- Ford says it’s considering a standalone off-roader
- Ford Raptor T1+ Dakar Rally contender may hint at the type of vehicle Ford is considering
- Ford wouldn’t be the first to launch a rally raid-style vehicle for the road
The success of Ford’s Raptor-branded performance off-road vehicles, based on workhorses like the Ranger and F-150, has led the automaker to consider launching a standalone Raptor model.
The information was revealed by Ford CEO Jim Farley, who has previously expressed a desire to make Ford synonymous with off-road performance and likened the status to Porsche’s reputation for owning the racetrack.
“We’re in the middle of creating something, so we don’t have all the answers yet, but the question is: should Ford make an off-road supercar? Not a version of a car, a standalone supercar,” Farley told Top Gear during a kickoff event for the new motorsports season held on Jan. 30 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Farley added that there is an opportunity for a vehicle that can deliver the fun and speed of a supercar but with a ride that’s still comfortable.
Ford Raptor T1+
“People don’t understand about off-road racing how compliant the damping is, and that makes it a totally different experience to being in a [Porsche 911] GT2 RS,” he said.
Ford already has a standalone Raptor in the form of the Raptor T1+ rally raid truck that tackled the 2025 Dakar Rally in January, managing to end it with a third-place podium finish in the Ultimate category. At the same event in Charlotte, Mark Rushbrook, the global director of the Ford Performance division, told Top Gear that the Raptor T1+ has been garnering useful feedback from customers.
“The Raptor T1+ at Dakar represents the ultimate Raptor in many ways, and we’re learning a lot from that both in terms of the competition but also in terms of feedback from customers, so all I can say is stay tuned,” he said.
Ford wouldn’t be the first company to turn a rally raid-style racer into something you can drive on the street. British engineering and motorsports company Prodrive only a few years ago launched a road-going version of its BRX Hunter Dakar racer packing 600 hp.
