The all-new Ford Ranger Raptor debuted well over a year ago for international markets, but its North American unveiling just happened early yesterday – a notable event given the fact that the high-performance off-roader has never been sold in the U.S. before. There’s a lot to look forward to with the arrival of this rugged new mid-sizer, from its powerful twin-turbocharged Ford 3.0L V6 EcoBoost engine to its highly fortified suspension, but as it turns out, the 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor also learned a few tricks from an unlikely source – the Ford Mustang.
To ensure that the 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor was able to slice through the air efficiently, Ford used cutting-edge computational fluid dynamics to instantly test tweaks to its design, a process that involved 700 hours of virtual and physical aerodynamics testing. However, what’s even more interesting is the fact that Australian designers looked to the Mustang to figure out how to manage efficient airflow around the wheels and wheel arches as well – not an easy task with a big, blocky pickup.
“Small changes in design can make a huge difference in aerodynamic efficiency,” said Dr. Neil Lewington, technical specialist and aerodynamics supervisor, Ford Australia. “With new Ranger Raptor, we focused our attention on several key areas – creating air curtains around the front and rear wheels to reduce aerodynamic drag, tuning the C-pillar treatment to improve airflow above the load box, and shaped the box capping and tailgate spoiler to minimize drag from the wake.”
Since wheels are a major source of aerodynamic drag, Ranger Raptor engineers looked to the Mustang’s air curtains for inspiration, figuring out a way to shape the pickup’s fog lights to create front wheel aero curtains. Additionally, the team designed the front bumper and fog lamp bezels to channel air flow around the front wheels, while also tuning the roof and C-pillar geometry, all of which helps reduce drag and make the 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor more aerodynamic.
We’ll have more on the 2024 Ranger Raptor soon, so be sure to subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford Ranger news, Ford Ranger Raptor news, and ongoing Ford news coverage.
Comments
Same thing Chevy has done for years. Nothing new.
Also, who cares about aero on an off-road truck? Weird thing to spend design effort on
Better fuel mileage is why they do it and probably a pretty low percentage of these Raptors ever venture off on any real off-road use.
Lol