Ford Off Road Cars

Did you ever look at the existing pickup bed caps and bemoan the fact that they don’t make trucks more aerodynamic? Michigan Vehicle Solutions thought it’s time for something new on the market of bed caps, so they’ve looked at the louvered rear windows of ’60s and ’70s Mustangs and came up with the Aero X fiberglass cap that makes the Ford F-150 attract more eyes than ever before.

Your first reaction may be, ’Why?’, followed by a typical, ’Who are these people?’ Well, this company, based in Southgate, Michigan, "works and performs testing & services in conjunction with the OEMs in the testing & custom vehicle build arena," according to its own website. You’ll get why they thought sticking a sloping 260-pound cap in the back of Ford’s F-150 is a good idea when you’ll see the crazy renders of a Dodge Charger Daytona-esque body kit for the Dodge Challenger on the About Us page. This, then, looks mundane in comparison.

Christmas has passed, and you’re probably about tired of looking at your Christmas tree. But, let’s look back a few days at 4-time Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Pro 4 champion Kyle LeDuc and the dilemma that left him behind schedule in this ad by Toyo Tires.

As you’d expect from an off-road racer, LeDuc doesn’t just head to the tree shop with a dull station wagon or an SUV, instead opting for his No. 99 Monster Energy-sponsored and Toyo-shod truck. What happens next is everything you’d hope for when it comes to a video like this.

The last Ford Ranger to be made in North America came off the production line in late 2011, and it’s taken Ford nearly eight years to bring the model back. But this time it’s not Ford-badged version of a Mazda pickup (the 2006 to 2012 model year Ranger), but a new Ford-designed model with global ambitions.

Ford has remained mostly tight-lipped about possible plans to ship the Ranger Raptor over to the North American market. Rumors on the matter ranged from ones certainly stating it was coming, then came another one that it actually wasn’t coming, now it looks like we’re back to a more optimistic outlook.

After years of speculation, Ford finally confirmed that a new-generation Bronco will be unveiled soon. However, a new report claims that FoMoCo isn’t in a big hurry to launch the SUV and may have opted to roll out the new-generation F-150 pickup truck instead.

The new Ford Bronco will arrive in 2020, but those who can’t wait that long now have the opportunity to have their fill with the original Bronco courtesy of a company called Gateway Bronco. The Illinois-based outfit has been restoring the first-generation Bronco since it started operations in 2016. But thanks to a partnership with Ford, Gateway Bronco has announced plans to go beyond restoring original Broncos and will build brand new, old Broncos under license from Ford. Mind you; these aren’t Gateway’s “interpretation” of the original Broncos. These are original Broncos that Gateway will build with the blessing of Ford. They even come with a five-year, bumper-to-bumper warranty. Gateway plans to build three versions of the original Bronco, all in limited quantities. The price range of these models goes from $120,000 to $180,000.

In March 2018, Ford unveiled its plans for the next two years, which includes many new models and a shift toward crossovers in the U.S. The bigger news includes dropping most cars in favor of SUVs, a hybrid version of the F-150 truck, and a revival of the iconic Bronco. The latter will be joined by a smaller sibling with similar boxy cues. A baby Bronco!

Described as a vehicle "designed to win a growing number of people who love getting away and spending time outdoors with their families and friends," the compact SUV was partially revealed in a teaser photo. In November 2018, photos of the actual vehicle leaked onto the web following a Ford dealer meeting. And based on what we can see, it’s aimed directly at Jeep. Specifically, while the new-generation Bronco will go against the all-popular Wrangler, the smaller crossover will take on the Renegade. There’s no official name for it yet, and details remain a mystery, but it could roll out by 2020.

Updated 11.14.2018 - Leaked photos from a dealer meeting shows the "baby" Bronco before we’re supposed to see it. Check out the photos in the gallery section.

Continue reading to learn more about the upcoming "baby Bronco."

Back in March 2018, Ford confirmed that it will revive the iconic Bronco, as well as add a smaller, "baby" Bronco crossover to its lineup. Come November and the "baby" Bronco revealed itself earlier than planned in leaked images from a dealer meeting.

With Ford introducing the EcoBoost F-150 Raptor, we witnessed the end of an era. The end of the V-8 Raptor era. Some, however, weren’t exactly thrilled with it. At all. People wanted the Raptor V-8. Luckily, thanks to PaxPower, they’ve got it. The Houston-based company took the Ford F-150 V-8, slapped a supercharger to it, installed all OEM 2019 F-150 Raptor parts on it, and called it a deal. It is now up to me to compare the two, although, it seems that PaxPower did not leave me a lot to compare here. The PaxPower Raptor has all the bells and whistles as the real thing - only with far more power and better performance.

There are few things in this world as resolutely badass as a hugely capable off-roader pickup truck. These are the machines you want with you when there’s a forest, mountain, or desert between you and your destination. With a go-anywhere attitude and the right stuff to walk the walk, the street-legal off-roader used to be something cobbled together in a shed. Now, you can get one direct from the factory, be it the Colorado ZR2 Bison from Chevrolet, or the F-150 Raptor from Ford.

These purpose-built, highly specialized variants offer tons of good stuff for those who prefer the trail to the street. For example, the Bison was created in collaboration with American Expedition Vehicles (AEV), an aftermarket off-roader company that knows exactly what’s needed when the going gets rough. Then there’s the F-150 Raptor, which Ford developed into a full-blown Baja racer with a license plate. But how do these two stack up against one another? Read on to find out.

The Bronco is coming back, and we’re still waiting with bated breath for all the juicy details from Ford. Luckily, it’s looking like we won’t have to wait too much longer, as a full debut is expected early next year at the Detroit Auto Show this coming January. However, before then, we’re picking apart all the rumors we can get our hands on, including the possibility Ford will source the Bronco’s underlying structure from the new Ranger.

Ford’s not messing around with the list of accessories available to the upcoming 2019 Ford Ranger. Leaked documents shown via the Ranger5G forum reveal an extensive list of accessories that includes bull bars, racks, carriers, tow hooks, cup holders, and different versions of roadside assistance kits. The list of accessories points to one inevitable conclusion: you’re going to have to drop a serious amount of money to get what you want.

A few months ago or so, the Internet became a battleground for those who believed that Ford would reintroduce a V-8-Powered Raptor and those who thought it would not. One article from fordtips.com was enough to convince armies of dedicated Ford F-150 fans to start fantasizing about the new Raptor V-8. A Reddit thread was formed, people were commenting on the new car, sourcing some long forgotten quotes from unreliable sources, and imagining a Ford F-150 Raptor with a 7.0-liter V-8 engine.

Some months after, PaxPower - a well-known Ford tuner - revealed just what all of those dedicated fans wanted - a Ford F-150 Raptor V-8. Not with the 7.0-liter V-8 mind you, but with a 5.0-liter V-8 that offered extra motivation thanks to a massive supercharger. I already wrote about the F-150 Raptor V-8 developed by PaxPower. It is quite a magnificent machine actually, and it has real Ford F-150 Raptor gear.

Nevertheless, this article will actually discuss the possibly a real Ford F-150 Raptor V-8 by Ford Performance.

At a time when automakers are only producing automatic transmission cars, the Blue Oval is saving the three-pedal setup from going extinct. As per a report, the upcoming Ford Bronco could possibly get a manual transmission system in a few versions. If true, this makes Ford one of the very few automakers that still offer manual transmissions in an SUV or a truck.

We have all been waiting for Ford to release the 2019 Ranger’s specs, and finally, the details are here. Cutting straight to the chase, the 2019 Ford Ranger will come with a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder that produces 270 horses and 310 pound-feet of torque. Even though the engine may seem less potent when compared to the Mustang and the Focus RS, the power output is fairly impressive.

Roush Performance is pulling out all the stops with its new tuning package for the Ford F-150. The program comes with upgrades and modifications to the F-150’s exterior, interior, engine, and suspension. It’s as extensive a kit as you can find for the Blue Oval’s popular hauler. It doesn’t come cheap, though. The price of turning the Ford F-150 into the Roush F-150 SC adds up to $22,999, and that doesn’t include the price of the base F-150 unit.

Off-roading can be a lot of fun - from exploring the great outdoors, to finding the right line through a challenging bit of terrain, to extracting every ounce of capability from your vehicle, it’s just the right activity to get away from it all. Now, Ford hopes to make it more accessible with its new Trail Control system for the 2019 F-150 Raptor, which the company likens to “cruise control for off-road driving.” Color us skeptical.

Continue reading for the full story.

One thing is for certain. The new Ford Ranger Raptor is cool, capable, and off-road ready right from the production line, and it’s definitely an interesting proposition even for big-truck-loving Americans.

Sizewise, it is a truck similar to the Colorado ZR. “Characterwise,” it is a dune-fighting fun machine designed for the most intense off-roading tasks. While we in the U.S. are still waiting for Ford to confirm that the Ranger Raptor will come, the rest of the world is basking in the greatness of the potent truck. The thing is that the Ranger Raptor for the rest of the world is actually powered by a small diesel engine - not something that’s very popular here, is it?

While I am among those who believe the Ranger Raptor in the U.S. will get a 2.3-liter EcoBoost, I have to tell you a number of reasons why you should not be disappointed even if we end up with the diesel Ranger Raptor.

I read a lot of Bronco stuff in my research for this article and let me tell you right away that we are in for the ride of our lives. Ford has some balls and, if we are lucky, it will probably give us just what we wanted - a retro looking 2020 Ford Bronco with live axles, three doors, a cool “no-roof” mechanism, a modern engine, and a freaking spare tire slapped at the back. A gazillion rumors have surfaced over the past few years about the new Bronco, but the last teaser picture revealed a lot.

The Bronco always was a cool vehicle. All the way from 1966, but it wasn’t until that OJ Simpson situation that it reached the status of an automotive icon like no other. Interestingly enough, we’ve had to wait a quarter of a century for Ford to reveal an all-new Bronco, a vehicle that will be a staple of American off-roading culture and the first one in a long time to attack the likes of the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.

This is what we know about the 2020 Ford Bronco.

Despite a strong move towards more crossovers and trucks, Ford isn’t ditching all the good stuff its got going with its line of sedans. The latest is that the Blue Oval’s upcoming “baby Bronco” will take its underpinnings from the Focus four-door.

Continue reading for the full story.

The Ford Ranger Raptor has the makings of becoming one of the most popular Ford pickups in the industry. It’s essentially a smaller and presumably more affordable version of the F-150 Raptor. But as fascinating as the Ranger Raptor is, there is one point of contention surrounding the Ranger Raptor, specifically the absence of a gas-powered V-6 unit. Well, don’t get your hopes up because Ford doesn’t appear to have any plans of offering the Ranger Raptor with a gasoline or diesel-drinking V-6.