Ford has unveiled the new Raptor T1+ at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed - a hardcore V8-powered off-road weapon built to take on the Dakar Rally.
Built in collaboration with Red Bull and M-Sport (a loyal motorsport partner to Ford since 1997), the Raptor T1+ will be driven by World Rally Championship legend Carlos Sainz Sr and Nani Roma, who won the Dakar Rally in both 2004 and 2014.
It will make its competition debut at the August 2024 Baja Hungary, before being taken to October's Rallye du Maroc shortly after and then entered into the 2025 Dakar Rally next January.
So far, it has completed more than 6000 miles of testing "in some of the harshest conditions we could find", according to Dakar team manager and M-Sport director Matt Wilson.
Underneath, it has been heavily strengthened and optimised for dirt, gravel, sand and water wading.
It sports four-way adjustable dampers and front and rear independent double wishbones (built by American off-road suspension specialist Fox), which sit behind 17in aluminium-cast alloys and 37in off-road tyres. The wheels have up to 350mm of travel.
The Raptor T1+ is powered by Ford's 5.0-litre Coyote V8, which is also found in the new Mustang and F-150 pick-up truck, albeit with a bespoke, specially tuned exhaust system and the sort of dry-sump oil system found in many motorsport applications.
Ford hasn't yet revealed official performance figures, but given the fact that the same engine produces 500bhp in the Mustang Dark Horse (its most powerful application), we expect the Raptor T1+ to match that with its modifications.
The 4x4 has a steel spaceframe clad in carbonfibre body panels and has been designed to allow for 400mm of ground clearance and an approach angle of 70deg. For reference, the Land Rover Defender 90 has a 291mm of ground clearance and a 38deg approach angle.
The T1+ has also been given a 2300mm-wide stance for better off-road stability, and its total weight is claimed at 2010kg.
Ford Performance's global motorsport director Mark Rushbrook said: "The Ford Raptor T1+ is a stake in the ground for our global off-road vision. We want to take on the best and prove ourselves in the toughest places on Earth."
Rushbrook went on to say that the lessons learned by the development team will go on to make Ford's road-going Raptor performance trucks "even better for customers".
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