The Ford Raptor nameplate represents the Blue Oval’s lineup of off-road-ready performance pickups and SUVs. Currently, it encompasses the Ford F-150 Raptor, Ford Ranger Raptor, and Ford Bronco Raptor – all rugged, body-on-frame vehicles. In the age of high-performance off-road machines, Ford Authority can’t help but wonder if it’s high time Ford added a unibody Raptor model to its repertoire.
Our curiosity was piqued by a supposed Ford Bronco Sport “Raptor” that recently surfaced. While that particular model turned out to be a fake, it got the gears turning. As previously stated, all Ford Raptor models to date have been body-on-frame pickups or SUVs. The first vehicle to wear the Raptor nameplate was the 2010 Ford F-150 Raptor. The Ford Ranger Raptor joined the lineup overseas for the 2019 model year before finally making it to North America as a 2024 model. The most recent addition was the 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor, which represented the first time an SUV was granted the Raptor nameplate.
There are a handful of unibody Blue Oval models that would lend themselves well to the Ford Raptor line. There’s nothing that says it has to be a body-on-frame exclusive. Keep in mind that the ST nameplate began as a car-only brand, including the Ford Focus and Ford Fiesta, before being introduced to the crossover scene with the arrival of the Ford Edge ST and Ford Explorer ST in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
Think of it. The Ford Maverick is begging for a Raptor variant. It’s already gotten the Lobo trim, which currently represents its high-performance model, but that’s geared toward the street truck scene, not off-road. The Ford Explorer Raptor would be a great addition, too, bringing rugged off-road performance to the popular crossover. And the Ford Bronco Sport is begging for a Raptor variant, too, just like its big brother, the regular Bronco – and, clearly, we’re not the only ones to think that.
Let us know where you stand, dear reader – should there be a unibody Ford Raptor added to the lineup? Vote in the poll below to let us know, and make your voice heard in the comments section, too.
Quite a bit of the pony car is carbon fiber.
Something many enthusiasts have always wanted.
What's worse, not using a blinker or using the wrong one?
Looks as good on display as it does sideways.
It's been customized in virtually every way possible.
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Nope. Jimmy has enough on his plate trying to outdo the Corvette. He's swamped!