Lucas Bell 
The Ford F-150 Raptor is simply one of the coolest trucks that you can buy today, which is why it is so confusing that the Blue Oval has yet to offer the off-roading trim on the mid-size Ranger pickup. But it turns out that Ford does offer a Ranger Raptor in the European market, but they continue to keep it away from American truck fans. Texas-based truck tuner PaxPower got sick of not having a Ford Ranger Raptor of their own, which resulted in this off-roader.
PaxPower laid their claim to fame by removing the EcoBoost engines in the current F-150 Raptors in favor of a throatier V8 a few years back. So these folks definitely enjoy messing around, but seemed to have missed the opportunity to call this pickup truck the “Power Ranger.”
This home-brew version of a Ford Ranger Raptor started life as a Lariat FX4 model, and is constructed out of a combination of factory Ford parts and aftermarket upgrades. Body panels such as the front clip for example are actual Ranger Raptor components from Ford’s overseas parts bin, which add five inches of width compared to the truck’s standard bodywork. The added size required PaxPower to fit the Ranger Raptor with aftermarket bumpers and an upgraded bed. The integrated front light bar and beefy off-road tires help to further set this Raptorized Ranger apart from its more road-oriented stablemates.
While you might expect this truck to be equipped with the European Ranger Raptor’s factory off-road suspension, instead it rides on a custom prerunner style suspension setup from BajaKits. The trick suspension includes upgraded control arms and 2.5-inch racing shocks with manual ride adjustment.
Under the hood sits a slightly stronger version version of the Ranger’s standard 2.3L turbocharged four-cylinder engine, making approximately 350 horsepower according to PaxPower. The U.S. market Ranger currently produces 270 horsepower from the factory, while the European Ranger Raptor’s 2.0‑litre EcoBlue diesel produces only 210 horsepower.
PaxPower says their modified Ranger has enough power to outperform the larger F-150 Raptor, which produces a more stout 450 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque thanks to its 3.5L EcoBoost V6 engine.
The PaxPower Ranger Raptor has an MSRP of $65,000- a bit more than the larger 2020 F-150 Raptor’s base price of $53,205. Despite this hefty price tag, we are glad that American builders continue to show us what an American Ford Ranger Raptor could be like.
