August 8-10, 2024. to be held between Hungarian trouble Ford’s brand new racing car, the Ford Raptor T1+, undergoes its baptism of fire in off-road racing.
Starting in the off-road king category, the completely uniquely developed car (referred to by the T1+ in the name) has so far undergone ten thousand kilometers of tests. After Hungary, the Ford Raptor will compete in Morocco in October, and then the final goal will come: the Dakar Rally starting in January 2025.
The Ford Rangers have been trying for many years in the world’s best-known and one of the toughest off-road rallies, but so far they have not been able to win. This is probably why they have now decided on a completely unique construction.
The racing car is built by Ford Performance and M-Sport in the usual construction; the latter are responsible for the entire Dakar program.
During the development of the chassis, the engine and the general construction, the experience gained at the 2024 Dakar was also used.
The Ford Raptor T1+ uses double wishbone suspension at the front and rear. The three-way adjustable struts and four-way adjustable external reservoir shocks are supplied by Fox. The maximum spring travel is 350 mm, the brakes are supplied by Alcon, and the 17-inch wheels are fitted with 37-inch tires.
The 5.0 V8 engine is based on the Coyote block that also powers the Mustang GT; tuned for off-road needs, the powerplant uses unique dry sump lubrication and special exhaust tuning.
The vehicle itself is built on a cross-linked tube frame made of T45 steel with a high carbon-manganese content, on which carbon fiber panels are mounted. The ground clearance is 400 mm, the minimum weight is 2010 kg, the width of the car is 2.3 meters, the front ground angle is a brutal 70 degrees.
Some of the teams are new. The number one car will be driven by two-time WRC and four-time Dakar champion Carlos Sainz, who has transferred from Audi as the defending champion. The second car will be driven by former Ford driver Nani Roma, who won the Dakar in 2004 on a motorcycle and then in 2014 with a car.
Sainz’s navigator is Lucas Cruz, with whom he has started in every Dakar since 2015 (and twice before that in 2010 and 2011). Alex Haro, who has navigated him six times since 2016, will sit on Roma’s side. Two more teams will also start with the Ford Raptor, these pairs will be announced by Ford later.
Source: www.vezess.hu
