Why the Ford Ranger Raptor's Baja 1000 entry is a big deal for the Australian-developed ute | Opinion

Ford’s decision to send the Ranger Raptor to the Baja 1000 off-road race in Mexico later this month is a big deal - a very big deal. But unless you’re a motor racing fanatic the significance of the announcement may have been lost on you.

Let me explain why it’s such a ground-breaking moment for the Australian designed and developed Ranger. 

The Baja 1000 is the ultimate off-road race in North America, the benchmark for all off-road vehicles to be judged against. It has been run since 1967 and has attracted some of the biggest names in racing (and beyond) to the unique challenge it presents.

Unlike typical off-road events, like the Dakar Rally, which require competitors to complete a number of stages over the course of multiple days with breaks in between, the Baja 1000 is a non-stop 1000-mile sprint through the Mexican desert.

This is why conquering the Baja 1000 is seen as the greatest test of a machine in the eyes of the all-important US pick-up truck customer. Surviving the Baja experience is the off-road equivalent of setting a sub-seven minute lap time at the Nurburgring for a performance car and carries the brand kudos that a car that wins the Bathurst 1000 enjoys in Australia. 

But the race is even more important to Ford, and especially the Raptor nameplate. That’s because the Baja 1000 is where the F-150 Raptor was born and is still seen as the final test for any performance pick-up that carries the Blue Oval’s badge.

In order to earn the right to carry the Raptor name, the Ranger model had to complete a 1000-mile desert racing endurance simulation - just like the race. While the official test was carried out in Alice Springs and the off-road proving grounds at Loveday, South Australia.

Now, though, the Ranger Raptor will get to earn its stripes in the Mexican desert, just like the F-150 and Bronco Raptors.

The truck has been built by Ford Performance in collaboration with Supercars racing specialist Kelly Racing.

So why is this so important? Because the Ranger needs to establish itself in the US market, which is a notoriously tough market for ‘mid-size’ utes. American buyers prefer the bigger Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado and Ram 1500 models, so convincing US customers that the Ranger is both tough and fast is crucial - and Baja is the perfect place to do that.

The Ranger was once a key member of the Ford line-up - between 1983 and 2011 - but it spent nearly a decade out of showrooms before the previous model returned in 2019. Now, with the introduction of the 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 engine in the Raptor, it is entering the US market for the first time in its history. 

The previous Ranger Raptor model wasn’t sold in the US because it was only available with the 2.0-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine and the market simply has little interest in diesel-powered pick-ups.

Ford Performance boss Trevor Worthington said a V8-powered Ranger Raptor R is unlikely.

A strong performance in the Baja 1000 in a few weeks will give the Ranger Raptor the kind of publicity and image boost it needs as it enters the American market. And while the US-sold models are built there and not Thailand like the Australian examples, any success for the Ranger in America should have a positive impact on the model as a whole - which will be good news for Australian customers.

Ford Performance boss Trevor Worthington told CarsGuide on our recent visit to Detroit that a V8-powered Ranger Raptor R is unlikely but has previously hinted that a Ranger Desert Racer like the Bronco could be a possibility. 

Ultimately, if the Ranger can enjoy even a fraction of the success and popularity the F-150 has enjoyed, it could lead to a longer and more exciting future for the ute…