FORD

New Generation Ranger Raptor jumps out of a plane and then accelerates through mud and water (video below)

Since the European launch of the first Ranger Raptor, Ford has demonstrated the exceptional off-road capabilities of its high-performance pick-up through a series of films that could very well be confused with the more common action films made in Hollywood.

Now available on Ford Europe's YouTube channel, the latest shows the Next Generation Ranger Raptor jumping out of a cargo plane, under aircraft and speeding through mud and water, all in an airfield setting. This new video stays true to Ford's concept of "The Good, The Bad and The Bad-RSE" project as a tribute to westerns, as well as the spectacular powerslide stunts and clouds of dust from the original film by Ford. Ranger Raptor presentation.

Filming of the latest production was preceded by about three months of planning, involving a team of 38 elements who spent three days, under controlled conditions, at an airfield closed to the public, facilities where, in the past, military jets were built and tested. .

Before settling on the filming location, the team used miniatures to create a fully animated storyboard, a process known as animatic. More than 200 hours of work were dedicated to the production of this animatic, which was then used to approve all stages of the process, functioning as a template for the actual footage.

The jumps and drifts were designed and performed by Paul Swift, a world leader in high precision driving, with over 30 years of experience, working closely with the Ford Ranger team of engineers based in Australia. Swift also drove the New Generation Ranger Raptor at the model's presentation event, held live in Europe and organized by Ford, where she highlighted the power of the new 3.0-liter V6 engine and the advanced suspension design, allowing it to perform astonishing stunts.

The Ford engineers involved in the planning stage of the video were always extremely confident in the ability of the Next Generation Ranger Raptor to effectively handle the intended stunts, so in all sequences of the film the vehicle used is always a completely standard unit, without any mechanical modifications. The only change was the placement of a multi-point seat belt for the driver instead of the traditional seat belt.

Paul Swift worked with prestigious director Nick Piper to showcase the high performance of the Next Generation Ranger Raptor. Previously, Piper had directed commercials for world-renowned brands including Google and McDonalds, as well as music videos for iconic artists such as Madonna and Lenny Kravitz.

The pilots that appear in the film are the normal pilots of the cargo plane, being more used to transporting cargo in Africa than new pick-ups. The film's script called for a crew of eight to fly across the 1,800-meter runway at a speed of 200 km/h so that high-speed cameras could show the thrilling escape, from the cargo hold, of the New Generation Ranger Raptor, breaking free from a 22 meter steel net.

To capture the dynamic sequences, the film crew used drones, special electric buggies, and a Robo Arm-type camera car, a system that uses a robotic roof-mounted crane with a camera attached, allowing film crews to obtain images of car to car, in close-up. A specialized security team - including three airport fire trucks and their respective crews - were on standby throughout the filming.

Once completed, Imagination - Ford's partner creative agency - spent hundreds of hours working in post-production to create seven different versions of the final film, aimed at various platforms and audiences. Since it was posted on Ford Europe's YouTube channel, the movie 'Next-Gen Ford Ranger Raptor Cleared to Land in Europe' has had over 150,000 views.

Quotes...“This Raptor is phenomenal - I just love it! It is extremely potent. Before everything started, I was a little worried about the scale of what we were going to try to do, but the end result shows that there was no reason for any fears. The Next Generation Ranger Raptor makes my job so much easier.”

Paul Swift, Precision Stunt Pilot in Next Generation Ranger Raptor Presentation Film

“At first, it seemed like a crazy idea to us! I remember seeing the smiles on people's faces when we first talked about this, but this has everything to do with the vehicle in question. This is, without a doubt, an absolutely radical way to launch the Next Generation Ranger Raptor - we have a loyal and enthusiastic fan base, and I think they will love all of this.”

James Cooper, Ranger Brand Director, Ford Europe

Autonews