Ford Ranger Raptor gets more power and torque with new version

Ford has given Ranger Raptor pickup truck owners in the United States a significant boost in power and torque by launching a new performance package backed by a factory warranty.

Overnight, Ford US announced Raptor Ranger Vehicle owners can now order the new engine software upgrade for $895 (AUD$1,315), which can be installed at any Ford dealership and comes with a three-year, 36,000-mile (57,936 km) warranty on the vehicle.

While there are no hardware changes to the Raptor’s twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6, this tune increases its power from 302kW of power and 583Nm of torque to 339kW and 727Nm.

That 37kW and 144Nm increase in power coincides with improvements to the Ranger Raptor’s 10-speed transmission, which Ford claims delivers “optimised shift timing” while also improving the engine’s throttle response.

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Ford Australia has confirmed this upgrade won’t be coming here, at least not as a standalone upgrade.

Australian performance pickups have less power than their North American counterparts out of the box, with local Ranger Raptors producing 292kW – 10kW less than those sold in the United States.

However, Ford specialist Herrod Performance sells a more comprehensive upgrade package locally that not only increases power and torque, but also addresses the extra stress on the Ranger Raptor’s components by increasing power.

Starting at $5,950 including installation, Herrod’s “Power Pack” adds a larger intercooler and transmission oil cooler, as well as engine tuning.

Unlike other companies that use ‘piggyback’ engine control units (ECUs) to bypass Ford’s high level of security, Herrod’s long-standing relationship with Ford – which has resulted in special editions such as the Mustang R-Spec Turbo – meaning it is given full access to the engine’s brain.

In case the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the line, Power Pack-equipped Ranger Raptors actually have more power than performance-upgraded vehicles for the U.S. market.

The Power Pack increases power to 380kW and torque to 780Nm, or 88kW and 197Nm more than standard, while the truck can still run on 91 octane or higher unleaded petrol.

Thanks to Herrod Performance’s relationship with Ford, Power Pack-equipped Ranger Raptors retain the current five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, which also applies to the company’s parts.

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