Ford Off-Roader Cars

Wait, what? It’s barely been a year since the fourth-generation Ranger, that marks the nameplate’s return to the North American market, was shown at the Detroit Auto Show and now we get to see the next one? Apparently, this is actually true, and you are looking at a car that you shouldn’t have seen for at least two more years, the fifth-generation Ranger that will share its platform with the upcoming Amarok, both models destined for the European and African markets.

When manufacturers are preparing to launch a new vehicle, they go about their business in a tried and tested way. They either try to take the test mules out on the road either in more secluded areas where there’s less of a likelihood that someone with a camera, hiding in a bush, might be tracking down their movements or, when city testing or highway testing are on order, they wrap the vehicle in question in as odd a camouflage pattern as possible. The point of the camo is to deter those that try to pick out the new model’s key aesthetic features that differentiate it from the older one or, in case of brand-new standalone models, to make it hard for folks to figure out whether or not that model is bringing with it a new design language or not. Basically, most often, it’s a game of hiding your hand in plain sight.

This time, though, it seems like an Australian automotive outlet got its hands on some leaked images. We know that the T6 generation of the Ranger built for international markets (although it did debut in the U.S. as well in 2018) was conceived by Ford Australia and, most probably, the engineers Down Under are now working on the upcoming international model because the T6 has been around since 2011 although it received a facelift in 2015. Obviously, with the T6 Ranger arriving in the U.S. last year and selling well, don’t expect what you see in these pictures to spot rolling down American roads pretty soon.

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.

We knew that the next-gen police cruiser from the Blue Oval was in works. Finally, we have something to show for. A set of new spy photos of the Ford Explorer in uniform have surfaced the net. From what we see under the camouflage, we have to admit that the fear-inducing machine looks even better now.

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.

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.

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.

The Ford Expedition is headed to the 2018 SEMA Auto Show in two different guises. One of these two Expedition creations goes by the name "Destination Expedition," and it comes by way of Hulst Customs. The noted tuner developed its program with an eye towards turning the Expedition into the “ultimate SUV.” It features extensive upgrades in the exterior and interior, to go with a number of technical additions. The result is a go-anywhere version of the SUV that lives up to its Expedition name.

While I did write extensively about the possible Ford Ranger Raptor Diesel reaching the U.S., it seems that Ford doesn’t have any plans to introduce theRanger Raptor to the free world. In his talk with Hermann Salenbauch, Ford Performance Director, Autoblog journalists found out that the Raptor “was really developed for locations where the F-150 isn’t available or popular so that all regions could have a Raptor.”

Obviously, reading between the lines shows that the Ranger Raptor isn’t actually coming to the U.S.

More than two months after unveiling the Ford Mustang Heritage Edition, Hennessey is back at it with another special tuning program, this time for the Ford F-150 Raptor. Filed under the same “Heritage Edition” name, the F-150 Raptor gets a steady dose of upgrades, covering aesthetic, mechanical, and performance upgrades. Hennessey ties a bow on its mad creation with an engine upgrade that jacks up the V-8 engine’s output to 758 horsepower.

Hennessey has revealed a new Heritage model based on a Ford, the F-150 Heritage Edition, after previously showing off the Mustang GT. It features a similar vintage livery, similar to that of the Ford GT ’67 Heritage Edition, but it’s 758-horsepower engine under the hood that’s most notable.

Ford and Harley-Davidson have established a unique partnership in the auto industry. The latter has a long history of building custom and special edition H-D branded trucks, and the latest example of that is the 2019 Ford F-150 Harley-Davidson Concept Truck. Developed as a special edition version of the F-150 Super Crew trim, the new F-150 Harley-Davidson Concept was created with the help of Tuscany, a subsidiary of Fox Factory Inc. and a Ford Motor Company specialty vehicle manufacturer in the personal-use segment, to help celebrate the bikemaker’s 115th anniversary.

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.

Ford was a big participant at the 2018 Texas State Fair, making its presence known thanks to four special edition SUVs. One of those special edition SUVs is the Expedition Stealth Edition, and of the four SUVs, it’s the one that received the most upgrades. The Ford Expedition Stealth Edition, together with the Expedition Texas Edition, will be available to order later this year. Pricing details will be announced soon.