Thousands of kilograms of clay, hundreds of liters of paint, and hundreds of sketches When we think of new vehicles, we imagine them being constructed on enormous assembly lines by sophisticated machinery, but the process actually starts with artisans.
According to Pedro Simes, Marketing Director at Ford Middle East, "Off-roading and automotive fans are well aware of the Next-Gen Ranger Raptor's blend of exhilarating desert-racing power, built on raw power, smart technology, and mechanical and technical precision, given its status as the world's fastest mid-size pickup. The Next-Gen Ranger Raptor's design has been carefully considered to suit its Ford Performance features both inside and out, as our experts explain below. Like everything else, the next-generation Ranger Raptor's design started with a brief. This brief establishes the design's framework and verifies its inspiration and essential components.
According to Dave Dewitt, external design manager for Ranger Raptor, after the creative brief is finalized, the designers start sketching. "It always starts with a pencil and paper," he stated. Following approval of the sketches, "and there are hundreds of them," as Dewitt put it, the digital design team electronically recreates them to serve as a master reference document and to inform the subsequent clay modeling stage.
Using more than 4000kg of clay, skilled sculptors first use machines to carve out 1/3-scale models, followed by full-size models, before adding the finishing touches. The clay design is "frozen" after receiving the design chiefs' approval. Additionally, life-size versions of seats, consoles, and steering wheels are sculpted by clay modelers.
While the clay modelers are at work, the color and materials team begins choosing the textiles, textures, and colors to further emphasize the next-generation Ranger Raptor's appearance and feel while adhering to the vehicle's design DNA. The Raptor's cabin is designed to feel like a cockpit while also being as functional as possible.
The design engineering team digs down to make sure the aesthetic appeal is more than just skin deep, as the other departments work on the inside and outside.
The next-generation Ranger Raptor is the result of many hours of laborious work, much of it done by a group of talented artists and craftspeople.
Performance at a glance
In addition to elevating the Ranger to a new level, the next-generation Ranger Raptor screams Ford Performance and unmistakably connects it to the rest of the Raptor family with its bold and aggressive design.
According to Max Tran, chief designer for Ranger Raptor, "our design mandate for Ranger Raptor was to really lean into 'form following function' and take Ranger to the next level.
According to Dewitt, the team was charged with using the Ranger Raptor's design to communicate its story.
"With just a glance, you had to get a clear picture of the Ranger Raptor's power, performance, and capability but also recognize that it was part of the Ford Performance and Raptor families," he claimed.
Although each model has its own personality, Raptor cars represent the pinnacle of off-road performance and must incorporate Raptor-family design characteristics. Wide fenders, tough steel front and rear bumpers made for severe off-roading, a high-strength steel bash plate, functional hood and side vents, and strong F-O-R-D writing that spans the blacked-out grille are a few of these features.
All of those features are there in the Ranger Raptor, which also sets itself apart from the next-generation Ranger with a pumped hood dome that suggests the power underneath, twin exhaust tips that are tucked up high to avoid impediments, and precise gray accents.
According to Dewitt, "With our design, we made sure the Ranger Raptor stood alone as its own vehicle, not just next to the Ranger but also in the Raptor family."
They can all be parked side by side so that you can observe the similarities and differences between them.
Performance-oriented interior
The Ranger Raptor's interior had to provide customers with the assurance they needed to unlock the high-performance potential of the new Raptor, according to Nick Eterovic, interior design manager for the vehicle.
"Our design team had to deliver a commanding cabin with the functionality of a high-performance off-road race truck and the comfort and convenience of a modern sports car," stated Eterovic.
Ford Performance Code Orange splashes are all over the Ranger Raptor's cabin, making it just as expressive as the outside. Terra Suede, which is plush yet durable and simple to clean, is used to cover the instrument panel and the tops of the door panels. Its matte coating lessens glare and enhances the interior's premium, performance vibe.
Ford Performance seats are exclusive to the next-generation Ranger Raptor and were developed with gripping side bolstering to keep you in place no matter the terrain. The seats inside the F-22 Raptor jet fighter served as inspiration for them. With a newly created "super matte" seat trim that is complemented with suede, the seat materials have also been developed to have both a utilitarian and aesthetic appeal. Additionally, because the new Ranger Raptor allows you to transport friends and family, the back seats were made to be just as secure and comfortable as the front ones.
"Jet fighter seats need to be supportive both side to side and up and down," claimed Eterovic. "We spent a lot of time considering how we could combine important aspects of the F-22 seats into the Ranger Raptor seats. Additionally, we wanted to guarantee that those in the back had the same level of comfort as those in the front.
Owners enjoy a commanding cockpit experience thanks to a new premium-grade leather steering wheel with a thick rim, thumb rests distinguished by an orange marker on the top of the rim, and magnesium paddles for manual gear shifts. Owners of the Ranger Raptor can choose from Normal, Sport, and Bajai settings for the steering, suspension, and exhaust system. You can even pick quiet to make sure you don't offend your neighbors.
Ford's new programmable information-on-demand 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster, which has custom startup animations suiting the pickup's performance character, unifies the entire interior. A 12-inch portrait-style center touchscreen running Ford's most recent SYNC 4 infotainment system completes the digital instrument panel.
"The interior of the next-generation Ranger Raptor is just as brash and expressive as the exterior. Ranger Raptor is built for action right out of the box, as seen by its digital instrument panel, fingertip access to customizable suspension, exhaust, and steering settings, heavily-bolstered seats, dedicated off-road screen on the tablet, and Code Orange accents, according to Eterovic.