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First jump: Next Gen Ford Ranger Raptor

400HP AND DESERT RACE SUSPENSION. WE PUT FORD’S NEW DO-IT-ALL OFF-ROAD WEAPON TO THE TEST  400hp in a ute. Bonkers, right? And it is bonkers, but in a good way. The last Gen Ranger Raptor was an excellent 4×4. In fact, one of, if not the best dual cabs on the market. The suspension, the interior, the drivetrain; it was all very good. The new version delivers twice as much, and then some. Sure, it’s more expensive. So is everything, right? But at least Ford is delivering huge additional value for the extra hit to the pocket. They’ve spent some serious time and money on this thing, and the end result is a truly special vehicle. One of those cars that puts a big cheesy grin on your face every time you drive it. Styling Objectively, there’s absolutely no faulting this car. Subjectively, however, the aesthetic of the Ranger Raptor might furrow some brows. While it’s all in keeping with Ford’s design language, it’s a big shift from the last model. Where the outgoing Ranger Raptor was beefy, the new version is imposing. The 50mm longer wheelbase and bulkier body shell combine for more of an F150 look than Ranger. The large C-clamp design headlights continue that F-truck theme. The huge F-O-R-D emblazoned grille is a bold statement, as is…

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Opinion: Tow Ratings Are Rubbish

In the world of 4X4s, numbers are everything. Manufacturers love to throw around figures like 3,500kg towing capacity, trying to convince you that their mid-size Utes can pull anything you throw behind them. But dig deeper, and you’ll find that those numbers are more about marketing hype than real-world capability. Some may go as far to say they’re an outright exaggeration. Me personally? I’d just say they’re bullshit.   If you’re towing heavy loads, it’s time to start knocking a chunk off from the claimed capacity to get a more accurate idea of what your vehicle can actually handle. The reality is, if you’re hauling something more serious than a hybrid camper or lightweight van, you’re going to need a serious towing vehicle. Despite what the brochures say, most dual cab 4X4s aren’t up to the task when fully loaded.  Let’s take a closer look at the Toyota HiLux GR Sport, mainly because it’s comical how bad it is. Toyota advertise it as rated to tow 3,500kg, with a Gross Combined Mass (GCM) of 5,850kg. Now, let’s say you’re towing the full 3,500 kg. Subtract that from the GCM, and you’re left with 2,350kg. That figure has to cover the vehicle’s weight (its kerb weight is 2,270kg), which leaves you with a measly 80 kg of payload. Oh yeah, we need…

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HOW IT WORKS – HYBRID 4X4S  

For the last 100 years or so the powertrains motoring us down the tracks haven’t changed a great deal. Sure, they’ve gotten more complex, but the same basic things are happening whether you’re cruising into camp in a Model T or a twin-turbo V6 Ranger Raptor. Fuel and air makes its way into a chamber, it’s combusted, pushes a piston down, spins a crank, goes through some sort of gearing arrangement to make the power usable, turns a diff, drives a wheel. You can look at a supercar and a flathead V8 and see the same basic principles.   But things are rapidly changing.  With the push for electric vehicles that paradigm has shifted so dramatically someone from 2004 could barely recognise the propulsion systems in an all-electric F-150 Lightning. But are hybrids much simpler? They promise to be the perfect middle ground between old and new, proven technology and the stuff of the future. But how do they actually work? We take a closer look at this often understood technology and do a deep dive to see its viability in a 4X4 landscape.   WHERE’S THE MOTOR?   When it comes to talking hybrid drivetrains the actual ‘how’ can be far more confusing than the ‘what’. Like any new technology there’s a whole host of different manufacturers trying to get a jump…

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From Pat’s Desk  – Fresh Tracks

I recently attended the New York Auto Show. And in case you were wondering, this trip was personally funded (i.e. NOT paid for by any manufacturer). Here are some of my key takeaways.   VERY FEW CAR COMPANIES ARE RUN BY ENTHUSIASTS  I’m quite certain that many car companies, nay, most car companies, have had an identity crisis over the past decade. Do we build petrol? Diesel? Hybrid? Hydrogen? Electric? And in that massive state of flux and indecision, most seem to have fluffed their product lineup and created ostensibly boring, heartless vehicles. I mean, by their very nature, electric vehicles are essentially heartless, as they have no singular fuel-burning engine. Instead, they have four little motors wired up to a supercomputer.   So for a car enthusiast, it’s hard to get properly excited. Then there’s the range anxiety in Australia, plus the inefficiency when towing or accessorising. One company noticeably bucked the ‘boring’ trend in The Big Apple. Ford. I know what you’re thinking - “Pat, you’re sponsored by the buggers, quit talkin’ nice about them” and truthfully, I did spend more time on their stand than any other. But man, talk about something for everybody. Let’s list a few notables. A Mach-E Rally car, available to buy from your dealer. Think Dakar 911, in an EV. Dirt road rubber, a slight lift…

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Brisbane to Sydney via the dirt, the Tenterfield leg 

In my mind, only three things are certain in life: death, taxes and that bitumen roads are bloody boring. So, tackling a trip like Brisbane to Sydney using as many dirt roads as possible is, in my mind, an absolute dream trip. And that might sound surprising, because it’s not K’gari, or the Canning, or, in fact any of the big-ticket items. It’s a gem, hidden in plain sight just waiting for adventurous wheelers to take it on, and the best bit? You’re in charge, you can choose where you want to point the bonnet. Unlike many other journeys, this one isn’t linear.   So, for our first bite-size chunk, we steered our way from North Stradbroke Island to Tenterfield. Partly by design, partly because Mother Nature in all her ferocity forced us that way due to fires. The real party piece of this leg is that it had something for 4X4er, mud, ruts, sand, corrugations and almost everything in between.  North Stradbroke Island  Cue what is possibly the only island I haven’t managed to find myself bogged up to the rear-view mirrors on. I can’t lie (I mean, you’ve all seen the show) that likely had a lot to do with the factory twin-locked Next-Gen Ford Ranger Raptor I was driving. North Stradbroke Island, or ‘Straddie’ as affectionately known by locals, isn’t just a haven for beachgoers and sun-seekers who missed all the ads…

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The Story Behind Project Thirst Responder – Our F-150 with Attitude

For over two decades, Pat Callinan has built himself a reputation as a no-nonsense outback tourer. His shows, websites, magazines, and 4X4s have all been about exploring the Australian landscape focusing more on the natural beauty and the excitement of discovering new tracks, than showboating. But with last season’s Everest and Ranger builds serving as big-lap proven tourers, and the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a 2024 F-150 Lariat, what happens when Pat wants to have a little fun? What does it look like when he sets out to build a rig that’ll put a smile on his face whether he’s parked up trackside in Innamincka, or just heading to his local watering hole to spend an afternoon with mates? Enter ” Project Thirst Responder”, a vehicle that marks a departure from Pat’s utilitarian ethos to embrace the sheer joy of motoring down an outback track with the promise of good times and better mates at the end.    The Rig     Ford’s F Series line of trucks has had an on-again-off-again relationship with Australia. Factory-backed, we’ve seen a few models over the last 50-odd years including the F-250 in the mid-2000s, and the F-100 and Bronco back in the 80s. While you’ve been able to buy grey import and locally converted F-150s for a while now, Pat’s 2024 model…

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