YouTubers The Zunigas couldnt wait for Tesla and Ford to settle their tug-of-war beef, so they decided to stage a rematch of their own. In case you missed the Cybertruck reveal and all the memes that followed, Elon played a video clip of a Cybertruck skipping away with an F-150 in a tug-of-war like it was child dragging a reluctant puppy to the park.But skeptics, some at Ford included, pointed out the truck chosen was a two-wheel-drive F-150 and therefore not the best comparison.Enter The Zunigas guys, who happen to own a Ford F-150 Raptor with a twin-turbo V6 tuned to around 600 horsepower and a Tesla Model X, the most powerful SUV made by the brand and arguably the closest thing to a Cybertruck available. Heres the thing, if Elon wants a real challenge, he shouldve gone up against a Raptor, a big boy car, says Jose, on Team Ford, at the beginning of the video, going on to call the Tesla a Mom car and predicting that hed jack up its chassis with his truck. But when the electric Mom car was strapped to the big boy Raptor and the throttles buried, thats not exactly what happened. (Heads up, skip to the 3:00-minute mark to hear the trash talk, or to about 4:20 for the actual contest.)The Tesla comes out strong and doesnt let up, pulling the Raptor back a good distance before both drivers let up. But all may not be equal where rubber hits the road, with the Tesla wearing what some might call more appropriate tires designed for pavement, while the Raptors shoes are (likely) for off-road terrain. Is this the inevitable outcome of the Cybertruck vs F-150 rematch, or just another mismatched comparison? Give us your take
Origin: Watch: Tesla Model X and Ford Raptor engage in tug-of-war
Raptor
Texas tuners build the Ranger Raptor that Ford won’t sell here
Its an open secret that your author has been pushing Ford to bring a version of the mighty Ranger Raptor to these shores. With GM taking a big slice of the mid-size off-road pie with the Colorado ZR2 and ZR2 Bison, the Blue Oval must surely know its leaving money on the table. Thats without mentioning the Tacoma TRD Pro and its ilk.Where the Glass House has fallen down, a Texas-based tuner has picked it up. PaxPower, a speed house out of Houston, has unveiled a 350-hp Ranger with plenty of off-road goodies at this years SEMA show in Las Vegas. A common cop-out Fords offered as to why the Ranger Raptor isnt in North American showrooms is the presence of a weak-sauce 2.0-litre diesel engine making just 210 horsepower. While it is true this mill would not satisfy customers in this region, PaxPower has proven a Raptor-like Ranger can be built around this markets 2.3L EcoBoost engine, thank you very much. Tuned to about 350 horsepower, this clever girl will surely outrun most of the other creatures in the jungle.Starting with a current-model Ranger FX4, PaxPower adds OEM Raptor body panels to the fenders, bedsides and most obviously the front fascia. Those bumpers are custom-fabricated, though, and offer approach and departure angles better than any stock Ranger could ever dream. Toyo R/T rubber sets a just-right stance.None of this show would be of any use without a bit of off-road go, so the company installed a prerunner long-travel suspension setup from BajaKits to pair with King 2.5 front coilovers and rear shocks. Specific front and rear suspension travel isnt mentioned but it surely matches or beats the overseas Ranger Raptor measures of 32-per-cent and 18-per-cent increases over a standard Ranger.Like it? Me, too. Since the crew at Ford seem paralyzed on this issue, one can head over to PaxPower to spend their
Origin: Texas tuners build the Ranger Raptor that Ford won’t sell here
GM may be building a Silverado ‘ZRX’ to take on Ford’s Raptor
Bowtie fans are spoilt for choice if they want a mid-size truck packing acres of off-road cred, with the ZR2 and ZR2 Bison bringing the goods. The full-size cupboard is slightly more bare, given Trail Boss trucks arent level competitors to the mighty Ford F-150 Raptor.However, if the rumour mill is working reliably, that situation will change very soon.Those in the know over at GM Authority are reporting Chevy is planning an off-road brute with the chops to take on the Raptor. Potentially called the ZRX, this Silverado variant could slot in above the current Trail Boss.It would be a sensible move for GM to make, given it currently has no answer to the Raptor or Ram’s upcoming Rebel TRX. Chevrolet could leverage its relationship with Multimatic, the company which manufacturers the excellent DSSV suspenders found on the Colorado ZR2 pickup. Your author has launched bowtie trucks equipped with these dampers at speed off various and sundry off-road obstacles and can confidently report that, even at speeds approaching 65 km/h, landing back on terra firma is no more harsh than flopping down on a comfortable bed.Silverados unique weight and dimensions, compared to the smaller Colorado, would likely require some fettling of those dampers by the boffins at Multimatic. Dont expect a simple swap, in other words. Other goodies likely to appear on a Silverado ZRX are front and rear lockers; different fasciae for better approach and departure angles; and a raft of appropriately aggro trim features. The brands hand-of-god 6.2-litre V8 is a natural fit for a truck of this ilk, especially given that it is available in the Trail Boss for 2020. Its unlikely Chevy would allow little bro to out-power the big guns, after all. Given that GM offers the Colorado ZR2 with that trucks diesel option, it wouldnt be a surprise for them to list the Silverados new 3.0-litre diesel on a ZRX option sheet.Expect this Raptor-fighter to show up on dealer lots within the next couple of
Origin: GM may be building a Silverado ‘ZRX’ to take on Ford’s Raptor
Ken Block hoons his modified Raptor in Moab
Ken Block takes his latest Hoonigan toy, a souped-up Ford Raptor, out for a spin in the desert.Ken Block Youtube As Block says in the video, he drives a Ford Raptor as his daily driver (because of course he does) but this one is vastly different from his everyday truck. The truck was built by SVC Offroad from California, the same firm that did the tank tracks for Ken’s other Raptor. This time, the Raptor is running on Fifteen52 Turbomac HD wheels inspired by the wheels found on Ken’s other cars and wrapped in 37 Toyo off-road tires. The track width has been lengthened, and custom fibreglass overfenders give the car an aggressive wide stance. The truck is fitted in Avalanche Grey (not white, as Block is adamant to point out) which is a rare departure from his favourite finish: flat black. This works as a complement to the Hoonigan pattern showcased on the box, which actually uses reflective material similar to the one found on Block’s Fiesta RX43 used in Gymkhana 8. When light reflects off of the black accents they appear gold. The suspension is obviously modified with parts from SVC Offroad, mostly with parts that can bolt on to the stock Raptor suspension, along with triple bypass dampers. The front and rear bumpers have been customized to give it a more a pre-runner style as well. It wouldn’t be a customized Raptor without a light bar, and Block’s truck has two of them built by Ridgid, which feature GPS tracking that can focus or widen the beam depending on engine speed, and the colour can also be adjusted to anything Ken chooses. Block has even customized the licence plate with the letters HHIC2, which stands for Head Hoonigan in Charge, and the 2 being his second vehicle with the
Origin: Ken Block hoons his modified Raptor in Moab
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