Sam Krahn 
With the arrival of the Ford Ranger Tremor, we were just getting over the fact Ford doesn’t offer the Ranger Raptor in the US. No, the Tremor isn’t meant to mirror or replace the Raptor, but it’s still plenty of truck for American customers. But Ford just ripped the Bandaid off with their latest Ranger, the Raptor X. It’s a special edition Ranger only going to the Australian market that comes with a multitude of styling enhancements to make it stand out from the normal Raptor. Here’s what you need to know about the latest forbidden fruit.
The first thing you’ll notice on the Ford Ranger Raptor X is the graphics and stripe package. There are dual gray stripes with a red border going over the full top length of the vehicle, and a similar stripe at the base of the door that kicks up on the side of the bed, meeting the Raptor badge. Also in the bed is an extended leg sports bar. There’s also some black detail stickers around the headlights. In many ways, the graphics remind us of the Ford Ranger Tremor optional graphics pack, which has hood stripes and a similar side graphic. The red accents are also seen on the front tow hooks, and on the interior.
Ford Ranger Raptor X vs Standard Ranger Raptor
While the regular Ford Ranger Raptor comes with blue stitching on the sporty seats, dash and steering wheel, the Raptor X swaps it for red. Other than that, it’s typical Ranger Raptor on the inside, which looks pretty much the same as US models. We are a little jealous of those magnesium shift paddles, although we’ll get them in the upcoming Ford F-150 Raptor.
Those paddles will control a 10 speed automatic transmission hooked up to a 2.0 liter bi-turbo diesel engine. This is all carryover from the standard Ford Ranger Raptor, as is the rest of the off-road hardware. That’s no bad thing, as those wider fenders accommodate a suspension lift with Fox Racing internal bypass shock absorbers and 33 inch BFGoodrich All Terrain tires.
While it’s hard to yet again see another performance Ranger that’s only going to the Aussies, at least we expect the next generation Ford Ranger to spawn a Raptor variant that will come to the US to sit above the Tremor. Deliveries for the Raptor X will kick off down under this July.
