Ford is serious about expanding its racing program. The brand unveiled a Mustang Dark Horse-inspired Funny Car that will hit the drag strip later in 2024, it's developing a Formula One power unit with Red Bull, and it announced a Raptor-branded entry into the 2025 Dakar Rally.
Previewed by Ford Performance during its 2024 season launch event, the truck looks nothing like the Ranger-like model competing in the 2024 edition of the race. Its full design hasn't been released yet, but the teaser image shows a grille with red "FORD" lettering flanked by C-shaped LED lights and, if you look closely, pronounced wheel arches. "Raptor" is a vague term; is it a Bronco, an F-150, or a Ranger?
The answer may be "none of the above." While the truck will wear Raptor badges, it will be developed jointly by Ford Performance and a British racing engineering company called M-Sport specifically for the Dakar Rally, so it won't be based on a production model. It will notably compete in the T1 category, which is open to prototypes that comply with the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's safety and technical regulations. Beyond that, the rules are fairly open: T1-spec cars feature a tubular chassis, but the drivetrain is up to the team racing them.
More details about Ford's entry into the 2025 Dakar Rally will emerge in the coming months. The event's route and dates haven't been released yet, organizers and competitors remain focused on the 2024 race, but we already know that Ford will need to fend off competition from Dacia to take the first spot on the podium. Renault's budget division is also running a prototype in 2025, we're guessing its entry will be shaped like the new Duster, and it's putting nine-time World Rally Championship (WRC) champion Sébastien Loeb behind the wheel.
In the meantime, Ford Performance is preparing for the 2024 Monte-Carlo Rally, which is one of the most famous races in the WRC season. The brand's entry is shaped like the Puma, a small crossover not sold in the United States, and it was also developed jointly with M-Sport.
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