Torture testing is an essential part of vehicle development, and the next-generation Ford Ranger Raptor is no exception. In fact, one of the test mules used by the Blue Oval brand’s engineers racked up a total of 150,000 kilometers on the odometer.
The next-gen Ford Ranger Raptor undergoing field testing
Australian car website Car Expert had the opportunity to visit Ford’s proving grounds in Victoria to find out the grueling conditions necessary for testing. After all, both the standard Ranger and its high-performance variant have been developed Down Under since the first generation in 2011.
The automaker used 50 test vehicles in developing the new Ranger Raptor, one of which was in the process of being sent to Dubai for desert driving trials. It had already gone through an extensive regimen of testing both on pavement and the trails to ensure that the permanent all-wheel drivetrain with front and rear locking differentials would hold up well, resulting in an incredible mileage of 150,000 kilometers in just six months.
Imagine covering the equivalent of 150,000 kilometers in just half a year
Just how was it possible for the vehicle to cover that much ground in such a short span of time? Ford Performance program manager Justin Capicchiano explained that the testing personnel used rotating shifts. “We’ve got people working around the clock at the proving ground, right, we’ve got day shift and an afternoon shift working,” he said.
“It’s not uncommon for the guys in the morning to be the driving the car to do running kilometers, then hand the car over to the afternoon guys who continue putting on (kilometers). It’s all day.”
We think all that hard work brought results that speak for themselves
Capicchiano adds that there’s also dynamometer testing done on both the engine and chassis. “This (vehicle) has done some durability work, because I can see some of their markings on the thing. So it literally does that stuff day in and day out.”
This should give potential customers an idea of what next-generation Ford Ranger Raptor endured before it reached its final production version, and erase doubts whether the truck can seriously take on off-road driving as promised.
Know the stories behind the industry’s freshest releases at Philkotse.com.