was like that when I got the invitation to take the Raptor for a test drive. The Raptor is Ford’s nameplate for its line of high-performance pick-up trucks. These are street legal counterparts of Ford’s famed offroad racing rigs. It is a truck on steroids.
Going over the Ranger Raptor’s specs was almost like foreplay. The Ranger Raptor is equipped with a 2.0-liter Bi-Turbo diesel engine that, according to the brochure, delivers a maximum of 213PS of power and 500Nm of torque. It is equipped with a 10-speed automatic transmission that I was to find out later made driving easy, even for those not used to vehicles with automatic trannies.
The Ranger Raptor looked as good as it sounded on paper with a front end that takes styling cues from its big brother, the F-150 Raptor. Like its sibling, it has the iconic block FORD lettering proudly positioned within the grille design.
Inside, the Ranger Raptor offers all the accouterments associated with a vehicle at that price point--good info and entertainment system plus an abundance of leather. The seats are specially designed for off-road high-speed performance support.
The Ranger Raptor’s chassis frame is a new unique frame that is specifically designed for the vehicle to travel at high speeds off-road. The Ranger Raptor’s Position Sensitive Damping (PSD) shock absorbers are exclusively manufactured by FOX, designed to provide higher damping forces at full jounce and rebound to enable better off-road capabilities.
The Ranger Raptor’s Terrain Management System (TMS) includes the Baja mode, inspired by Mexico’s famous Baja Desert Rally, and enables ultra-responsive, high-speed off-road performance. In this mode, vehicle systems like Traction Control are pared back to allow spirited off-road driving without intervention from the vehicle’s on-board systems.
Ranger Raptor comes with a host of advanced Driver Assist Technologies (DATs) such as SYNC 3, a fully integrated, voice activation system that lets the driver use their favorite devices while their hands stay on the wheel and eyes on the road. Ford’s comprehensive Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system also helps in difficult cornering and braking situations.
All these specs made driving the Ranger Raptor a blast. It was quick, it cornered solidly, and it ate all the humps and bumps like they were pancakes. It was solid and confidence-inspiring. Best of all, it was fun to drive, something I haven’t felt in a long, long time.
But then again, I did say it was a time machine. (JBD)
