AUTONEWS

Ford CEO and the 4x4 hypercar dream

If there's one brand that's been investing in its sporty image lately, it's undoubtedly Ford. In just a few years, the oval-shaped marque has developed a top-notch automotive program (with a presence in F1, Le Mans, NASCAR, Pikes Peak, and the Dakar) and created sports cars as extreme as the Mustang GTD and the Raptor line for off-roaders.

However, according to a recent analysis by Ford CEO Jim Farley, there's still a gap the brand he leads could aspire to fill. "There's no Porsche for off-road... and I'm surprised no one's thinking about it," the Ford CEO said in a Bloomberg podcast.

In fact...Porsche doesn't have a radical version of the Cayenne, nor is there any indication that it will (the German brand is moving toward electrification), and the 911 Dakar can't be considered anything like that... mainly because Farley is practically talking about a hypercar in 4x4 form.

Farley's dream, which seems to have been consulted with more than just a pillow, judging by the way he worded it, is an all-terrain vehicle with over 1,000 horsepower, one that doesn't use the pickup truck format so admired in the US, but partially embraces electrification (without which it's impossible to achieve four-digit horsepower).

The Dakar experience...A decision that could make sense... if the experience the oval-shaped brand is gaining from its participation in the Dakar Rally (with Carlos Sainz and Nani Roma leading the project) can somehow be transferred to this future super off-road vehicle.

In fact, the mega all-terrain vehicle concept Farley speaks of is a model capable of competing in Baja-style off-road races thanks to adjustable suspensions and ride heights, though not as extreme as those for extreme events like the King of the Hammers.

"I'm seriously considering it, and sometimes when that happens, it usually turns into something," said the American executive, who sees this project as an original vision within a world, that of modern supercars, which he considers too uniform (he's not wrong, as almost all of them are two-seater coupes like the Mercedes-AMG One, Aston Martin Valkyrie, Bugatti Chiron...).

The closest Ford has in its catalog today to Farley's dream in terms of performance and price is the Mustang GTD (obviously, it's at the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of concept), the Ford Bronco Raptor, or, also far away, the Mustang Mach-E Rally.

"We're in the middle of creating something, so we don't have all the answers yet, but the question is, should Ford make an off-road supercar? Not a version of a car, a standalone supercar," Farley stated. This new approach aims to create a vehicle that's as exciting as the Ford GT on the track, but with much greater usability in everyday life, especially off-road.

According to Farley, what attracts consumers to the Ranger Raptor is its handling, even in off-road conditions, due to its well-designed damping system. "People don't understand about off-road racing how compliant the damping is, and that makes it a totally different experience than being in a [Porsche 911] GT2 RS," he explained. Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Performance, endorses the idea that motorsport experience should be incorporated into the brand's products.

The Raptor T1+ achieved third place in its first Dakar Rally, a remarkable feat. However, the potential new Raptor model won't be a production version of the rally car. The T1+ is a competition-designed vehicle with a tubular steel chassis, carbon fiber panels, 400 mm ground clearance, and a 5.0-liter Coyote V8 engine.

Ford is still evaluating the ideal format for this super off-road vehicle. Some possibilities include a pickup truck with supercar performance, or a crossover that rivals models like the Ferrari Purosangue in both performance and off-road capability. The idea is to bring to the streets the same excitement and capability the brand demonstrates in competition.

Autonews