Ford has provided US owners of the Ranger Raptor ute a significant power and torque bump, launching a new performance package with a factory-backed warranty.
Overnight, Ford US announced Ranger Raptor owners can now order a new engine software upgrade for US$895 (A$1315), which can be fitted at any Ford dealer and is covered by the car’s three-year, 36,000 mile (57,936km) warranty.
Though no hardware changes are made to the Raptor’s twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 engine, the tune increases its outputs from 302kW of power and 583Nm of torque to 339kW and 727Nm.
This 37kW and 144Nm bump coincides with enhancements to the Ranger Raptor’s 10-speed transmission which Ford claims delivers an “optimised shift schedule”, while also improving the engine’s throttle response.
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US-market Ranger Raptor
Ford Australia has confirmed the tune won’t be coming here, at least not as a standalone upgrade.
Australian examples of the performance ute suffer from reduced power compared to their North American counterparts from the factory, with local Ranger Raptors producing 292kW – down 10kW on those sold in the US.
Ford specialist Herrod Performance, however, sells a more comprehensive upgrade package locally which not only brings a power and torque bump but also addresses the extra strain put on the Ranger Raptor’s components by increasing outputs.
Priced from $6480 including installation, Herrod’s “Power Pack” adds a larger intercooler and transmission oil cooler, as well as a revised engine tune.
Australian-market Ranger Raptor
Unlike other companies which use ‘piggyback’ engine control units (ECUs) to bypass Ford’s high levels of security, Herrod’s long-standing relationship with Ford – which resulted in special editions such as the supercharged Mustang R-Spec – means it was provided full access to the engine’s brains.
In the case of the grass not always being greener on the other side, Ranger Raptors equipped with the Power Pack well and truly outgun those with the US-market performance upgrade.
The Power Pack sees outputs jump up to 380kW of power and 780Nm of torque, or 88kW and 197Nm more than standard, while the ute can still run on 91 octane or higher unleaded petrol.
Due to Herrod Performance’s relationship with Ford, the Ranger Raptors which are fitted with the Power Pack retain their existing five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, also applying to the parts used by the firm.
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